Key Takeaways
The following are the key takeaways from this article:
- An oil filter is an essential engine component that filters out metallic components and dust particles off the oil before circulating it to the engine.
- The important parts of an oil filter include an anti-drain valve, tapping plate, center tube, relief valve, end disc, and retainer, each part having a distinct function.
- A vehicle’s types of oil filters can range between magnetic oil filters, cartridge filters, full-flow filters, and bypass filters.
- The common symptoms of a clogged filter include sputtering, metallic knocking, dropped pressure, dirty exhaust, and bad engine performance.
- The typical cost to replace an oil filter can range between $35-75.
Introduction
Lubrication is essential for the seamless movement of engine components. This is why the drivers replace engine oil after regular intervals (1). However, as the engine oil lubricates and is returned to the sump, there is a possibility that the engine metal particles, fuel lead particles, etc., might mix with it. And next time when this engine oil is circulated, these contaminant particles might get stuck into the pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, or any other moving component (2). Resultantly, these contaminants will increase the abrasion rate, and the engine lifespan will be decreased.
However, automakers have designed oil filters with contaminant withholding capacity to remove dirt, metallic particles, lead, etc., from entering the engine. This device is common in both on- and off-road vehicles, allowing for seamless oil circulation and engine lubrication.
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This article will highlight the importance, parts, and common oil filter problems.
Parts of the Oil Filter
Following are a few important parts of the oil filter:
Anti drain Valve
Antidrain valve is made of rubber and prevents the oil from flowing back to the filter.
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When the engine is not running, the oil will not circulate, so there is a chance that it will flow back toward the oil filter (2). To prevent this, an anti-drain valve is located in the middle or top of the oil filter.
Tapping Plate
Tapping plate is a small plate located on both the entry and exit points of the oil filter. This plate has numerous small holes around its edges that allow oil to flow in and out of the oil filter.
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The tapping plate at the bottom allows for the flow of oil inside the filter, and the threaded hole at the center allows the oil to follow toward the engine face (1).
Center Steel Tube
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A steel tube is placed inside the oil filter to provide structure and firmness. This tube also allows the oil to return to the engine.
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The number of steel tubes, their size, and several holes in the tube depends upon the oil filter size and the oil flow capacity toward the engine (2).
Relief Valve
The engine oil can be too thick to be filtered during a cold start. Hence, the engine can be starved, resulting in the seizing of different components.
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For this purpose, a relief valve filters thick oil and its passage from the center tube toward the top of the engine.
End Disc
End disc is another important component of an oil filter. It is present inside the center tube preventing the flow of unfiltered oil toward the center tube.
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This disc is often mounted toward the end of the filter medium.
Retainer
This is the final part of an oil filter. This acts as a spring keeping the end disc and filter medium against the tapping plate (1).
Types of Oil Filters
Following are some important types of oil filters:
Magnetic Oil Filter
The magnetic oil filter only needs replacement if you regularly maintain it. This oil filter is a secondary filter supporting the full-flow version filter. The main function of the magnetic oil filter is to remove metal contaminants from the engine oil (3). Metal contaminants mix with the oil filter due to engine abrasion.
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So, magnetic filters gather these metal contaminants. However, the oil passing through the magnetic filter is not cleaned off dust and grime.
Cartridge Oil Filter
Cartridge oil filter can be made of metal and fiber. However, modern oil filters are mostly made of fibers due to easy recyclability.
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This filter is less complex and can be easily assessed due to its upright mounting. In addition, this filter can be assessed and removed without the need for the removal of oil, like in conventional filters.
Full-Flow Oil Filter
Full-flow oil filters are the most common type of oil filter used in vehicles. This filter removes most impurities, such as dust, metal contaminants, lead, etc., from the engine oil.
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In addition, this type of filter works best in cold temperatures, where oil is thick and cannot pass through the filter easily (3). Full-flow filters are designed to allow the thick oil to pass easily.
By-Pass Oil Filter
Although, the full-flow filter removes the majority of the oil impurities. But in some cases, around 10% of the contaminants pass through the primary full-flow filter.
In this case, a secondary bypass filter removes these 10% impurities. This oil filter not only extends the service life of the oil but also enhances the engine’s lifespan by preventing its wear and tear.
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Common Symptoms of Bad Oil Filter
Sputtering
If you have missed the last service maintenance, then there is a chance that the oil filter is clogged. A clogged oil filter would not allow the oil to pass through (3). In some cases, less oil will pass through the oil filter due to dirt and contaminant particles in the filter.
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Due to sputtering, the engine will face starvation, and the components will not move freely. The vehicle, in this case, will not be able to maintain the speed.
Long-term driving in sputtering conditions can even result in engine seizing (5).
Metallic Knocking Sound
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Another common symptom of a bad oil filter is a metallic knocking sound. When the engine is starving, the metallic parts will grind against each other.
When a driver hears this metallic knocking sound, it indicates that the engine is running wrong and there is a problem with the oil flow (4). This will cause long-term damage to the engine components and eventually lead to the seizing of the engine.
Dropping Pressure
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Naturally, the oil pressure drops during driving, but this drop is not greater than 1%. But if the oil pressure is significantly dropping during driving, it is a sign that the oil filters need replacement.
A driver can check the oil pressure drop sign on the vehicle cluster meter. Suppose this sign is blinking on the cluster meter (5). Then check for the actual reason by connecting a hand-code reader with the OBDII module of your vehicle.
Dirty Exhaust
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A bad oil filter will release the oil into the combustion chamber. So, you might experience oil burning smell from your vehicle and an excess of black smoke from the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Similarly, the exhaust will become dirty, illustrating that there are contaminants in the exhaust gases. You need to replace the oil filter causing this problem (4).
Bad Engine Performance
As a driver, if you are experiencing a drop in engine performance, it is a sign that the oil filter has gone bad. A clogged oil filter would not allow the passage of the optimum oil level to the engine resulting in starvation (5). In this case, several engine components might need to be fixed.
Conclusion
An oil filter is a small yet important part of an engine that cleanses the oil before circulating. So, this small component significantly increases the engine’s lifespan and oil. The common problem with the oil filter is a clogged oil filter that is not replaced during service maintenance. In this case, the vehicle will face sputtering, metallic knocking, dropped oil pressure, and dirty exhaust.
FAQs
While replacing the oil filters after every oil change during service maintenance is not necessary, replacing them with oil is a good idea to enhance the engine lifespan. You can also consult the vehicle’s instruction manual to get a different idea about the type of oil filter and its replacement schedule.
Usually, it is recommended to replace the oil filter every 4000-6000 miles. However, in some models such as Silverado, Dodge Ram, etc., this cycle can be increased to 12000 miles. It is because of the difference in the oil filter compared to the conventional vehicles.
Only some vehicles have a two-stage oil filter. For example, most conventional models have only a primary filter that directly passes the oil to the engine. However, in more sophisticated vehicle models, there are two-stage oil filters where the oil is passed through a secondary filter before being passed to the engine.
