The Changing Of The Filters

Most car owners think nothing of paying the premium for insurance coverage. There might be a bit of grumbling, but most see auto insurance as a necessary component of auto ownership. When it comes to preventative maintenance, things usually change. They put off and delay regular service checks, skip them altogether or get the bare minimum done to satisfy warranty requirements. Filters, both oil and air, are the cheapest things a car owner can purchase to ensure that their vehicle runs properly and economically.

Oil filters -keep on changing

Traditionally the oil filter was changed twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, whether it needed to or not. Times have changed, as different cars have different requirements for oil servicing. There are even some cars with extended range between servicing, up to 15,000 kilometers in some cases.

Ramon Nuez, director of filtration for Bosch, and joint-venture owner of Purolator Filters, welcomes the debate on extended range oils and filters. “The good news is the dialogue about extended oil and oil filter change intervals is contributing to a growing awareness among motorists and automotive service, and parts professionals about individual styles of driving and what impact they have on a vehicle’s engine.

“For instance, no matter what oil or filter is used, ‘severe’ driving conditions (frequent short trips, stop-and-go driving or towing) call for more frequent oil and filter change. Plus, more and more high-end cars now have a service engine light that is triggered by an engine computer designed to monitor the conditions under which the vehicle is driven, and alert the driver accordingly.”

Nuez continues that with some motor oils are marketed as ‘extended life’ lubricants, with suggested oil change intervals of as much as 25,000 miles or more, “we have engineered filters with greater integrity and therefore, longer life.”

“But, though the chemistry of these oils may well perform the job for that long a period of time, grit and particulates continue to accumulate in damaging quantities until they’re purged during an oil change,” he continues. “Of course, if the motorist chooses to extend his oil and filter change it’s more important to specify a high quality filter which will clean out the dirt and grime efficiently.”

Gary Bilski, chief engineer, filtration for Honeywell Consumer Products Group, the makers of FRAM Filters, says “it is important to read and understand the OE recommendations for oil and filter changes. They typically state both normal and severe duty service cycles.

“What many drivers feel are normal driving conditions are actually severe such as short trips around town especially in cold weather. High temperatures and idling a lot also add additional stress to the oil and filter,” he continues. “The choice of filter will depend on these driving conditions and the change interval selected. FRAM’s Extended Guard filter has 70 per cent greater capacity therefore when oil selection and driving conditions allow extended oil changes this is a very good match. The FRAM Tough Guard filter with the highest efficiency of FRAM filters, a silicone anti-drain gasket, and screen over the by-pass would be a good selection for more severe driving.”

A growing trend in the oil filter field is the move away from spin-on type filters to canister filters. Matthias Stegmueller the project manager of filters, NAFTA Aftermarket for Mahle Clevite Inc. remarks it is ironic as the spin-on filters were introduced in the forties as a convenience and now they are being slowly phased out.

“There are a lot of benefits with the canister type filter as the housing where the filter sits is part of the car and contains sensors for pressure, temperature and other parameters which the car’s computer monitors to maintain optimum performance of the car,” he says. “By removing the housing and the canister filter you get a better oil change because all of the old oil is drained from the vehicle.”

The air the car breathes

A clean air filter is essential to the health of a car engine. Honeywell’s Bilski likens it to restricting the breathing of a marathon runner by placing a cloth over his mouth during a race. The runner’s body will expend more energy trying to get oxygen into its lungs and therefore less on the running. There is no argument that a clean air filter is essential to a smoothly operating vehicle.

The days when a few standard air filters would fit all vehicles are long gone. Unless a service center has a contract to service a fleet of similar vehicles it is rare to have a lot filters in stock.

Renard Howard, business development manager for K&N Engineering Inc. says his company’s lifetime aftermarket air filters are washable and reusable, and offer the service station a valuable revenue stream.

“There is a great opportunity for cleaning and re-oiling, or recharging, these filters,” he said. “There is a special formulated cleaning compound and specially formulated oil that needs to be applied, but this can be easily accomplished during the time it takes to perform a routine service call at a service station.”

He says K&N’s air filters offer benefits to the driver as they allow better airflow than paper or foam filters and that there is the environmental element that these filters are not discarded and can be washed up to 100 times. Because the filters need to be changed about every 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) one filter will last the lifetime of a vehicle. “All a service station needs is a regular water hose and the two compounds to recharge the filter. No special equipment needs to be purchased,” says Howard. “You wash the filter with the hose and you let it dry. This can be assisted with a commercial fan but not with a compressed air hose. Once the filter is completely dry, this can vary depending on the conditions, you apply the oil. The filter needs to be dry for the oil to adhere. “

The air the passengers breathe

While cabin air filters are still not common in older passenger vehicles, many of today’s new ones have them and not changing them can have an adverse effect on the car’s owner and their passengers.

“Many motorists are unaware that their vehicles are equipped with cabin air filters that prevent pollutants such as dirt, dust and soot from entering the car through the heating and air conditioning vents,” says Bosch’s Nuez. “Over time, these cabin air filters can get clogged and actually multiply the dangers from air pollutants when the heating and air conditioning system blows them into the vehicle with no avenue for escape. Often, these contaminants can aggravate seasonal allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions, especially in the cold Canadian climate when we are driving with the windows rolled up and we are breathing in re-circulated air.”

Service writers and technicians should know, even if the customer does not, if the vehicle has a cabin air filter is should be checked and replaced every 12,000 to 18,000 miles (19,000 to 28,000 kilometers) to keep the environmental contaminants in the passenger compartment at a minimum.

SSGM