Air filters and wiper blades?

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hockeyfun1

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Feb 21, 2012
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It's cheaper if I buy air filters and wiper blades on rockauto in bulk since I save on shipping. Is it ok to keep air filters and wiper blades sitting on a shelf inside my house for 3+ years? Reason I ask is the engine air filters might be oiled or something. Plus I don't want any of the rubber or pleats to dry out. Same with the rubber wiper blades. What about carbon cabin air filters?
 
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I love carbon cabin filters. Get them if you can! The only oiled air filters I know of are P1, AirHog, K&N, and some other performance filters. The cheap air filters are probably not oiled. It is totally OK to keep them on the shelf for a few years, as long as they stay in the package. Wipers are usually sealed. Filter media doesn't expire.
 
None of the wipers at Walmart, even the good ones, are air-tight sealed. I have the Purolater PureOne air filters for my Ranger. I think they're oiled? Are these still ok to keep on the shelf for a few years?
 
Air filters are usually due every 40k, unless you drive some crazy miles or on dirt roads everyday I don't see the $ saving
 
I do mostly highway driving. I drive about 30k to 35k miles a year split almost evenly between my two vehicles. I just replaced my Ford Ranger's today at 10k miles and it was black and dirty. Really not sure why. Around the edges was especially dirty, but the pleats weren't too bad. My Subaru's was black after 36k miles (was fine at 20k when I checked it). I replaced the next one 15k miles later (51k miles) and it was so so, but because it's a PIA to change, I just threw a new one in there. Could have went another 5k. Really not sure why the Ranger ones get so dirty. I don't drive anywhere weird. It's all toll road driving mostly on nice fancy road. I drive 5 to 10 MPH over in both vehicles on the highway too (70 to 75). Not very fast. I drive the speed limit around town. I figure the Ranger should get 8k intervals and the Subaru should get 20k intervals for the air filter.
 
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Your air filter intervals are pretty short. I would recommend getting a filter minder which measures true air filter restriction which not only gives you the most life from your air filter but there cleanest air possible. An air filter will gain significant efficiency towards the later part of its life and air filtration is very important to the engine. An air filter could be caked black but still have little restriction. Gasoline fuel injection vehicles do not suffer performance or fuel economy losses from a dirty air filter like the companies would have you believe. I would think with toll read driving your filter change intervals could top 60k miles. KN has one of the best filter minders with the correct 12 inches of restriction for gas vehicles. Others have too large of a range. http://www.knfilters.com/filterminder.htm
 
Originally Posted By: hockeyfun1
None of the wipers at Walmart, even the good ones, are air-tight sealed.
Good wipers at Walmart? hide
Originally Posted By: hockeyfun1
I have the Purolater PureOne air filters for my Ranger. I think they're oiled? Are these still ok to keep on the shelf for a few years?
Yes, the PureOne is oiled. I wouldn't use them at all, stashed or not. People have been having MAF problems.
 
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Originally Posted By: hockeyfun1
None of the wipers at Walmart, even the good ones, are air-tight sealed.
Good wipers at Walmart? hide
Originally Posted By: hockeyfun1
I have the Purolater PureOne air filters for my Ranger. I think they're oiled? Are these still ok to keep on the shelf for a few years?
Yes, the PureOne is oiled. I wouldn't use them at all, stashed or not. People have been having MAF problems.
So one person makes a thread about having oil on his MAF and we are condeming the air filters too? I don't think its fair to condemn the entire brand for the oil filter issues. I have used PureOne air filters without issue and they are one of my favorites, and i have oen in my Buick right now. I will be closely examing my MAF when i pull this one out next time, but they last for a long time.
 
Change your air filter every 15K miles, or second oil change, whichever comes first. Air filters are cheap, extra gasoline due to poor mileage is not...
 
Originally Posted By: mattwithcats
Change your air filter every 15K miles, or second oil change, whichever comes first. Air filters are cheap, extra gasoline due to poor mileage is not...
That's something you would read on a box trying to sell you more air filters. I have never seen a manufacturers recommendation that short.
 
Reports of issues with MAFs after using oiled air filters have been around for years. In fact, K&N makes a point to deny that their filters are to blame. Some of those issues may of been caused by people applying too much oil to the filters... But MAFs, especially in high mileage vehicles, will eventually get dirty no matter what type of air filter is used. I've had good luck cleaning them instead of replacing.
 
15,000 miles in a car that gets 30 MPG uses 500 gallons of gas Assuming 1 percent decrease, 5 more gallons of gas are used. 5 times $4 a gallon is $20... I can get an air filter for less than half that.... Now assume 5 percent decrease, 25 gallons, $100 dollars... Not to mention the fact that dirty air filters tended to distort and leak....
 
Originally Posted By: mattwithcats
15,000 miles in a car that gets 30 MPG uses 500 gallons of gas Assuming 1 percent decrease, 5 more gallons of gas are used. 5 times $4 a gallon is $20... I can get an air filter for less than half that.... Now assume 5 percent decrease, 25 gallons, $100 dollars... Not to mention the fact that dirty air filters tended to distort and leak....
You haven't read the links suggested to you, have you?
 
Originally Posted By: Hollow
Originally Posted By: mattwithcats
15,000 miles in a car that gets 30 MPG uses 500 gallons of gas Assuming 1 percent decrease, 5 more gallons of gas are used. 5 times $4 a gallon is $20... I can get an air filter for less than half that.... Now assume 5 percent decrease, 25 gallons, $100 dollars... Not to mention the fact that dirty air filters tended to distort and leak....
You haven't read the links suggested to you, have you?
Don't even have to read the whole thing. Skip to first sentence of second paragraph of conclusion
 
Interesting test. The engine control systems were able to maintain the correct air/fuel ratio so mileage wasn't affected. Also interesting was the comment that there were no measurable performance differences between the 3 types of filters tested. That included an aftermarket performance filter...probably an oiled one. Just goes to show why cars don't come with oiled filters from the factory....
 
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The air filter on my truck is 7 years old/110k km (69k miles) and the filter minder still indicates no restriction. Appearances can be deceiving with air filters. Just because it looks dirty does not mean there is any benefit to replacing it.
 
Originally Posted By: hockeyfun1
If the air filter is dirty, will more dirt and debris get into the engine?
No if the pores of the air filter are already holding dirt then it's forced through another pore which will eventually be smaller and smaller causing the increased efficiency. Air filtration is the biggest entry point for dirt, so changing too frequently is introducing extra dirt into the engine. I would put a hard cut off after 4-5 years to see how the gasket is doing if it's dry it's time to go. Obviously if it's distorted you may have went too far. At the beginning of the air filters life is it's at its lowest efficiency. I've seen filthy filters have almost no restrictions on a 12 inch gauge.
 
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