Air filter replacement indicator

[wtd]

My 98 chevy truck has an Air filter replacement indicator.

My current AC-Delco Heavy duty paper filter has about 20,000 miles on it and doesn't look very dirty or has much debris in it. The indicator doesn't look like it has moved at all.

For those of you who have this type of indicator, do you change your filter when it says you should, or do you change it at a certain milage?

I'm not sure how accurate these indicators are and I don't want to run my filter longer than I should. Thanks.

Wayne

 

[mrchecker]

Most diesel powered trucks have them to prevent premature replacement of a filter that is still working efficiently but looks nasty, they work well. The truck I drive for work ran 42k local miles before the indicator showed that it was done. If yours hasn't moved at all, you might want to try to hook a vacuum pump up to it to make sure it's working. I would go by the indicator because the dirtier the filter gets, the better it works. The indicator tells you when it's become excessively restrictive so you don't lose power and fuel economy.

 

[wtd]

Thanks for the information. I will check to see if my indicator is working.

Wayne

 

[1maniac]

In our fleet we have several GMC/Chevy 454 & 502 V8s that have the air filter replacement indicator you speak of between the filter and the intake and I can say about 1/2 of them have gotten stuck in the "O.K." position which I believe is the color green. These vehciles see ALOT and I mean ALOT of idling and alot of dusty off road conditions so mileage isn't a ggod indicator but several have been pluged up at 50k miles on the filter and the indicator didn't move

 

[wtd]

1maniac,
Thanks for the information. I went ahead and replaced my filter just to be on the same side. I really don't trust that indicator.

Wayne

 

[Patman]

I would've left it in longer. My OEM AC Delco filter had 83k on it and was filtering very well, and only costing me one or two horsepower, and since I changed it to a fresh Fram air filter my silicon levels have gone up.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by wtd:
1maniac,
Thanks for the information. I went ahead and replaced my filter just to be on the same side. I really don't trust that indicator.

Wayne

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Air compressors and other industrial equipment use replacement indicators all the time. If they are done right, they'll save a ton in filter cost over the life of the equipment.

They're no replacement for a visual inspection though. Inspection is the only way to check for things like mechanical damage to the filter...

[ September 30, 2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: jsharp ]

 

[Neil Womack]

wtd

I'm considering using an add-on filter indicator on my VW TDI. However, at what pressure should I change the air filter. My tractor starts showing a red flag at 22 inches of water.

Does your indicator have an inches of water or inches of mercury scale? If so at what point does the flag appear?

 

[Pitbull]

It is a fact that a dirty filter, filters better than a clean filter. It passes less air but filters out more impurities.