Oil filter Fram or OEM BMW

I have used Fram for 20+ years. Every single car lasted well over 116,000 miles. I have seen the issues, complaints, and so on, just lucky I guess. If I could get the FRAM filter for it, I used it. Then again, back then, on some of those models, they were a better filter.

Replaced: oil filter (fram), oil 0-40w Outcome: Compression was restored and car started, loud valve train noise gone.

My '94 Celica with 256k miles never knew it to be true. Good ol' Fram orange is pretty much all I've ever used, though I did switch to the "high mileage" ones somewhere around 225k. That's what's on there right now.

My lovely girl friend has a 2 door BMW 1997 325i. It's a very pretty car with 176k miles on it. We drove it all over and one day it hit me, when was the last time the oil was changed? She thought her parents maintained it, but after some digging the oil hadn't been changed in 1 1/2 years and possibly 30k miles. I pulled the filter out and it was worse than this, and just fyi BMW filters like these do it kinda often from what I have read.

Then engine had 2.5 out of the 7 quarts it is supposed to have. (poured the oil in a 4 quart jug to see). I have absolutely no idea how it lasted so long. It was a ticking time bomb. So after 6 quarts of oil and the seventh being sludge cleaner, the engine has no more ticks and runs very well.

Never felt any substantial difference from the changing of the oil itself but did notice that using a regular Fram filter made for a shaky idle in the '89 Integra I had. Changing the filter back to an STP made the wonky idle go away.

I use Mobil 1 oil and Mobil 1 filter. I may go with the K&N filter from time to time. Quaker State and Fram filters are the last thing I would use. Quaker State conventional at least, nearly ruined my Dad's '68 Plymouth Sport Fury. Fram filters are cheap, using a metal crimp to hold the filter together, this crimp often does not close off the filter leaving a large hole for particulates to pass through freely.

Are you using a cheap generic/fram filter? If so throw it away. Oil change shops use a generic cheapie crapazoidal filter, and uses 10w30 for your car.

Frams are cheaper. Fram filters are smaller and don't have the same internal baffle / checks and might not filter as well. It's just not as quality of a part than other manufacturers. You get what you pay for.

i had the same issue, when i changed to an OEM oil filter, (not a Fram as the original owner) the problem went away...

ive been using that fram filter since my girl got her '94 2.0 jetta and i thought it was the oil pump about to go... her oil light only goes on when shes driving slow but she'll downshift and once it goes up in rpm's the light goes off...