In my first job behind the automotive counter, I remember selling an awful lot of 10W30, 10W40, and even some of that newfangled 5W30.
Now, of course, things are much different; we have many weights of oil, most trending toward lower viscosity, and more and more vehicles specify synthetic oil, partially due to consumer demand for longer service intervals. Most customers won’t bat an eye at a fully synthetic oil that costs ten bucks a quart if the car requires it. But how many people who walk up to your counter quiz you about the filter?
If you aren’t a counterman but instead work in a shop, you probably stock one brand of filter, and I’m betting it’s likely an economy filter. Vehicles and lubricants have both changed a lot over the years. Installing an old-fashioned filter on a modern vehicle because that’s what’s in stock may not the best course of action.
Whether a spin-on or cartridge style, the heart of the filter is the media. Automotive oil filters generally have a filtration media that falls into one of three camps: cellulose (paper), synthetic, or mixed fiber media, which is a blend of both types. Paper media is simply not as resistant to aging (weakening) as a properly chosen synthetic media. This matters a great deal on today’s vehicles that may spec really extreme oil change intervals. (Jaguar is up to 15,000 mile intervals on their vehicles!) Do you really want to pair up oil that can go that interval with a cardboard or paper filter that was originally designed for a then-standard 3,000 mile change?
Compounding this issue is ethanol fuel, which represents a significant portion of the gasoline sold in the United States. Ethanol generates more water as a byproduct of the combustion process. That water mixes with the engine oil and passes through the filter media until the oil has gotten hot enough to drive the water off.
Water weakens paper filter media to the point of being able to tear, reducing its efficacy as a filter and shortening its effective life. In extreme cases, pieces of media can actually detach from the filter and circulate within the oiling system. It’s also a bit less tolerant of higher temperatures. Quite a few modern vehicles are now packing turbos under the hood—more and more mundane vehicles are relying on forced induction, and turbos spin pretty fast. Higher temperatures and speeds mean clean oil is more critical than ever in these applications.
Remember, too, that many modern vehicles have stop-start systems. Synthetic filters can not only filter smaller particles but can often offer more consistent pressures while doing so. (This is why oil filters are generally a little smaller than they used to be. When was the last time you poured a quart of oil into a modern vehicle’s oil filter?) Media that has clogged and created higher-than-normal pressures will open the bypass valve, sending dirty oil that’s bypassed the filter media back into service. This obviously is compounded with a stop-start vehicle. Further, if a stop-start is pressed into stop-and-go traffic immediately, achieving proper operating temperature takes longer than if the car remained running. This exacerbates that water-in-the-oil problem we already covered.
Let’s also not forget about the myriad of systems that run off oil now, like variable valve timing and multiple displacement systems; do you really want filter media coming loose with that componentry? Sludge or dirty oil are ultra-problematic for vehicles with this fairly advanced technology. Even the move to overhead cams has dictated much longer timing chains than the days of cam-in-block motors. Experienced techs know that timing chains don’t stretch, they actually wear as the fit between pins and links gets sloppier. Poorly filtered oil accelerates that wear greatly.
A quality filter goes beyond the media, however. Generally, a manufacturer using a high-quality filtration media is also going to use a premium gasket, bypass valve spring, and anti-drainback valve, too. Building a better oil filter costs money, but that money is amortized in many cases by the savings on reduced service. Educating your customer (and being aware of the differences yourself) can help you have a customer feel confident in the parts you’re installing—especially if those parts need to last longer than they ever have before.
If you do have a dipstick and you’re checking it yourself, make sure the car is parked on level ground. If the engine has been running, be aware of potential hot spots under the hood. Most automakers recommend checking the oil level when the engine is cool.
With the engine off, open the car’s hood and find the dipstick. Pull it out from the engine and wipe off any oil from its end with a dust-free cloth or towel. Then insert the dipstick back into its tube and push it all the way back in.
Pull it back out, and this time quickly look at both sides of the dipstick to see where the oil is on the end. Every dipstick has some way of indicating the proper oil level, whether it’s two pinholes, the letters L and H (low and high), the words MIN and MAX, or simply an area of crosshatching. If the top of the oil “streak” is between the two marks or within the crosshatched area, the level is fine.
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If the oil is below the minimum mark, you need to add oil. (Use the oil type recommended in the owner’s manual, adding no more than half a quart at a time. Let the car sit, then check again.)
Pay close attention to the old oil’s color. It should appear brown or black. If it has a light, milky appearance, this could mean coolant is leaking into the engine. Look closely for any metal particles, too, because this could mean there’s internal engine damage. If you see either of these conditions, take the car to a mechanic for further diagnosis.
If everything is okay, wipe off the dipstick again and insert it back into its tube, making sure it’s fully seated. Close the hood and you’re done.
If the oil is consistently low when checked, the engine is either burning the oil or leaking it. Either way, discuss this recurring problem with your mechanic.
Over the course of two years and 30,000 miles, assuming that your oil change costs $90 a pop, you could save $540 if you get it changed every 7,500 miles vs. every 3,000 miles—plus a fair bit of time.
It’s not just about miles: If you don’t drive your car a lot, your oil still needs to be kept fresh. Even if you drive fewer miles each year than your automaker suggests for changing the oil (say, 6,000 miles, with suggested oil-change intervals at 7,500 miles), you should still be getting that oil changed twice a year.
Why? Oil becomes less effective as it ages, and by not getting the engine warm enough, excess contaminents that collect in the engine won’t be removed, which can lead to a shorter engine life.
But he advises that there are situations where that resistance to breaking down can help prolong the life of your engine, making the upgrade from conventional oil worthwhile.
“If you make lots of short trips, standard motor oil may never get warm enough to burn off moisture and impurities, which means it may not be doing enough to protect your engine,” Ibbotson says.
Another consideration is your lifestyle. “If you live in a region with very cold winters or very hot summers, or if you use your vehicle for towing or hauling heavy material, synthetic oil is your best bet,” he says. “While synthetic generally holds up better and can serve for more miles, it is equally important to not extend oil changes beyond the time interval recommended by the manufacturer, typically six months or a year if it is a motor that is not driven many miles or on many short trips.”
Synthetic oil can also help engines that are prone to building up sludge. Some Volkswagen and Toyota models had sludge issues in the past. This residue, formed when oil breaks down, can block the flow of oil, leading to the quick death of an engine. Synthetic oil would be beneficial in these engines because it helps to reduce sludge buildup, helping to extend the engine’s life span.
For more information, please visit car oil filter manufacturers.