How To Tell If Oil Filter Has Been Changed

The oil filter is responsible for keeping the motor oil clean in your machine's engine. If you accept a clogged or bad oil filter, information technology can no longer perform its task, thereby leaving your engine at gamble for failure. That's why it is important to understand the symptoms of a bad or clogged oil filter earlier bug begin.

To aid you prolong the life of your machine engine, nosotros review the bad oil filter warning signs. We too look at the role of the oil filter, examine its location and show y'all how much the replacement might cost. Let'due south brainstorm with a quick expect at the signs to wait for.

Symptoms Of A Clogged or Bad Oil Filter

The most mutual symptom of a bad or clogged oil filter is an oil pressure warning symbol on your dashboard. You may also notice more than noise coming from the engine at idle or during acceleration. A stalling engine is besides a sign, but if it happens, it could exist too late already.

Here is a more detailed listing of the signs of a bad or clogged oil filter to await for:

i. Oil Pressure Warning symbol on dashboard

Without oil force per unit area in your engine, it will not concluding many minutes. Therefore all motorcar models have an oil pressure alert light which will show up on your dashboard if the oil pressure is too depression and fatal for the engine.

If you have noticed a carmine oil alert light on your dashboard information technology is definitely time to check it straight because if you lot proceed driving the automobile it can event in very expensive repair costs of your engine and in most cases you lot have to replace the whole engine.

If the warning light simply appears sometimes it tin too be a sign of depression oil force per unit area caused past a bad or clogged oil filter.

RELATED: 10 Causes of Why Your Oil Pressure Light is On

2. Low Oil Pressure

Your vehicle might also have an oil pressure level gauge that shows you the levels your engine is operating on. If you see that the oil force per unit area is lower than usual it is definitely fourth dimension for business concern.

If the oil force per unit area begins to driblet while you lot are driving, this is cause for alarm. Continuing to drive with depression oil force per unit area can lead to complete engine failure. You lot should pull over and bank check the oil levels immediately. If at that place is enough oil in the organisation, the dirty filter could be causing a restriction or there could be a malfunction with the oil pump.

RELATED: 4 Symptoms of Depression Oil Pressure

iii. Noisy Engine

When oil can't menses effectually the engine due to a clogged oil filter, the metallic components begin to grind together due to an excessive corporeality of friction. This will result in a very noisy engine which can also result in metal-to-metallic noises from the engine.

Allowing continued metallic-to-metal contact is going to create a lot of clothing on the engine. Left unchecked, it will turn into engine damage, which is an expensive repair.

four. High Oil Pressure

A chock-full oil filter can actually also cause high oil pressure if the oil pressure sensor is measuring the oil pressure before the oil filter.

High oil force per unit area is far as bad as low oil pressure level for the engine just it tin can still cause gaskets to leak oil for example. If you noticed that there are external oil leaks coming from the engine or the oil filter it may be caused past a bad oil filter.

Virtually automobile models volition likewise show the oil pressure warning lite when the oil force per unit area is too high also, so if that lite is showing on your dashboard information technology can also exist showing because of likewise high oil pressure.

RELATED: High Oil Force per unit area Causes & Symptoms

v. Stalling engine

Because low oil pressure is so fatal for the engine, many modern car models accept a safe switch that will shut off the car engine if the oil force per unit area is too low while running.

If your engine stalled and you see the oil pressure warning calorie-free when you first the engine over again, information technology can definitely exist a good thought to check the oil filter.

RELATED: ten Best Oil Filters – Review & Buyer's Guide

Oil Filter Location

The oil filter location varies based on the type of vehicle you drive. Sometimes, yous can simply become to the oil filter from underneath the car. In this case, you lot might demand to remove the splash shield or sideslip plate to access it.

Other vehicles permit you lot to reach the oil filter from above the vehicle. If you aren't sure, it'south best to cheque your owner's transmission for a diagram.

Additionally, oil filters come in several designs. Your vehicle might have a replaceable filter that fits in a plastic housing or it could be a screw-on canister made from metallic.

The Function of an Oil Filter

The car'southward oil filter is responsible for filtering out contaminants and keeping the oil flowing properly. The clean oil filter traps all of the harmful dirt, metal, droppings and contaminants that are trying to infiltrate the engine oil. Without this filter, the particles volition become into the engine and cause damage. With the correct oil filter, the engine stays cleaner, ensuring information technology lasts longer.

Additionally, the oil filter is responsible for keeping the oil where it belongs. Oil enters and moves through the filter via that tapping plate. This plate appears as a pigsty with smaller ones around it. The motor oil travels into the smaller holes through the filter media and comes back out the heart pigsty. Every bit the oil moves through the filter media, contaminants are trapped.

When the motor isn't running, the anti-bleed back valve ensures oil doesn't seep into the filter from the engine. There might also be a relief valve, which allows a small discharge of unfiltered oil into the engine when the weather is cold and it needs an added heave. All of these vital parts ensure the oil is flowing every bit needed unless the filter is clogged.

Clogged Oil Filter Replacement Price

Oil filters cost between $ten and $20, making them one of the least expensive parts of your vehicle. Considering of the low cost, it merely makes sense to ensure that regular oil filter replacement is part of your maintenance routine.

Changing an oil filter is uncomplicated plenty to do at dwelling house during your oil change. Nevertheless, if you need to go a professional oil and filter change, you could wait at spending $30 to $75 for a conventional oil and filter change, or around $lx to $125 for a synthetic oil and filter change.

For the cost, you should always supervene upon the oil filter at the first sign of trouble. Replace the filter with every oil change, even if you lot aren't noticing any problems. This simple chore could save your engine from catastrophic damage, and then information technology should never exist ignored.

Oil Filter FAQs

Can a clogged oil filter cause crude idle?

Yes, if the oil pressure level is low, at that place is a possibility that the hydraulic valves or camshaft tensioners are non working properly, which can crusade rough idle. Still, a noisy engine is a more common sign of a clogged oil filter.

Can a clogged oil filter cause a car non to start?

Yep, a clogged oil filter can crusade problems with the camshaft timing or the hydraulic valves, which tin can crusade starting issues. If you lot have driven too far with low oil pressure, there is also a gamble that your engine will seize due to low oil force per unit area.

How often should you modify the oil filter?

The oil filter should be replaced every time y'all do an oil modify on your engine. This is normally every vi,000 to 18,000 miles, depending on the car model. Bank check your machine'south service manual for the right service schedule.

Does a bad oil filter affect performance?

Yes, a bad oil filter tin cause problems with the camshaft timing or hydraulic valve, which can crusade performance problems. Just in this case, you will near probable see a check engine light on your dashboard besides.

Decision: Bad Oil Filter Symptoms

The master symptoms of a clogged or bad oil filter include:

Oil pressure warning symbol on the dashboard
Low oil pressure
Noisy engine
High Oil Pressure level
Stalling engine

Source: https://mechanicbase.com/engine-oil/bad-clogged-oil-filter-symptoms/