Fram (oil filter)
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Fram is one of the major brands of aftermarket automotive oil filters in the United States. Developed by the Bendix Corporation, it is now sold by Honeywell. It is noted for its copyrighted bright orange color, and for its famous marketing slogan, "You can pay me now, or pay me later," which is usually presented as being uttered in its advertising by an auto mechanic, who is explaining to his customer that he can either pay a small sum now for the replacement of oil and filter or a far larger sum later for the replacement of the vehicle's engine.
Fram oil filters are sold in a variety of sizes to fit most vehicles currently being driven in the United States, and are marketed to both the middle-price ("SureGuard") and upper-price ("DuraGuard)") markets. (During the 1990s, another premium line, the PTFE impregnated "Double Guard", black with chrome/silver trim, is also marketed).
Now the product line includes the Extended Guard 7000 mile filter for the longer oil change intervals of synthetic oil, and the Tough Guard filter for use in heavy duty or tough driving conditions.
Tough driving conditions are heavy stop and go traffic, off road, and towing.
Other filtration products are also sold by Allied-Signal under the Fram brand include automotive air filters, fuel filters, breather element filters, and similar products, almost all of which use the trademarked orange color. Fram is recommended by most American auto makers.
[edit] Controversy
The internet website entitled Engine Oil Filter Study had made a "claim" where Fram once manufactured its own oil filters where the owner of a Mopar Chrysler K platform made an undocumented claim that the filter disintegrated. Fram clones (manufactured by Pennzoil and Quaker State) would have been affected since these filters came from the same assembly line. These accusations have been proven false.[citation needed] There has also been some controversy about Frams use of average to below average oil filter medias and cardboard end caps which when compared to competitors of the same price range, may seem very lack luster despite working well enough to meet OEM Specifications.
