How Often to Change Oil Filter: Regarding vehicle maintenance, changing the oil filter is a duty that sometimes goes unnoticed. This seemingly minor component, however, performs a critical function in maintaining our engines healthy and happy. In this article, we’ll teach and show you how you can change your Oil filter.
Oil is required for the proper operation of your engine. And your oil filter is critical in ensuring that your oil can do this.
An oil filter protects your engine from damage by eliminating impurities (dirt, oxidized oil, metallic particles, etc.) that might accumulate in motor oil due to engine wear.
Basic Maintenance
One of the most vital maintenance things on your car is changing the oil filter. Whether you replace it yourself or get it done by a quick repair shop, changing your car’s oil filter regularly is important for maintaining your engine in good working condition.
The key to replacing an oil filter is to do so before it becomes blocked or too unclean to damage your engine. Replacing your oil filter with a high-quality oil filter will help to ensure that your engine lasts.
The Significance of Changing the Oil Filter
Your engine relies on a substantial amount of clean oil to function correctly. If the oil filter is not replaced regularly, it can become clogged, restricting the flow of oil to the engine. This reduction in oil volume can lead to severe engine damage. Changing the oil filter is a preventive measure that ensures a continuous and healthy supply of clean oil to your engine.
How Often Should You Change Your Oil Filter?
Manufacturers often recommend replacing the oil filter every second time you change your oil.
For instance, if you change your oil every 3,000 miles, you’d replace the filter at the 6,000-mile mark. For a 6,000-mile cycle (common for modern vehicles), the filter change is advised at 12,000 miles.
It’s generally recommended to change the oil filter every time you perform an oil change, with specific intervals mentioned in your vehicle’s handbook.
The Servicing Intervals:
Service intervals for oil filter changes vary, but a common guideline is every 10,000 km for petrol cars and every 15,000 km for diesel vehicles. However, it’s crucial to consult your manufacturer’s handbook to confirm the recommended service interval for your specific vehicle.
Symptoms that indicate your oil filter needs to be changed sooner than expected
Sometimes your car will alert you that your oil filter needs to be updated sooner than usual. Some of these indicators are:
- The service engine light is on: Your service engine light can come on for a variety of reasons, but it indicates that your engine isn’t performing as effectively as it should. This often indicates that there is a lot more dust and debris in your engine, which could block your oil filter faster than usual. Before spending a lot of money on diagnostics and repairs, it’s best to rule out simpler (and less expensive) options.
Some contemporary vehicles have an oil change indicator light as well as an oil pressure warning light. Don’t dismiss any of these lights if they come on in your car.
- Driving in severe conditions: If you drive in harsh conditions regularly (stop-and-go traffic, towing big loads, extreme temperatures weather conditions, etc.), you will most likely need to replace your oil filter more frequently. Severe weather forces your engine to work harder, necessitating more regular maintenance of its components, including the oil filter.
When you notice these symptoms, kindly check and change your oil filter when necessary.
Reasons why you should check your oil filter regularly
Checking your oil filter regularly is a simple yet crucial step in preserving your engine’s well-being. Other benefits include:
- Reducing engine wear: Contaminations will accumulate on your oil filter over time. If you wait until your filter is clogged, the passage of oil may get obstructed, preventing the delivery of pure oil to your engine. Fortunately, most oil filters are built to prevent catastrophic engine failures caused by incorrect lubrication in the event of a clogged oil filter. Unfortunately, the bypass valve allows oil (and contaminations) to get past the filter. While this implies your engine is lubricated, the contaminations will cause quicker wear and tear.
- Reducing the cost of maintenance: By synchronizing your oil change and oil filter replacement frequencies, you can reduce your overall maintenance expenditures by requiring only one service. A new oil filter isn’t that expensive, especially when you consider the potential damage pollutants in your engine might do.
- Avoid getting your fresh oil dirty: It is possible to keep your old oil filter and merely replace the oil. however, the clean oil, on the other hand, will have to pass through the dirty old filter. And after you start your engine, your clean engine will become as unclean as the oil you just drained.
Regularly checking and changing your oil filter Improve engine performance by ensuring that all engine components are consistently and adequately lubricated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Reuse the Same Oil Filter?
Disposable oil filters are designed for single use and are not meant to last through multiple oil changes. Attempting to reuse a disposable oil filter from a previous oil change can lead to clogging and potential damage to your engine. It is essential to always use a new filter during each oil change to maintain optimal engine health.
Why do I need to replace my oil filter regularly?
As it traps billions of contaminant particles and carbon dust, the oil filter gradually becomes clogged over time. A blocked oil filter reduces the amount of clean oil passing through the oil filter, necessitating its replacement.
Conclusion
The frequency with which you replace your oil filter may appear to be a small issue, but it has a big impact on the performance of your engine. You’re not just increasing the life of your car by replacing the oil filter regularly; you’re also contributing to smoother rides and fewer headaches down the line.
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