As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more on my privacy policy page.

Fram Extra Guard Oil Filter review

Author

Javaughn Barrow

We all know an engine needs fresh oil to run smoothly. As your engine runs, it wears. That’s why your oil gets darker over time. Tiny particles naked to the human eye, break off as the engine gets worn. These are pieces of the engine metals from certain engine parts on the micron level. We are only able to see particles above 40 microns. The engine oil already does its best in reducing engine wear to a minimum. However, your oil filter is there to help the oil in keeping it fresh. This is why it’s key, at the very least, your oil filter can filter out these tiny particles above and below 40 microns. The Fram Extra Guard Oil Filter Should get the job done.

Starting in the 1930’s Fram was one of the fastest-growing oil filter companies for easily replaceable oil filters. In 2023, the Fram extra guard is one of the more affordable oil filter options. However, does more affordable mean less quality? Let us find out. 

What you will learn:

Build Quality 

The quality and design of an oil filter determine how durable and efficient the filter is at doing its job. Oil will flow through the filter at different pressures in hot and cold temperatures. Even when your engine oil becomes increasingly dirty the oil still has to pass through the filter. The Fram extra guard has quality materials like a silicone drain back valve, paper media, and surprisingly a release valve. Release valves make sure that your engine gets a supply of oil when the filter becomes restrictive.

Flow Rate

The Fram extra guard oil filter has paper media with a metal barrel and a release valve. Although a paper media may prioritize catching particles over efficient flow, the release valve also is there to make sure flow is there at different oil temperatures. Instead of metal end caps shown in the image above the extra guard has resin-impregnated fiberboard. This may prove to be less durable than metal end caps over time. However, it is always recommended to change paper media filters out every 3,000 – 5,000 miles. 

Particle Catcher

The Fram extra guard is made with a paper media that can filter out 95% of particles that can cause harmful engine wear. Paper media can catch particles between 8-10 microns. Considering we can only see anything above 40 microns, that is impressive. However, on the flip side paper media can prove to be more restrictive regarding flow. The fram extra guard can filter out these particles for up to 10,000 miles but it’s recommended that you replace the filter for at least half that (5,000 miles). 

Price vs Value

With a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Amazon and over 16,000 ratings, the Fram Extra Guard Oil Filter seems to satisfy a lot of customers’ needs. It is Priced competitively among the competition with a price of $4.12 for a pack of one. Considering the quality of the Fram extra guard oil filter, this is good value for the money. The Fram extra guard oil filter is one of the most popular brands for a reason.

Conclusion

With a car comes maintenance and repair costs, especially for the engine. Oil and oil filters are one of the things that when maintained properly can reduce potential costs in the future. However, maintenance is still a cost. The Fram Extra Guard oil filter is the more affordable option if you are on a strict budget. Just be aware at this quality level it is best to change out this filter between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. Information about your car’s specific oil filter and interval change can be found in the owner’s manual, and it is best to follow that information as closely as possible.

Javaughn Barrow

Hello! My name is Javaughn Barrow, a young car enthusiast who writes all the articles for Karcandy.com. I’ve written over 50 articles about automobiles. With each article, I deepen my understanding and expertise in writing and the automotive world. Ever since childhood, I’ve always had a strong passion for cars. All types shapes and sizes were interesting to me. I’d spend most of my time after school researching cars and the more I found out about them the more exciting it was. In my teens, I created a fan page about corvettes posting content at least ten times a day! Yes, I was crazy about it. The page ended up garnering over 40k followers! After a while, I wanted more than a fan page. I wanted to express my passion differently. I wanted to create more helpful content, higher-quality content. My first car was a 2013 VW CC Sport. Learned very quickly car ownership wasn’t as expected. I spent a lot of time replacing control arms, cam position sensors, brake rotors, brake pads, etc. Walking away with more information than I knew before. As I was growing in my automotive journey I was learning about writing. Starting by writing a detailed outline about 300 words long then I would pay a professional to write a full 1000-word article and learn from them getting familiar with the process of writing. The moment I realized I could use my writing skills to express my passion for cars and help people simultaneously, I started Karcandy.com. I realized with my unique perspective coupled with my hard work discipline and work ethic I can create a space online to help bridge the gap between the complicated and simple in the automotive world. I’m motivated by the challenges and work it will take to create such a space. My work ethic is something I choose to refine and make better each day. I think it’s important to push myself and stay committed to my evolution as a human and this website is only one of the results of that.

See Full Bio