On Thu, 20 May 1999 20:54:20 -0500
Joshua Van Tol <jjvantol@uswest.net> wrote:

> >> Actually, it is in the archives.  Bosch's oil filters are not even made by
> >> Bosch; they are US-made  off-the-shelf Frams etc. relabeled as Bosch.  Bosch
> >> is not an original supplier of oil filters to Volkswagen, and merely
> >> rebrands someone else's filter in order to fill out their line.  Only Mann
> >> and Mahle/Knecht are the "real thing."  I sell them for $4.29 each
> >> (watercooled) or $3.99 each (aircooled), minimum purchase 4.
> >
> >This is NOT true.
> >
> >If you ask BOSCH they will tell you that they make there own filters.
> >Email them. I have and that is what I have been told.
>
> Actually, I've suspected for a while that bosch might have two lines of
> filters. The oil filter study seems to confirm this suspicion, because he
> says the vw unit is a rebadged bosch filter. The bosch filters I've bought
> in the past have NOT been the same as the vw filters. They are considerably
> lighter, and (at least on my van) the oiling system doesn't prime well when
> I install bosch filters.

I wonder if this a US thing. All I can say is that the Bosch filters
that I buy are definitely bosch made, and a bosch design. The fram is so
different is design that it would be very obvious. Even blind you can
tell the difference by the weight alone.

I'm in canada. If this is true, then I'd really avoid those FRAM built
bosch's filters....but frankly I just can't see it. I'd see Wix being
used before fram.

The local VW filters, are exactly the same as the Bosch. I think I even
saw the word bosch on them somewhere.
--
============================================================---------
Dominique Cormann   AKA BuNNY[KoZ]         Email:kozmik@wave.home.com
dcormann@uoguelph.ca         Homepage: http://members.home.com/kozmik