Quote:
Originally Posted by the_law82
Great thread.
A lot of talk about about oil and oil analysis, but what about the oil filter? Should that be changed the same time as the oil? More or less frequently?
I assume that if the oil analysis comes out good that the filter is still in good condition and doesn't need to be changed until the oil is changed?
The reason I ask is that for my 1992 MR2 Turbo, the manual lists different intervals for the oil and filter:
Severe: - Oil - 4500kms or 3 months
- Filter - 8000kms or 6 months
Normal: - Oil - 8000kms or 6 months
- Filter - 16000kms or 12 months
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Hard question to answer since the answer differs for different cars, different engine designs, and driving habits.
The job of the filter is to trap insoluables (particles that can't be dissolved into the oil by the detergent additives), the UOA can measure this in %. The measure should be ideally below 0.5%. If the UOA shows above this, good idea is to change it out earlier.
If you're willing to get your hands dirty, you can also cut the oil filter open to examine the filtration media.. any signs of deformation, and you might want to change it a bit earlier.
Perhaps you can stretch the oil to change it the same time as your filter. Again, the only way to really know if you can do that is to do a UOA. Keep in mind the job of the filter is not to 'clean' the oil, or change its color, but rather to trap particles that are large enough to cause damage if circulated. Since it's messy to change the oil and you're already working on the engine, it doesn't take much effort to change the filter as well.