I searched but couldn't find the answers.

What manufacturer makes the OEM oil filter?

I've seen oil filter tests for other cars, where they cut open the filter to see how it is made. However, this is usually for oil filters that come with it's own housing. Since the Mini reuses the housing, only the actual filter element is replaced. This seems to level the playing field a bit when it comes to filter design.

With this in mind, could it be possible that the cheap brands like Fram are actually ok to use in a Mini?

Some other brands I've seen are: Hengst, Mann, Mahle, Auterre, Wix, Beck/Arnley... They usually sell for less than OEM (even as low as $3.71!). Are any of these as good as OEM?

Thanks for any insight.
Matt

 

I use WIX for all my cars.........great filters

 

MANN is an excellent oil filter. dont get Fram. Fram uses less filtering element than other filters. they are the "industry leader" due to great marketing. go and see for yourself. buy a fram and a mann and cut them open.

 

What he said!
Also sold under the "NAPA" brand. Part number is 7303.
Only filter I use.

Jim

 

I bought a NAPA Gold filter, which I believe is Wix. It's better than the OEM filter. FAR cheaper too.

 

Mann filters.

 

Dude, filters.

Er.......Sorry..

Jim

 

You spelled it wrong. It's spelled as follows: d00d.

 

Ah... You mean like "wOOt!!"

Jim

 

I use an OBERG filter. But before that WIX

 

I work for Honeywell and use Fram (freebies!!!)

 

That's still too expensive for a Fram filter.

I've been using NAPA (Wix) filters on mine for a couple years now. The design is an improvement over the stock MINI filter. Where the OEM filter has foam plastic endcaps which double as seals where the filter presses onto the standpipes, the Wix uses solid plastic encaps fused onto the filter media with rubber seals for the standpipes. This makes installing the filter much easier and makes the attaching of the canister more precise (no crossthreading due to the filter 'skewing' the housing).

For most other applications I use Purolator filters, specifically the Pure One series. Excellent construction with lots of filtering media area. The exception here is the filter for the MINI. The Purolator is terrible, with paper endcaps glued sloppily to the filter media, the media having far less pleats and surface area than even the OEM filter. The inner cage of the filter is flimsy and does not extend to anywhere near the length of the filter. It seriously looks like the internals of a Fram filter as far as construction materials used, but far more haphazard and sloppy. I have no idea what they are thinking. The first version of the MINI Purolator filter did not even have the inner cage, causing the filter itself to collapse in use.

 

Thanks for all the input - very useful.

 

I have a factory filter and a MANN filter sitting on my spare parts shelf in the garage. I decided to take a look, and they look identical with the exception of having different labels printed on them. Same number of pleats, same end cap construction. I'm going to buy a NAPA filter and compare that to the other two.

 

factory BMW filters say MANN right on them

 

Great! I'm going to buy Mann with confidence now.

 

wix ftw

 

I thought buying people was outalwed

 

Good, something Mannly for my MINI.

I been using Fram filters for over forty years, never had a problem and drove many cars over 200,000 miles. I think how "bad" they are is highly overrated.

Also, I like the rough surface that allows easier tightening without using a filter wrench.

 

While I never had an engine failure due to an oil filter failure, I've had two Frams in the last couple years with loose innards after they'd been on the car. This was obvious by shaking the filter and feeling the element clunking around and seeing it move through the center hole. In this case, as long as the filter housing did not burst, no external leaks develop and there was no internal blockage, no engine will be destroyed outright, at worst the engine was being fed partially to near completely unfiltered oil. Cummins released a bulletin several years ago telling people to avoid using Fram filters on their diesel engines after reports of piston cooling nozzles (something that MINI engines have as well) getting clogged by loose paper from the filter media, causing piston damage. Fram supposedly redesigned the filter and regained approval. Kicker is, I had been using Fram filters on my Cummins, with no problems prior.

I had been under the impression for the longest time (since the mid 70s) that Fram was one of the highest quality filters available. They tended to cost more, but did well in testing by outfits like Consumer Reports. Fram was bought up by Allied Signal sometime in the late 80s, and the entire line redesigned to the versions out now. Then they started appearing in all sorts of discount stores for very low prices. I thought this was a good thing until I got wind of the redesign. To that end I even cut open filters I had at home. Once I saw what was inside, I stopped using Fram entirely. I tended to use NAPA (Wix), Fram and Purolator interchangeably, depending on where I was buying and stocking up.

One of the most comprehensive breakdowns of oil filter construction by brand can be found here. This study also determines who makes the OEM-branded filters as well as store brands. While no testing is done for filter efficacy in the study, the insight into various construction methods tells a lot.

Purolator began adding a coating on their Pure One lineup to act as a grippy surface. Unlike the Fram filters, this gritty coating covers the entire filter. That's the good news. The bad news is the filters no longer have the pretty dark blue metallic paint on the canisters, it's been changed to a peculiar gold which is more like baby-poo yellow.

My most recent run-in with a Fram filter was last week. I called the parts house to bring a trans filter for my new truck to the shop. Allison transmissions use a small spin-on external oil filter which gets changed at regular intervals, and initially at 5000 miles. I was taking my truck on a trip, hauling the travel trailer through the mountains of western MD and had forgotten about the filter change, the truck now having a little over 6k on the clock. What I got was a Fram. Unlike typical Fram filters, this one was much heavier and could actually be seen not to be made out of the usual cardboard endcap construction. I figured what the hell, I'll use it. On the Allison tranny, a washer-shaped magnet fits between the filter and the mounting pad to help pull metallic particles out of the fluid. The Allison filter has the series of inlet holes nearest the outside diameter of the filter to accomodate the magnet. Upon placing that magnet on the Fram filter, which has the inlet holes about midway like a typical oil filter, the magnet nearly covered the holes completely. Had I tried to use the filter like this, I would have ruined the transmission due to impeded oil flow. The option would have been to run the filter without the magnet, or get an Allison replacement. I opted for the latter. That was some stupid thinking right there on the part of the filter design.

 

Great link Greatbear! Lots of good info there.

It would be interesting if somebody did a similar study for caseless filters, such as the kind on Mini and many BMWs. Many of the factors that contribute to a good or bad filter design are negated when the housing or case is a reusable part.