Air filter longevity?

[SL8Brick]

My question pertains to "what factors affect air filter longevity?" I would like to present a situation and get some input to its cause.
The vehicle is my `93 Volvo 240. At the time of the situation, 105K miles. Let me start by saying I use only standard paper AFs. I normally drive about 13K miles per year. The filter gets changed once a year, regardless of miles.
The situation:
I accepted a new job that doubled my daily commute.(from 50 miles{rural/stop & go}to 100 miles{almost entirely highway}round trip) In preparation for the longer daily drive, the car got a complete tune-up which included a new OE Volvo air filter. After about 6 months and 12K miles of enduring the new commute, I decide to pull the air filter just to see how it holding up. It was absolutely filthy! I've changed air filters during my normal yearly intervals that weren't this bad. Actually, some of those filters could have stayed in for a few more thousand miles.
All of these highway miles were driven on the PA Turnpike. There were no active construction zones at the time(potential dust generators). I have since changed jobs again and my commute and air filter life are back to "normal".
Could an engine operating at constant, higher rpms (ie:highway driving) doom a standard air filter to such an early death?

 

[The_Jeff]

Do you have any PCV stuff that pukes on the outdoors side of the air filter? Older Volvos are picky about their flame traps.

Is it oily-black or just dusty?

 

[SL8Brick]

quote:

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Do you have any PCV stuff that pukes on the outdoors side of the air filter? Older Volvos are picky about their flame traps.

Is it oily-black or just dusty?

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Now that is something that I did not consider. I do clean the flame trap at every OCI, but recently I had to clean out the "oil trap box(?)" to rectify some seaping gaskets and seals. I am uncertain if the PCV system dumps on the clean air side. I can tell you that air filter was mostly black, especially near the intake tube oriface.

 

[digitaldrifter91]

my pvc system and vent system goes after the air filter in the intake system...kinda dont like the idea of oily vapors going back in my system...

i change my air filters every year and a half to 2 years of use...regardless of what it looks like, microparticles i cannot see and its cheap.

there isnt a way around not getting a air filter dirty or trying to extend the life of the filter...the only way i see is to not drive =) haha.

but to answer ur question, its all about where u go and where u live, desert conditions will kill a paper filter more than the area im in, the valley of california....

 

[TC]

Since automotive (paper) air filter technology hasn't changed greatly over the years, I suspect the old "flashlight test" still has validity. If you can readily see the flashlight's beam through the media, it's OK. If not, it's "dirty." (Doesn't apply to K&N or foam filters, of course.) A crude and low tech method, but hey, it still makes some amount of sense after all these years...

 

[digitaldrifter91]

i like that method...but i say, after 2 years and it looks clean still..i change it anyways and return the old one if i have a problem wiht the store lOLZ>>...

 

[den]

I have a 91 Lumina sedan with a 3.1? PLEASE could anyone tell me where my PVC valve is? Thanks

 

[Patman]

The longer you leave it in, the better it filters. I had 83k on my original air filter in my Firebird. It was not hurting performance much at all either, I swapped it out in between runs at the dragstrip and despite being dirty, the new one only gave me 0.2mph trap speed improvement (which could be attributed to other factors too)

 

[rockerc]

quote:

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Originally posted by den:
I have a 91 Lumina sedan with a 3.1? PLEASE could anyone tell me where my PVC valve is? Thanks

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most likely at the back of the passenger side valve cover. However, it could be on the drivers side though, i dont know GM products that well.

 

[widman]

The higher the speed (rpm) the more air gets filtered. PCV valvea ara also culprits.
But I disagree with the flashlight test. You can use compressed air to make is so you can see through it, and get the dust and damage I've posted here and on my site. I normally change at 18,000 km (3 oil changes)(mostly dirt roads) on my vehicles without a sensor. On the ones that live in the dust I put on sensors and only change or clean when the sensor goes red indicating reduced air flow.

 

[Drew99GT]

quote:

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Originally posted by rockerc:

quote:

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Originally posted by den:
I have a 91 Lumina sedan with a 3.1? PLEASE could anyone tell me where my PVC valve is? Thanks

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most likely at the back of the passenger side valve cover. However, it could be on the drivers side though, i dont know GM products that well.

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It's probably on the front valve cover towards the driver side.

 

[Jelly]

quote:

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Originally posted by Drew99GT:

]It's probably on the front valve cover towards the driver side.

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I got to work on a '95 Lumina with a 3.1L here a while back, and if I remember right, that's exactly where it is at.