Recently quite a few readers have asked us about the importance of a good oil filter. In this article we discuss how much of a role does the filter in your car actually have in extending the life of the oil and eventually the engine.
An oil filter is extremely important, along with your intake air filter and your fuel filter.Oil Filter is as important as the Engine Oil
As per leading automotive manufacturers and industry professionals, it has a major role. It is widely recommended to change the filter with the oil at regular intervals to ensure a longer engine life.
Looking at this in detail, the quality of the oil and the quality of the filter are the only items that you can control to maintain the internal engine components clean. Lets not forget, a clean engine is a long lasting engine.
Grit in the oil can cause premature wear, by filtering the oil well, at all times can greatly extend the life of the internal engine components.
The primary function of the filter is to trap out particulate matter in size ranges that cause excessive engine wear. The four characteristics of the filter relevant to this function are- Efficiency in removing particles in various size ranges
- Particle capacity of the filter
- Pressure-flow characteristics
- Reliability of the filter.
Should I buy a premium one?
Yes. The cheaper or low quality filters do poor filtering and can easily fail. They might not filter the oil at all, hence damaging your engine.
When should I change my Oil Filter?
It is recommended to replace the filter every time you do an oil change for your car. Recommended intervals are- 10,000 km for a petrol engine car
- 15,000 km for a diesel engine car
