Dear Tom and Ray:

I readily admit that my overall knowledge of the intricacies of automobile repair is extremely deficient. This has not been a problem for me, though, since I have an ex-boyfriend who considers himself quite the foreign-car motorhead. He has owned a number of foreign cars, sometimes several at a time, and has been eager to give me advice whenever I ask. Sounds like I've got quite the setup, right? Well, let me draw your attention to the "ex" in front of "boyfriend." My pride has driven me to slowly wean myself away from ringing him up with every pathetic little question I have. So I figure I'd bother you guys! Here's the question: The ex always told me to have my oil changed with only a Volvo oil filter, instead of using the cheap, buy-'em-by-the-crate American oil filters that my neighborhood oil, lube and filter shop installs. Do I really need to bring my own filter with me and insist they use it? I don't want to have a showdown with these guys if I'm not absolutely sure that I'm right. -- Erin

Tom: Your ex-boyfriend has his head in his oil sump, Erin. The filters made by aftermarket companies such as Fram, Bosch and Purolator -- just to name a few -- all meet original equipment (OEM) standards. That means they meet or exceed the filtration standards that Volvo has specified for its oil filters. And, in our opinion, these aftermarket filters are every bit as good as Volvo's own filters.

Ray: And besides, we think how often you change the filter has more effect on your car's longevity than the brand of filter you use. And we recommend an oil and filter change every 5,000 miles.

Tom: The only down side of using an aftermarket filter on your Volvo, Erin, is that you can't get the Bjorn Borg signature edition from Fram or Purolator (as far as we know). But other than that, neither you nor your Volvo should notice any difference.

In their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" Tom and Ray break down the strategies for buying a car, so you can make the most of your money. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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