Honda Oil Filter Alternative?

C

Casey

New member
Can anyone tell me which Fram/Napa/AC (or whatever...) oil filter will replace the standard blue Honda oil filter? My impression is that the Honda filters are the same as the one's used on Honda cars, but I'm not sure.

We arrived back in Lake Montezuma (from the Powell CBGT) yesterday and although I thought there was an extra filter in the shop ... I can't find it, and the nearest Honda dealer is about 45 miles away, and i want to do an oil/filter change before putting Katmai to bed for the winter.

Thanks!

Best,
Casey&Mary
 
Well, it all depends on what size Honda you have. For the 150 I just go to the parts store, find the right filter for a Honda 2.4 liter 4-cyl Accord of that year, find one that's made in the USA and use that. Worked well for 6 years.

If you have a 9.9 kicker, not a clue.

Some of the most popular filters are now from China; at this time Bosch says USA.

Boris
 
If there is a NAPA near you, they do sell them. Just ask them to get out their marine book as sometimes you get someone who doesn't have a clue as to what they have on the shelf. The NAPA in Wasilla has all the honda filters I have ever wanted for my boat, snow machines, 4 wheelers, and lawn mower. If you have one near you, I'd check it out.
 
Be very careful with aftermarket filters. We have a customer that bought a generic filter online for their Suzuki and while it fit, it wasn't the right filter. $10,000 later they were back on the water.
 
I agree you want a quality filter--The top rated filters are: NAPA(Gold), Wix, Bosch and Purolater. Most auto parts stores have cross reference to outboards. I avoid Fram and other cheaper after market filters. In my diesels I use the manufactures Fleetguard. The Onan: NAPA gold.
 
If there is a Honda number on your existing filters call your local NAPA store they should be able to cross them to NAPA Gold (Wix) which are top quality. I agree that the less expensive (lower quality) filters should be avoided for marine applications.
 
I found oil filters under the Mercury brand that fit Merc's as well as Hondas. They models that it fits are on the box.
The one for my 200hp Honda costs approx. $8 and Walmart carries them here in Anchorage.
For the 9.9 Honda I buy the Honda filter as Merc. does not have one.
 
You needn't worry. NAPA doesn't make a "cheapo" filter for honda marine applications as they are all NAPA gold - at least so I was told...at go figure...NAPA....as I asked if they had one that wasn't 20 bucks. And as somebody pointed out, those NAPA gold filters are top of the line.....And they are priced like they are too.

As for Matt's advice, it is good. However, even the best ones do fail. Buying one from honda doesn't mean it can't fail. Buying one from someone else doesn't mean it will fail. You probably get what you pay for. Probably.....I'm not going to lie about it, I trust the honda ones for sure. The NAPA gold seem fine too.
 
Matt, how could a filter that fit and worked cause a motor to blow? for 10k it has to be that. Was it clogged and stop allowing oil to pump? or did it leak or split? i am not a marine mech but I have stayed at a cheap ass hotel with bed bugs, not to mention working on motors all my life. I just cant see how a cheap filter could cause 10k in damage unless it was a loss of oil. Even if you had no filter and just a empty can in place , as long as the oil kept going round and cooling/lubing the motor I just dont see it. Not great for the motor but would not cause a failure.
 
My point was that some online sites have questionable cross references, and that just because a filter fits doesn't mean it's the right one. That was the case with our Suzuki customer. They saved a few bucks buying from an online oil filter dealer (who private labels their filters) and then had the failure. It was NOT from a reputable parts company like NAPA.

If a motor is under warranty I encourage owners to use the factory parts. It's too big an investment to risk a failure and have any warranty claim denied because of improper parts.

After the warranty expires then I think it's personal preference. But again- when one looks at what their motor cost, saving $10 bucks a year may not be the best place to find savings.
 
I just purchased and received four
Honda 15400-PLM-A01PE oil filters (the blue ones)
but received four 15400-PLM-A02PE filters.

from what I've read the A01PE was discontinued in 2003 and replaced by the A02PE when the company actually making them for honda changed.

Are they the same filter? I read somewhere the new ones where not nearly as good.

do I send them back? they ARE a honda part!
 
I found filters for my Yamaha O/B at the local motorsports store. A lot of the ATVs, dirt bikes, etc., used the same filter. You might try the same thing for Honda parts.
 
So you are saying I should return them and try to find the
15400-PLM-A01PE?

I contacted the seller (from Amazon) with some questions and concerns - I'll wait to hear back from them re.
the difference.
they ARE OEM Honda parts - just made for Honda by a different filter company since 2003 apparently and the only way I knew about the 15400-PLM-A01PE is from looking at a spare that came with the boat... that might be from that time.
 
I got an answer from Amazon seller Whites Marine re.
my enquiry.

"We apologize, Honda discontinued the 15400-PLM-A01PE oil filters almost 2 years ago. The part number was superseded to part number 15400-PLM-A02PE. This new filter replaces the previous version completely and is correct for your 2000 Honda BF 90. The difference between these 2 filters is the actual filter manufacturer. The 15400-PLM-A01PE filter was manufactured by Filtech for Honda and the 15400-PLM-A01PE oil filter is manufactured by Honeywell (Fram) for Honda. An email should have been sent out automatically explaining this issue, but our system may have experienced a glitch which kept the message from being sent.

So they bare the Honda name just made by a different filter manufacturer - still, it would have been good to know!
 
I highly suspect that just about any filter you put on it will be fine. But, it's always nice to get what you pay for and by no means think filters are created equally.

I have read thread after thread how terrible FRAM filters are and I remember a long time ago I used to work in a lube shop as a teenager and they used them. I bet you can guess how many failures they had from the oil filter......that's right....none. If that is all that is available, I don't hesitate to put them on my cars and trucks, but I do prefer a higher quality filter. Guess how much trouble they had from the 16 year old kids they had working on cars? It seemed like something happened daily.....lol....

I don't know how anyone feels about Sierra filters, but I have used them many times on outboards and other small 4 stroke motors when NAPA Golds are not available. They sure are not cheap and are packaged really well. Thoughts?
 
T.R. Bauer":28ww9hvs said:
... I don't know how anyone feels about Sierra filters, but I have used them many times on outboards and other small 4 stroke motors when NAPA Golds are not available. They sure are not cheap and are packaged really well. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I've used Sierra filters. Can't remember what I used them on. Didn't have any problems with them, but them I'm one of the people who say "an oil filter is an oil filter" and don't pay much attention to the brand. I think that any company who intends to stay in business or has been in business for awhile will make a decent product. They won't survive in the market if they don't.
 
Apparently there are only 5 companies (at least a few years ago--probably more with Chinese) who made oil filters. in the US.

For example FRAM has 4 or 5 different grades of filters. One study I read is the only one of these is suitable.

Mobile one seems to get the highest grades--silicone anti drain valve, retains shape for extended duration. Highest quality elements, mesh over the filter, better bypass valve. The "synthetic" oil filters are better, because they are but to last longer...in cars,10,000+ miles for synthetic oil filters, and for the Dino oil the filters only "need" to last 3,000 hours. (However some vehicles come with longer oil change intervals.

I have always used the outboard brand filters on my outboard motors...They may not be the best, but it is only a few dollars more, and in the greater realm of things, it is a minor cost.

Another question is how many are running synthetic oil? If so are you using "synthetic oil filters"? Looking at several tear down and filtration studies--they all seem to be better made (Although one study said not to buy but only one of the Fram line, including synthetics.) I change my oil once a year or every 100 hours, which ever comes first. If I was doing the "great Loop" then I would run synthetic and use the synthetic designated filters. Cut my oil changes dependent on type of engine running--if mostly displacement speeds--maybe 300 hours, it mostly high speed 150 hours...(Some would change filters based on gallons of fuel used rather than hours run.)
 
I'll stick to the now 5 honda (blue) filters I have.
One that came with the boat and the four I just got
and honda oil for the oil changes.
the 2000 honda bf 90 outboard manual states oil
change should be every 100 hours and filter every 400 hours.
I'll stick to changing the oil and filter at the same time at the 100 hour interval (my honda dealer mechanic's recommendation) and I'll do it myself with an oil extractor pump on the water.
I figure I'll put roughly 500 hours on the motor in the next year so that'll be five oil and filter changes.

thanks for all the feedback - I though getting honda filters would be a no-brainer but as usual there is a rabbit hole
potential re. filters, oil , etc. (and I didn't even consider switching to synthetic)
 
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