Better Understand Vehicle Maintenance Considerations With New Oil Filter Rating System

DANBURY, CT - June 16, 2009: Everything has a rating system: crash tests, movies, tires... so why shouldn't your oil filter, especially as people hold on to their cars longer.

The FRAM team has unveiled a new engine protection rating system to help consumers determine which of its oil filters to choose.

FRAM engineers have demonstrated measurable engine protection results for its FRAM(R) Extra Guard, FRAM(R) Tough Guard and FRAM(R) Xtended Guard oil filters by utilizing International Organization for Standardization's commonly accepted test method to measure a filter's dirt holding capacity and filtering efficiency. The chart below summarizes the levels of engine protection provided by its filters as compared to the average of leading economy filters.

                       Average of  FRAM Extra   FRAM Tough    FRAM Xtended
                         economy     Guard        Guard         Guard
                         filters
  Engine Protection(1)     1x          3x           6x

  Dirt-Trapping
   Efficiency(1)          <80%         95%          99%            97%
  Oil Filter Change
   Interval          3,000 miles  5,000 miles  7,500 miles  10,000 miles(3)

"There is an important difference between an economy filter and premium filters so our goal was to bring the filter back into the spotlight during the oil change process and challenge drivers to ask themselves, 'What's protecting my vehicle's oil?'" said Andrew Coccari, Director of Global Marketing, Filtration for Honeywell Consumer Products Group. "The key difference between economy filters and FRAM filters is the quality of the filter media."

Even though some filter media may look the same to the naked eye, it can be very different in terms of performance and quality. FRAM engineers use a unique technology and a more expensive media in its oil filters:

  --  FRAM Extra Guard features cellulose and glass blended filter media
      that helps improve efficiency without sacrificing performance.
  --  FRAM Tough Guard uses an intertwined synthetic blend media that also
      contains cellulose and glass.
  --  FRAM Xtended Guard uses a specially engineered two-ply synthetic media
      reinforced with a metal screen. It provides the highest capacity out
      of the FRAM filter line up.