You can change your oil and oil
filter to prevent undue engine wear.
Oil or engine oil is like blood to the engine
in your car. As the oil circulates through the engine, it also picks dirt with
it. If the contaminants remain in the oil for long time, then the engine may
get damaged and eventually car won’t start. So oil filter filters the dirt so
that clean oil flows through the engine. It is advised to replace oil and oil
filter every 3 to 6 months to ensure better lubrication and engine’s
performance. In this article importance of oil and oil filter in an auto mobile
is described.
Why clean oil?
Clean
oil is very important for good performance of the engine.
It keeps all the engine components like valve trains and piston rings
lubricated to prevent excess friction and overheating. The tiny, hard particles
present in oil can damage surfaces of the engine. This contaminated oil can
wear the oil pump machined components. So, to help the lubrication process,
engine needs these little cylinders i.e. oil filters.
How does oil filter
work?
Talking about structure
of oil filter, the outside of the filter is a metal can with sealing gasket.
The filter material inside the oil filter is made of synthetic fiber. In early
internal combustion engines, due to poor quality of oil and absence of oil
filter, oil change was quite frequent. The lubrication systems found in
internal combustion engines, create filter by pass so that even under critical
circumstances, oil circulates through all parts and keep them lubricated.
Like in winter, if the
oil is thick or plugged, it is allowed to bypass the filter. Because of these
circumstances, sometimes oil is not filtered.
In oil filters, oil
enters the oil filter through the series of holes on the outer edge of base
plate. The dirty oil is pushed under pressure through the filter and back
through the centre hole, where it re-enters the engine. Modern oil filters come
with anti drain back valve. This drain back valve covers the perimeter holes in
the base plate in the form of rubber membrane. When the engine is idle, rubber
membrane covers the holes. When the engine runs, the rubber membrane is pushed
aside, as the oil enters the filter. These valves basically prevent the engine
dry starts.
The oil filter captures
contaminants like metal shavings, dirt, debris that finagles their way into
your engine. Oil filter cleans the oil, thus keeping the engine healthy. Healthy
engine results in better fuel economy and optimized car performance.
Types of oil filter
Oil filters are of
different types and not all filters are the same. A wide range of Oil filters is available in
the market. Most oil filters look very similar but small differences in gasket
size can determine whether or not a particular filter is fit for your engine.
It is best to check your owner’s manual to get manufacturer’s recommended oil
filter. Not only oil filters but filter media also comes in different ranges.
First let us know about different kinds of oil filters.
PRIMARY
OIL FILTER
Also known as full flow
filters, these filters are primarily installed in the engines of most
automobile manufacturers. Though primary oil filter can filter 100 % oil, but
they have lower flow restrictions. In winters, the oil becomes thick and
primary oil filter allows small contaminants to pass through them. If the
filter becomes clogged, a pressure system will re direct the motor oil to the
engine and continue lubrication.
SECONDARY
OIL FILTER
These filters are also
known as by pass filters. These filters clean small portions of the motor oil
before circulating it to the engine. You can install secondary oil filter as
they work independently of primary filters. These filters screen out additional
contaminants hence reducing the oil change in the engine.
CONVENTIONAL
OIL FILTERS
These filters are a
form of secondary filters and need replacing more frequently because they could
screen small amount of contaminants.
SPINNER
FILTERS
Also called centrifugal
filters, they use spinning motion to hold and trap the dirt and particles in
the oil.
MAGNETIC
OIL FILTERS
These filters screen
out the metallic impurities present in the oil. You can simply clean these
filters regularly to keep it functional.
Now let us read about
filter membranes
SYNTHETIC
FILTER MEDIA
The high quality oil
filters use synthetic filter media. These can filter particles 50% of particles
of size 20 microns and need replacement at every 5000 miles.
CELLULOSE
FILTER MEDIA
These filters can clean
40 % of the motor oil. These are used in
disposable oil filters and need replacement at every 3000 miles.
MICROGLASS
FILTER MEDIA
Microglass media is
made of the fiver that is 10 times finer than cellulose fibers. They need to be
replaced every 10000 miles.
Always check your owner
manual to determine best oil filter fit for your car. Wrong filters can cause
oil to leak out of engine. This would eventually lead to serious engine damage.
So be careful.
How to change oil and
filter
Make sure you refer to
your owner’s manual for correct quantity and type of engine oil for your
vehicle. Following are the steps to change oil and oil filter.
- Park your car at a safe place. Jack up the car.
- Start and warm up the engine. Switch of the vehicle and allow the engine to rest.
- Loosen the oil filter cap of car, and drain the oil by placing the pan underneath.
- Once the old engine oil has been drained, replace the oil drain plug of car and tighten it.
- Using a suitable filter wrench, loosen the oil filter and then remove it by hand. Wipe around the oil filter mounting surface to clean any old oil.
- Carefully install the new filter into place and tighten it.
- Slowly pour engine oil in it.
- Run the engine for about 1 minute and check the oil level.
- Check the engine and drain plug for oil leaks.
- Job done!
Keep your engine lubricated and finely working with clean oil. See aftermarket oil filters of car available at Partsavatar.ca.
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