How Often Do I Need to Change My Oil Filter?

Car makers worry about their reputation. Well at leastwall surfaces once they reach the engine. The filter
some of them do. But they also care about beatingabsorbs and filtrates against abrasion and premature
the competition by advertising for low maintenancewear to the engine.
cost. Those car manufacturers calculate the estimatedOver time, the filter accumulates dirt that has been
annual maintenance cost based on changing the oil filertrapped, until it reaches a point where it is possible for
every other oil change, or 6000 to 15000 miles. Thisoil passage to be obstructed. The filter should be
ultimately reduces the cost of the vehicle maintenance.changed before it reaches a point where it's an
On the other hand, oil filter manufacturers suggest thatobstruction to the flow of oil, or even facing the danger
the filter is to be changed every oil change. Now,of becoming plugged. The good and bad news in one,
which word should you take for granted, neither.is that filters are designed to prevent from
I wanted to get a third opinion, so I interviewed manycatastrophic failures due to improper lubrication,
mechanics, and almost all agreed on the fact that thetherefore it has a bypass valve, which will allow the oil
the every other oil change is a false economy. Allto pass through with the dirt once it reaches the
mechanics highly recommended changing the oil filterfiltration capacity, preventing from loss of lubrication
every oil change. This was back up by theirand allowing the dirt to enter the engine, and cause
experience, and science.today’s engines use aaccelerated wear.
filtration process called "full-flow”. With thisIn conclusion, oil filters cost less than ten dollars, so you
technology, all the oil that's goes from the reservoir tomay just as well change it with every oil change
the engine passes through the filter first. This meansbecause the worst case scenario would be that you
that the primary defense line to the engine'slost a 100 dollars over the life of your life. On other
crankshaft, and cam bearings is the oil filter. It's purposehand, the worst case scenario for not changing it on
is removing unwanted solid entrants to the system,time is a new engine which would cost you no less
such as dirt, carbon, and metal particles. Thesethan 1200 dollars.
entrants can damage the bearing, journal and cylinder