Fram Ultra FAILURE

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It's interesting that this filter design doesn't use a plastic cage in the center for support.

The cartridge filter I used (XG 9018) was very sturdy and I would never be able to collapse the pleats like that.

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Keep us updated on what fram says!
Seriously though, this is a great company. Stands behind it's products and very accessible.
 
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It's interesting that this filter design doesn't use a plastic cage in the center for support....

Some cartridge applications have/use a cartridge housing/cap centertube eliminating the need for a filter integral center tube. Confident the OP's BMW is such an application and as others using similar/same application from other brands have indicated, shouldn't be a consideration in the OP's issue.
 
This Fram Ultra cartridge end-cap issue may be nothing at all.

The wire backed media stays in place (stiff), and the flat end caps are always held in place by the surrounding housing metal.

It all means there is no failure here.
 
Originally Posted By: DriveHard
Car: BMW X3
...... About a month ago my wife started complaining that her engine was making a ticking sound. .....

Can't blame the oil filter for the ticking noise. These engines are famous for doing that, and I read it was aeration (air bubbles) in the oil doing it to the hydraulic valve lash adjusters.
Roller-finger-followers-valves-and-hydraulic-lash-adjusters-300x200.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: stickybuns
Originally Posted By: DriveHard
Car: BMW X3
...... About a month ago my wife started complaining that her engine was making a ticking sound. .....

Can't blame the oil filter for the ticking noise. These engines are famous for doing that, and I read it was aeration (air bubbles) in the oil doing it to the hydraulic valve lash adjusters.
Roller-finger-followers-valves-and-hydraulic-lash-adjusters-300x200.jpg



That may be the case, but since the filter change, the ticking has TOTALLY stopped.
 
When my BMW's ticking sound stopped, I attributed it to the change in engine oil brand, since oils can have differences in anti-foaming performance (less aeration) due to more effective silicon additives etc. Speculating of course.

The BMW housing holds everything in place, and Fram Ultra's wire backing makes a lot of difference here. Still, its troubling to see it come unglued.
 
I'm normally hesitant to put much faith in noise anecdotes solely attributed to filter use because there a too many variables involved. That is especially true for the spin on filters posted here where the filter itself shows no signs of damage or failure. A compromised or worn out adbv might give some start up rattle but beyond that, very difficult to pin point to a specific filter function.

In this case though where the media was basically flapping in the breeze or oil as it were inside the housing, and with a new filter installed the noise is gone, safe to say imo that the filter was major contributor to the engine noise. And having used a number of cartridge filters including Wix/NG with similar nylon/composite endcaps and never having a similar result to that shown here, as the majority commenting here agree, many with BMW cartridge filter experience, the thread title is completely apt.
 
Originally Posted By: stickybuns
This Fram Ultra cartridge end-cap issue may be nothing at all.

The wire backed media stays in place (stiff), and the flat end caps are always held in place by the surrounding housing metal.

It all means there is no failure here.



Interesting, even when they fail, they don't fail.

Pass the koolaid around boys!!!!!!
 
^^^ No worse than saying Purolators with tears in the media are just fine to use. LOL
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Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: stickybuns
This Fram Ultra cartridge end-cap issue may be nothing at all.

The wire backed media stays in place (stiff), and the flat end caps are always held in place by the surrounding housing metal.

It all means there is no failure here.



Interesting, even when they fail, they don't fail.

Pass the koolaid around boys!!!!!!


These are not the droids you're looking for.
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
^^^ No worse than saying Purolators with tears in the media are just fine to use. LOL
crazy2.gif



No one has had any "real" problems yet.

And no one will.

But the discussion has sold a lot of FRAM filters here within a group that was convinced that the FRAM OCOD had the poorest construction of all commercially available filters.

You've done well!!!!!!!
 
Originally Posted By: stickybuns
When my BMW's ticking sound stopped, I attributed it to the change in engine oil brand, since oils can have differences in anti-foaming performance (less aeration) due to more effective silicon additives etc. Speculating of course.

The BMW housing holds everything in place, and Fram Ultra's wire backing makes a lot of difference here. Still, its troubling to see it come unglued.


The ONLY thing that was changed was the oil filter. The oil fill was not changed...I am still on the same Mobil 0w-40 from when I first changed it. The engine was ticking, I changed the filter, and ONLY the filter, and now it is not ticking at all. Draw your own conclusions, but I can't think it gets much clearer than that.

I just received a MAN filter in the mail, and plan on changing the oil and filter when this current fram hits 1,000 miles. Still no response from Fram on the filter I sent in, but I will update when I get one.
 
The OEM filter for your car is the MANN HU816/X which runs for around $9 in Amazon and is Made in Germany!
I always use MANN filters on all my Euro vehicles and they have never failed me. Even under extreme conditions. (Extremely severe sludge, high oil consumption, running almost empty on oil and some other things i dont remember)
Why would you go FRAM?
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While buying a oil filter for my duramax diesel I picked up a fram ultra for it. The cartridge was rattling loose in the filter can. I picked up another that wasn't and purchased it. Informed the attendant of the faulty one.Everyone makes a faulty filter now and then. I've found Wix filters over the years that did the same.
 
Originally Posted By: gtmaster303
Did you remove the end caps or did they separate on their own?


You should not insinuate foul play by respectable posters.
 
Originally Posted By: kozanoglu
Originally Posted By: gtmaster303
Did you remove the end caps or did they separate on their own?


You should not insinuate foul play by respectable posters.


Why do you presume that is what he was doing?
 
Originally Posted By: DriveHard
stickybuns said:
The ONLY thing that was changed was the oil filter. The oil fill was not changed...I am still on the same Mobil 0w-40 from when I first changed it. The engine was ticking, I changed the filter, and ONLY the filter, and now it is not ticking at all. Draw your own conclusions, but I can't think it gets much clearer than that.

I just received a MAN filter in the mail, and plan on changing the oil and filter when this current fram hits 1,000 miles. Still no response from Fram on the filter I sent in, but I will update when I get one.


Why don't you run the new Fram for longer? If it is quiet, then it seems to be working.

Btw, I also recommend going with the OEM filters. For German cars dimensional and design differences have been noticed between OEM and aftermarket cartridges.
 
Cartridge filter problems do not translate to spin on problems. Cartridge filters are always more prone to issues, since they don't benefit from the nice metal end disc on the Ultra spin on and deep well of adhesive.
 
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