thoughts on fram filters? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ayrtonsenna · #1 09-20-2006, 10:08 PM

i bought a fram fuel filter for my 240d today. apparently the biggest parts warehouse in western massachusetts doesn't carry bosch filters

. so they gave me the fram instead. should i return the fram and send for the bosch from mercedesshop or am i good with the fram?

#2 09-20-2006, 10:10 PM

Keep it. Fuel filters are all about the same. It's the oil filters that need to be weeded through for the good ones.

ayrtonsenna · #3 09-20-2006, 10:13 PM

uh oh. i bought a fram oil filter not too long ago. what should i have gone with?

#4 09-20-2006, 10:19 PM

I only go with Fram's made in Turkey. They use tightly wound new string in the by-pass section insted of cotton gin waste. Even the OEM Mercedes filters use gin waste.

greasybenz · #5 09-20-2006, 10:21 PM

The fram oil filter is actually much better then even the german oil filters. At work a co-worker and i cut open a couple of oil filters. a mann and a mahle/knecht. Both of which had junk inside the filter.

Take a look at this link, as long as its the fram thats made in turkey you should be ok. If its the one made in mexico then its the same as every other filter.

http://24.14.137.240:8080//benz/oilfilter/oilfilter.htm

ayrtonsenna · #6 09-20-2006, 10:36 PM

looks like i'm in the clear then, thanks guys. now, what air filter is best?

greasybenz · #7 09-20-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayrtonsenna

looks like i'm in the clear then, thanks guys. now, what air filter is best?

For that id suggest going with a oem german filter. Fram tends to make their air filters shorter then oem and dont correctly seal in the air filter box. Therfore allowing dirt to pass through which is bad!

Jeremy5848 · #8 09-20-2006, 10:42 PM

The Fram 2930 looks the same outside on the box; you have to open the box and look inside, where it should say "Made in Turkey" stamped in black ink on the metal end. There is also supposed to be a version made in Mexico that is not as good, or so it has been said here. I have not seen any of those personally. I am currently using the Turkish Fram and have no complaints. I change oil (Chevron Delo 400) and filter every 3000 miles. The part of the filter that sends some of the oil back to the oil pan is indeed packed with what looks like heavy cotton string. Whether the sticks and leaves and dirt in the cotton gin waste that others use will hurt a diesel engine is unknown but why take a chance?

Pep Boys has Fram on sale, two for $6.50, limit four, every couple of months. When that happens, there's usually an announcement here. The Fram 2930 for the 617 engine normally costs ten or eleven dollars so that is a good deal -- at my local store, four filters with tax for $14.01.

It has been reported here that some PB stores try to claim that the diesel filters are "not included" but Pep Boys management will make them sell to you for the sale price if you complain. At least one poster to this forum reported that the 2930s all "disappeared" the day before the sale began.

The only downside with Fram is that the copper crush washer for the oil pan drain plug isn't included. The big rubber o-ring for the oil filter housing IS included, however. For what you save buying them on sale, you can buy a lot of crush rings (they are only a few cents apiece)! It is also possible that other stores will have Fram on sale but not all of them carry the 2930. Also unfortunately, the 2930 filter doesn't fit the later Benzes.

Jeremy

#9 09-20-2006, 10:43 PM

There are three places where Fram CH2930 filters are made. Turkey, India, and Mexico.

greasybenz · #10 09-20-2006, 10:49 PM

Does anyone know if fram has the turkish filters for the 603? when i had them ordered at kragen i looked inside the box only to find that they were made in mexico. So it probably had cotton gin waste, bugs, and sticks inside.

Im thinking of going with wix filters unless i find turkish fram filters for the 603.

Jeremy5848 · #11 09-20-2006, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Does anyone know if fram has the turkish filters for the 603?

Seems to me it was posted here in the last Pep Boys go-round that Fram did not make a filter for the 603.

greasybenz · #12 09-20-2006, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Seems to me it was posted here in the last Pep Boys go-round that Fram did not make a filter for the 603.

Really thats odd? When i asked for it at kragen they didnt have it on the shelf and it was to be ordered. I went ahead and had them orered but didnt buy them because of the "made in mexico" stamp on the filter.

A quick search on frams site gave me this part number CH4536. That is the fram filter for the 603. using that part number in the search gave me this thread.

2004 maintaince records.

This is the quote from Hatterasguy:

Apparently wood pieces are being found in the bypass part of all the German filters. I will use Fram CH4536 from now on until the quality of German filters improves, or Wix.

New2MB · #13 09-20-2006, 11:55 PM

As an air induction engineer I can testify that Fram air filters are much lower quality than the OEM parts in sealing, filtration efficiency, collapse resistance, water resistance, and dust capacity. Wix and Fleetguard (now Cummins) make higher quality air filters and are used by several OEM's.

While I'm at it I might as well mention that if you have a MAFS on any car try not to over oil your aftermarket air filter, better yet don't buy a supposed "cold air induction kit" or "low restriction air filter." (Unless you have a highly modified vehicle that is pulling alot more air than stock) If they functioned better, OEM's would use them, especially since the aftermarket conical-filter-on-the-end-of-a-tube systems would be much cheaper to manufacture (from plastic, not metal) than the typical plastic box with panel filter currently being used. The aftermarket systems are quite a bit louder though if you enjoy that.

sixto · #14 09-20-2006, 11:59 PM

Note that the initial question was about a fuel filter.

Sixto
93 300SD

mobetta · #15 09-21-2006, 01:14 AM

i dont use the fram inline fuel filters, cause i get others less than 1/2 price online.

but in a pinch, use what you can.