Ferreting Out Filter Information

Question: Have you ever heard of the Frantz Oil Filter? It’s not sold over the counter, only through independent contractors. I have talked to many auto mechanics who are sold on this product.

T.E

Answer: The Frantz Oil Filter also is known as the toilet paper filter because it uses a role of special toilet paper to filter out impurities in oil.

Its maker claims it can filter dirt particles that are seven-tenths of a micron, while a traditional spin-on filter is capable of filtering particles 20 microns and larger. As a result, the oil maintains a clean, transparent appearance that is supposed to reduce engine wear substantially.

Among automotive professionals in the filter and oil industry, however, the Frantz has a poor reputation. Major filter makers, like Allied-Signal, say dirt particles smaller than 20 microns do little engine damage. (A micron is .000039 inches. At best, the naked eye can see objects of 40 microns.)

The Frantz filter is mounted on the engine, typically using an adapter. It has a reusable shell, into which the user inserts a roll of toilet paper. The spin-on filter is left on the car as well.

The maker of the Frantz filter recommends changing the toilet paper every 2,000 to 4,000 miles and replenishing the one quart of oil that is lost with the filter change.

The company claims this will extend the life of the oil, but it makes no specific written claims about how much it will extend it.

Bill Logan, the owner of Frantz, claims his customers have gone 1.5 million miles without changing the oil. Although that is possible, the Guinness Book of World Records says the mileage record for a car is 1,184,880 for a 1957 Mercedes 180D owned by Robert O’Reilly of Olympia, Wash. The record was set in 1978.

Logan also said the Honolulu Police Department uses Frantz filters in its fleet of patrol cars. In addition, the Salem, Ore., Police Department uses the filters, according to a distributor of Frantz filters.

Motor pool supervisors at both police departments said they do not use the Frantz filter. In Salem, the product was tested and dropped after oil analysis showed the oil contained residues believed linked to the toilet paper. In Honolulu, the product was tested six years ago, according to the supervisor of the motor pool there.

Experts at Valvoline Oil expressed reservations about the practice of never completely changing oil. Over time, harmful acid can develop in oil. If the Frantz filter adds just one quart every 2,000 to 4,000 miles, some very old oil will always be in the crankcase.

Logan dismisses this problem, saying the Frantz filter can remove up to 6 ounces of water and therefore neutralize any problem with acids. Logan said the toilet paper will not dissolve upon contact with water, another concern cited by outside experts.

Ultimately, the use of products like the Frantz filter hinges on whether motorists believe that auto manufacturers and oil filter producers deliberately avoid using the best filter as original equipment to ensure obsolescence.

Q: I have a 1984 Chevrolet Caprice. The check engine warning light comes on and then goes off. I have taken it to the dealer, who said it cannot be checked unless it stays on. How can I fix this problem? A. Z.

A: The mechanic is mistaken. The built-in diagnostic system can electronically record check engine light codes that occur and then disappear.

You must, however, take the car into the dealer shortly after the code appears, because it is stored for only several dozen ignition cycles. That may provide just a week’s worth of memory.

The mechanic can plug an engine analyzer into the wiring harness of your car and receive one of several different repair codes, which will tell him what type of problem has triggered the light.

Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053.