Ok, I'm lost here....you are judging quality by how clean a used filter is?...I mean, it's a filter, the dirtier it gets inside means the less crap got thru it to the engine.....a spotless filter has trapped nothing in it........

Or are we referring to the actual makeup of the filter still?

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

Never had an OE oil filter fall apart here, nor any catastrophic engine failures caused by "evil" cotton gin waste.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Maybe I shouldn't say anything, but Jeremy knows me well and that I like him and rode in his Diesel and everything, but.....

Why would you put some part that you knew was made in Turkey in your beloved Mercedes Benz?

Yeah, I know, Turks and the Mercs, I have heard all the stories about how the Turkish gastarbeiters buy a Mercedes and fill it with parts and tires and drive them to Turkey when they are finished working in Germany; but why put parts from that benighted country in your car, especially something having to do with the ENGINE?

What is wrong with Mann, Mahle or a Mercedes Benz oil filter?

We are not talking about some old 1964 Rambler Classic 440 or something like that piece of junk, here.

Right?

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Words of wisdom Jim B................true words of wisdom.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Uh, gentlemen, even us "big block CHevy running, gas eating rednecks" know that Fram makes the worst filter in the biz.

Another way to view it is, the company that spends most on advertising, typically has the worst product. Look at financial services, for example !


And to quibble about a filter made in Turkey, or in Poland, well, thats nothign but jingositic quibbling and diatribe. Last MBz filter I bought was made in India, one before int eh Czech republic.

Your point is? ??.................. Correct, spurious assumptions= invalid conclusion.

I was still referring to the makeup of the filter.....the sticks and debris issue....the OEM filter had that stuff in it. Its also far too expensive.

If its too annoying to get Baldwin filters then I will probably use Bosch again. They are made well (very sturdy) and are made in such a way that even if there is less than great stuff in the bypass section, none of it will ever get out into the oil....and thats good enough for me. Especially since they are made in Germany and cost about $8

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

On a related (sort of note) anyone know the trick to getting my Mitivac extraction tube all the way down into the bottom of the pan in the 617? Having trouble doing so. Don't have this issue in the other cars as I can fiddle with them and they go on through... and this is the first time I have tried to use it on the 300D Turbo. Its getting to the bottom of the Dip stick hole and hitting something and not going down the rest of the way. Perhaps there is a hole there I am not hitting? Tried using the smallest tube but I am fishing around with it now.

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1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com

You think they are good products but the by-pass media is of concern here of all the brands mentioned and then some. They are made with waste cotton floor sweepings that have twigs, bugs, seeds and dirt. There have been reports of the twigs and other debris making into the filter housing of some members.
The Turkish Fram does not have any of that crap media hence many members here use it.

EDIT: Should be noted that this refers to filters used in the 616.XXX and 617.XXX engine types. In other engine types, the OE filter maybe just fine.

Here see link for dissections of the filters.

OIL FILTERS: which one to buy????
OEM Oil Filtration Efficiency 50%@27μ / 99%@50μ

Pictures of the dirty cotton media:

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I cut one open before I used it because I wanted to see what this "gin waste" cotten looked like. In the Wix it looked like you described, scary. In the OE it was white with some shell fragments suspended in it but other than that it was clean. I don't think those shell fragments could hurt anything, and they are pretty stuck to the cotton.

I paid about $15 for my last filter.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm thinking of stocking up on Baldwins.
Even if they are good the Turkish Fram aren't available around here,(and neither is much else) so I'm gonna stock up on something.......
So here is a dozen for $170 plus S&H
http://www.filterbuyersclub.com/case-of-12-baldwin-p102-2-section-full-flow-by-pass-lube-element-with-bail-handle/p102-case.html

Does anyone know a better price?

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

The OM603 filters (p/n 601-180-01-09) is currently $13 list, but you can get it for about $10 from MB Ft. Lauderdale, or $9 from Parts.com, plus S&H of course (not sure what their S&H is like, you may need to submit a larger order to make it worthwhile.) Note that these will be OE (Genuine Mercedes) filters, not OEM.

Another thought. If someone wanted to organize a group purchase, I'll bet we could get a deal on 4 to 8 dozen cases. maybe drop shipped...

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

I didn't mean to start another "oil filter war," sorry.

Jim B. -- I understand your concerns. The choice of the "Made in Turkey" (as opposed to the "Made in Mexico") Fram filter for my OM617 was made as a result of the comparisons mentioned by DeliveryValve. I agree with Hatterasguy that stuff embedded in cotton probably won't get out and hurt but if there is a choice, I prefer a clean material such as the string with which the Fram is packed. That the filter is made in Turkey (or wherever) is not part of the decision.

OTOH, the oil in the OM61x family of engines is probably over-filtered so almost any filter will probably be OK if the oil and filter are changed regularly. Question: Is the "extra" filtering one of the reasons that the OM61x family of engines has a reputation for longevity? The OM603 engines also have a two-section filter but the OM606 do not.

Now I certainly could buy factory filters for my OM617 (and, of course, I do buy them for my OM603 and my OM606). My '96 E300D has had nothing but factory filters in its OM606 engine for over a quarter-million miles now and neither burns nor leaks oil. But given a choice, I prefer to spend less money rather than more. If I can get a good filter on sale for US$3.50, why should I spend more? Of course, if something changes and bad reports start circulating, I will pay attention and change if it seems appropriate.

cphilip -- I just changed oil in my 617 using a suction device and had no problems getting the tube (just measured at 0.31 inch or 7.9 mm outside diameter) to go all the way to the bottom. Try a long straight wire (coathanger?), see if you can get it to go past your obstruction. Perhaps it would be worth your time to pull the bottom oil pan for an examination.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

How are you defining "OE (Genuine Mercedes)" as compared to "OEM?"

********AZ has OM603 oil filters for $7.90 (Mahle-Knecht/Hengst) or $8.90 (Bosch). I have used both brands and had no problems. That is an apples and oranges comparison, of course, since the OM603 filter is a single section pleated-paper filter unlike the two-section OM61x filter.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

K & N automotive filters come immediately to mind.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)