Honda OEM vs. Fram etc. - Worth the price?

[z917990]

Hey folks! I need a new air filter for my '99 2.3 litre Accord. Frams, STPs etc are priced around $10.00 but the Honda dealership wants $25.99 for a new air filter!

YIKES! I change the air filter once a year. Are the Honda OEM filters that much better? Opinions and experiences welcome. Thank you in advance.

 

[schwartr88]

Fram air filters are not all that bad. See if they have the Toughguard version for your car and use that. If not then the regular air filter will work.

You can even use the purolator or purolator pureone (if available) but its around $13 (for my sonoma).

 

[Spector]

NAPA is good also. I have found that oeM OR napa are slightly better consturcted in terms of the frame etc although Fram air compared to fram oil is night and day. Air not that bad IMO but I still prefer the NAPA or OEM

 

[joee12]

I am not a fan of STP filters, but like Napa, Purolator and Fram. I just find that in both vehicles the STPs did not fit snug, they just did not seem right, Joe

 

[sxg6]

I would never pay $26 for a Honda OEM. Overall i wasn't very impressed with the honda oem filter i almost got at the dealer one time. Very thin paper like media. I know thickness of media doesn't mean much, I just feel better using a filter with thicker media. Therefore I use Napa Gold air filters on my civic, and have for quite some time. Nice thick media.

Although fittiment isn't always the best. When i say that, i mean the rubber gasket sometimes doesn't stay right, so i'll push it down onto the bottom of the air box, and quickly put on the top and hope it seals properly. Purolator was the same way, not the best fit.

 

[Mr Nice]

I buy Fram air filters all the time at PepBoys.....2 for $20 for my parents Hondas.

Alot of people think Fram air filters are low quality, but they are alot better than most people think.

26 bucks for an OEM air filter

I guess Honda knows some people don't mind spending the big bucks for maintenance parts. Just like Honda MTF for $5.50 per quart.

 

[Hermann]

The Fram air filter for my 4 cyl 2005 Accord is $11.44 at Wally World.. I change mine once a year.

 

[sxg6]

I have been using only napa gold's in my civic for a long time.. But today i put in a fram since napa was closed.. I'm very impressed with the fit of the fram. It fit much better than any napa gold i've ever used. The media is completely different. Napa gold's had very thick media, almost loose in a way.. And the fram is thinner but very tight and paper like.. No idea which would be better, just an observation

 

[Tosh]

I replaced the OEM air filter in my 2001 CL-S with a Wix 42023 from Rockauto a few months ago (but I haven't checked on it since, so I can't judge yet). It had 30 pleats v the OEM's 58. But the media was thicker and not folded as sharply. I ended up re-using the OEM gasket, as it seemed of better quality.

 

[Tosh]

My curiosity got the better of me, and I checked on the Wix: It looks great, media is nice and thick fibrous media. Good fit. Totally dust free downstream: passed white glove inspection. I prefer this over stock Honda, especially for the price of under $13 plus shipping. Previous OEM filter was in for 50k, and it had life left in it. Guess it's clean here?

 

[ziggy]

Go with NAPA gold or Wix filters. On my neon, the NAPA gold air filter had something like 7 or 8 more pleates, so did DTP. Best quality definetly, WIX, NAPA gold being second, fram in 3rd place.

 

[ziggy]

OR if you really wanan get cleaner, go with purolator pure one air fitler, althoug like their oil fitlers, their pure one air fitlers are kinda restricitve. AMsoil woudl be the hands down best ide say... in terms of fine filtartion and quality, Baldwins are excellent too.

 

[m2200b]

Changing the filter once a year may make sense with 30K annual mileage or dusty country roads for you but for most vehicles under less use or paved roads/ city streets would be excessive and cost you 2x filter costs for very little improvement.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

For the money, Z91, I'd consider the Amsoil EA air filters. I'd have those in a heartbeat if they made em for my car..

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

Sorry, Z, my bad.

Out of curiosity, I checked out Amsoil, and they only spec a WIX for your car. Price? $21.80. I get that they don't make one for a Hyundai, but no Ea for an ACCORD?

Sorry!

 

[tdpark]

Fram air filters must be ok becuase I remember reading a post from Terry that they helped reduce the fuel dilution problem in some Honda's. I think it was a post about air filters that Pablo put up.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Me, I love the fram toughguard air filter; thicker then anything else I've used and fits nice and snug without any loose corners.

However, I wouldn't give you a penny for their oil filters.

 

[FleetFilter.com]

I bet we can save you some money on the filter. We sell them for $8.99 each. It is a part number 46443.
Bryan

 

[Roger]

Is the Honda filter an "oiled" filter, rather than plain paper?

 

[outersquare]

depends on the car, the dealer filters for my 03 i4 accord looked like oiled paper.