i was doing an oil change today and went to walmart to get some MC oil (thanks RR). the only filter they had was a fram one. i only planned on keeping the oil in for 1500 miles (changing to synoil afterwards). the oil filter that was on there was the correct size. the fram one is smaller in width. i called autozone to make sure that i grabbed the correct filter. it is. why is this filter smaller in width? the filter doesn't go from edge to edge on the metal side of the car. i would assume that all the different brand filters would be the same width, but maybe the length could differ. let me know...i don't want the car to leave the garage if i may run into an issue. thanks.

 

Hey, you don't say what year, model, etc. vehicle you've got, but the past few Acura TL's I've had take a Fram 3593A. The first two letters vary with the grade of Fram you buy. Yo can check at www.fram.com
The outside dimension of the Fram filter is smaller than the stock Honda filter. That maybe true for other brands as well, but the gasket mating footprint is the same.
Should have no problems.

 

sorry about that...i have a 2003 TL-S. the fram website and autozone computers say that it's the 7139 oil filter. the gasket looks to be the same size, just the lip (edge outside of the gasket) is larger in the 3593a vs the edge of the oil filter on the 7317 being right after the gasket. i hope that makes some sense. i called pep boys today and they said that they have the 3593 in their computer being the correct filter. which is it???

 

Hello again, Certainly by looking at reference for the 03 tl-s the correct filter is the 7317. Wouldn't trust the pepboys. So hopefully the filter you've got is the 7317 or you'll have to return it. Again if the dimensions are slightly different I would'nt worry as long as the spec is correct.
By the way. Why change the oil after 1500 miles? With all the talk about oil these days, seems quite a waste. I have run dino oils in the past on my Acuras with 5000mi change intervals and never had one burn a drop with over 150k on them. My current one I run Mobil 1 in with 10k change intervals.

 

oh man....i've returned the 7317 and picked up the 3593 and already put it on. i took a look at the mobil1 filter, k&n filter, and stp filter and they all resemble the 3593 more in external dimensions. i think both filters should be fine. all of the other brands use the same filter number for the TL-P and the TL-S in all the years. fram is the only one that had another filter number for the S vs. P model. kinda odd... i think both should work. what do you think?

 

Goodday, Who would of thought this would get complicated? Anyway, I should think you'd have no problem. Indeed it does appear that the 3593 would be the correct filter and the Fram application guide maybe incorrect. I have the 01tl and it uses the the 3593a. I currently have on a Purolator PL14459. Checking the Purolator site: www.pureoil.com I find the spec for the 03tl-s is the same.
The Purolator site has a cross reference section which shows that the 7317 cross references to a L14610 filter. That filter is the fiter they spec for the 04tl.
Hope this helps give you some peace of mind.

 

Holy crap, stay away from fram filters Look at this oil filter study. Fram is the worst filter on the market. Do yourself a favor and go to autozone, and get a Mobile-1 filter. (M1-204). Or at least get a puralator or wix filter. Fram filters have paper endcaps, and have a piece of string holding the pleats together. Often times the string is too tight, which rips the pleats. The fram also often goes into bypass mode after only 500 miles....