What does OEM mean?

[gmonag]

I believe that the term OEM is often misunderstood and misused in the automotive context.

When a company such as Volvo manufacture a car they will make many parts in-house, but several others are bought in from other specialist manufactures but branded and marked "Volvo". For instance, I have an oil filter for my 05 XC90 which is in a blue Volvo box with a Volvo part number but the filter itself is also marked with the brand "MANN Filter".

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I believe this is an example of an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and is synonymous with "Volvo Part".

It is possible to buy the same part without the Volvo branding. This would also be an OEM part because it is exactly the same as originally fitted in the factory.

Often people use the term OEM incorrectly, to mean parts made by another company but designed to replace the originals. I believe the correct term for these is "Aftermarket Parts" or "Pattern Parts". These may not be made to the same standard as OEM parts. To add to the confusion, these are often sold as "OEM Quality" - a meaningless advertising device.

Comments?

[Paul Wildsmith]

I think your description is correct.

I suppose though there may be an OEM part that for the version made with Volvo branding there may be some slight difference (but I would doubt it).

[canis]

If it works, it works. With companies all over the world forsaking their reputations in droves, it hardly matters anymore.

I've always been intensely brand-loyal. If I find a manufacturer supplies a quality I expect, I continue using them and no other. The days of a brand standing for quality ended in the 90's, when the trend for making everything "New" and "Improved" yielded (predictably) anything but. I felt so cheated when Timotei shampoo "improved" their recipe and my hair went like wire! Still looking for a replacement. Don't even get me started on Holsten Pils, whose recipe it suddenly transpired was never actually good enough in the first place and I'd been buying rubbish all along.

Honestly, I can't grasp the logic in these marketing strategies. It might lure in new customers, I suppose, but no more than they could have anyway. Meanwhile, the loyal consumers are left feeling betrayed.

Campbells soup - that iconic tin, immortalised by Andy Warhol, and they scrapped it. I can never find it on the shelf anymore, it just blends in with all the others.

Brand names mean nothing now. Today, it's pot luck. If I do find a quality manufacturer, I do still stick with them. But innevitably the quality suddenly plummets, and they ride the momentum of their brand for as long as the gravy train keeps rolling.

[AB-UK]

Originally Posted by canis

my hair went like wire! Still looking for a replacement.

I believe Wayne Rooney had a solution which might help

[TruckbusUK]

Take care, very often parts manufactured for use by the manufacturer (Volvo in this case) will be designed by that manufacturer (Volvo) and manufactured by a specialist in that field, Mann filters in the case of the D5 oil filter in the above example.

What this does not mean its the same part as sold by that manufacturer as aftermarket (unless the part numbers are identical,) as an oem deal if it exists will often have the IPR for the part remaining with the manufacturer (Volvo) in this case. What will be sold as aftermarket will be a similar item, and may have small differences.

As an example ... it is often the case with cartridge oil filters ... the manufacturer supplied filter often has a better quality or sophisticated by-pass valve, where the aftermarket one may have a much simpler valve or even no valve at all (hard to tell without taking the filter to bits) ...

The point I'm trying to make is OEM is to be honest a fairly worthless indication of manufacture or quality .... even if manufactured by the same producer it may not be the same, but similar item .... do your home work .... then pay your money as its your choice, but dont rely on the badge "OEM" as meaning much.

Hope it helps

[Dancake]

I often see claims of OEM quality and Genuine OEM online when browsing for car parts. The problem with this is that the words quality and genuine are merely words that are used to supplement the OEM abbreviation. The descriptions imply that the items are the original manufacturers items, even though they aren't. They are merely specifically selected words that are orientated in such a way that makes buyers think they are getting something that they aren't.

When it comes to actual OEM products, they are often manufacturerd out of house by another manufacturer. The example used above of Mann filters is a good one to pick up on. Recently I attended an automotive industry trade show, which was attended by Bosch, Mann, KYB, Hella, Comma, Mintex, Luk/INA, Gates and a few other suppliers. Every one of these suppliers had OEM contracts with automotive manufacturers in some shape or form. When I spoke to the Mann representative, he assured me that regardless of who the OEM manufacturer was for a filter, if you replaced it with a Mann manufactured unit you would never have any trouble. The Mann and Mahle factories are literally a stones throw away from each other, and they tend to leave each other alone even though they are direct competitors. They both make quality filters, and respect each other for doing so.

When I quizzed the Mann rep about differences between OEM filters and the Mann equivalent, the reply was interesting. When it comes to filters, vehicle manufacturers will normally approach a filter manufacturer up to 5 years before the vehicle is even made with a vehicle plan. The vehicle manufacturer tells the filter manufacturer exactly what they want, and exactly where it has to go on the vehicle. The filter manufacturer will then design and build a filter that meets the requested criteria, and present it to the vehicle manufacturer for evaluation. It it gets approved, it goes into production.

The Mann rep then stated that if Mann were the OEM supplier of a particular filter, it wouldn't be cost effective for them to adjust their production line to manufacture filters that met OEM specs, but were different. In other words, if you go to Volvo or BMW to buy an original filter, and that filter has Mann printed on it, you'll get exactly the same filter from a motor factors that supplies genuine Mann products. Mann also only use orange foam on their filters*, so a Mann filter with a different coloured foam could potentially be fake.

The Luk/INA representatives didn't mince their words when it came to OEM claims. They said with a lot of conviction that they were unrivalled OEM manufacturers when it came to drivetrain and pulley products. A Luk flywheel or clutch kit purchased from a main dealer will be exactly the same as one purchased from a motor factors, without the vehicle manufacturers name printed on it. Again they stated that it wouldn't be cost effective to make their products to two different specifications for OEM and aftermarket.

*Regarding the orange filter foam, it is possible that Mann manufactures original filters with different coloured foam. This depends on the market and manufacturing facility location (US/Europe) and availability of the orange colouring.

Regardless of OEM claims, there are parts manufacturers whose name is synonymous with quality. Bosch, Luk, Mann, INA, Purflux, Mahle, Gates to name a few. When it comes to looking after your own car, buying OEM products from the dealer is a good way to contribute to an impressive looking service history. That being said, with a bit of research you can service your own vehicle for a fraction of main dealer prices using original filters that aren't main dealer branded. That doesn't mean you should overlook main dealers when it comes to parts. Occasionally their buying power allows them to offer parts below the cost of equivalent 'aftermarket' alternatives.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Dancake

The Mann rep then stated that if Mann were the OEM supplier of a particular filter, it wouldn't be cost effective for them to adjust their production line to manufacture filters that met OEM specs, but were different. In other words, if you go to Volvo or BMW to buy an original filter, and that filter has Mann printed on it, you'll get exactly the same filter from a motor factors that supplies genuine Mann products.

This rings true. I've never made filters, but I did once work on a production line making Gumption, a cleaning product. It was available in two flavours, blue and green. We also manufactured a cheaper product, in a less flashy bottle, with a less flashy cap and a boring label. It was identical. Exactly the same stuff, mixed from the same vats, to the same recipe. It too was available in blue and green flavours.

[gmonag]

Thanks for your comments everyone.

The point I was trying to make is that buying an OEM part should get you an item that is essentially identical to a factory-fitted part. I will always try to save a few quid by buying a non-Volvo-branded but OEM part when doing DIY repairs.

Aftermarket or Pattern Parts should be used with caution. However some refer to these as OEM - incorrectly.

[4x4]

My mate is the head mechanic for one of the biggest prestige dealerships in our area and was telling me a couple of years ago how he was invited to one of the parts manufacturers who make some of the original equipment for the marque. The emphasis of the tour was to highlight the difference between OE and original parts and he was told by the parts manufacturer they do make different parts of different quality between OE & original. He was told that each manufacturer has their 'own spec' as to what goes into the parts and that spec belongs to the car manufacturer and cannot be used in OE parts. He then showed me a cutaway of two oil filters, one an original oil filter and the second one an OE filter from the same company made to fit the same engine. The original filter had more paper filter element and was wound tighter, the OE filter looked flimsy in comparison.

What I've found over the many years I'v been working on cars/engines etc is that using OE parts can be a hit or a miss. sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't without a little fettling. They never perform as well as original parts and never last as long as original parts. So now as my time is precious to me I prefer fitting genuine original parts knowing they will last a certain time and I won't be required to go through tje whole procedure in another 12-18 months taking the cost to more than buying original parts in the first place.

[gmonag]

Interesting. That is exactly opposite to what Dancake was told..