How many of you re-use your filters atleast once?

[VK56VD]

As the topic above say's, how many of you re-use your oil filters and how many OCI's do you use them for?

Please provide brand of filter, your OCI, and how many times you re-use them.

 

[SecondMonkey]

I would never think of such a dirty thing!

 

[Audi Junkie]

I resue them, sometimes. imo, 5k ocis with a good filter, you can drain and re-use no problem. What's the difference, 5k twice or 10k once? My car is going 8000 miles or so, I put a new on one each time. I have a ton of free Purolators so why not.

 

[Mr Nice]

18K miles on an oversized Purolator L-24458 oil filter for our Hondas, but I change the oil every 6K miles. They are spotless when I cut the open after 18K miles.

I don't remove and drain the filter, I just leave it on for the entire 18K miles.

 

[newtoncd8]

I may be the lone ranger on this one, but here is what I have settled on:

--2001 Audi A4 (V6) - Castrol Syntec 0W30 and Mann OEM oil filter. I change the oil every 5-6K and change the filter at every other change.

--2004 Lexus RX330 (V6) - Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 and Mobil 1 EP oil filter. I change the oil every 5-6K and change the filter at every other change.

When my stash of Mann filters runs out, I am thinking about switching over to Amsoil EaO filters and maybe Schaeffer's; however, I still plan on following the same regimen. As always, YMMV.

 

[rationull]

I change the filter every other oil change (~6000 mile OCI) in my 07 civic.

 

[02zx9r]

I normally change the filter at each oil change as I have a pretty decent stash of the blue can pure ones but have decided to try every other oci and see what happens just to do it

 

[wirelessF]

If I have access to a filter opener (btw what do you guys use to open filters?) I might reuse the filter for my next OCI. Currently I'm using a oversized (PL30001) purolator pureone filter with a filtermag on it and M1 0W20. I'll be doing an UOA and filter change at 5K and if the results look good and the filter looks clean, I'll just pop in a new filter and run it 10-15K.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I use a Dremel w/cutting wheel to cut mine open.

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
I use a Dremel w/cutting wheel to cut mine open.

Seems like that would put a bunch of additional debris in your filter.

My main reason for never reusing them is the quart of dirty oil inside. If you put on a new filter - would you pour in a quart of dirty oil with the new?

 

[PW01]

I don't see the point in re-using an oil filter. You spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, but hesitate to spend $20 a year on oil filters?

 

[BuickGN]

I do two oil changes on each filter.

Amsoil EAO20 with Amsoil ACD 30wt.

I change oil at 4,500-5,000 miles.

Filter is good to at least 25K.

I figure it elimiates one dry start and there's talk of a filter getting more efficient as it ages. It's not a money issue.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
I use a Dremel w/cutting wheel to cut mine open.

Seems like that would put a bunch of additional debris in your filter.

My main reason for never reusing them is the quart of dirty oil inside. If you put on a new filter - would you pour in a quart of dirty oil with the new?


As they age and begin to restrict a little more, filtering efficiency improves.

I do every-other filter changes with silicon ADBV filters - except I uninstall - drain the old oil contents - then reinstall the old filter.

 

[Gary Allan]

I'll do up to 20k on an EaO. I did 15k on the last one (3x5k OCI).

Anyone who does over a certain amount of mileage a year can do "every other". Heck, if they do 15k a year and can't shake the 3k prison habit, they can go 5 OCIs on one filter ..any filter. The variable will be the level of filtration. Naturally, nitrile parts will probably fatigue over that mileage, but that shouldn't effect filtration. The cheaper filters should last just as long as expensive ones. They'll just allow more finer particles to remain unfiltered.

 

[twentynine]

Nope, not me.

New filter every OCI.

At $1.44 each, I change the filter. Am I wasting the capability remaining in the filter, maybe. But it's only $1.44.

Can't understand, some of you guys go to extremes to insure you have the latest, and bestest filters in the world. Some of us here have been critized for going the cheap route. You are under the auto draining the oil, and you are not going to reach over to remove the old oil filter. Go figure!

 

[cmhj]

On my daughters Olds Alero, which is now out west I used to use an EAO thru 2 OCIs. I did however, pull it & dump it out as much as possible and re-install.

 

[Hermann]

Originally Posted By: PW01
I don't see the point in re-using an oil filter. You spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, but hesitate to spend $20 a year on oil filters?
.

Agree with you. All these folks who reuse must be former Iffy Lube employees.

 

[Greggy_D]

Originally Posted By: toytundranator
(btw what do you guys use to open filters?)


No. 3 pipe cutter from China Freight (my affectionate name for Harbor Freight). It'll run you around 20 bucks or so.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: PW01
I don't see the point in re-using an oil filter. You spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, but hesitate to spend $20 a year on oil filters?


I don't really see this as a convincing argument. If you don't need to replace the oil filter every OCI, then you're not really getting anything from it. It's like saying "you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, why not spend $500 more for the same one?"

That is, if you conclude that changing the filter every OCI is getting you better protection, then by all means, change it. If it doesn't make any difference, then changing it too often is a waste of money and a waste of oil filters, even if it's only a small waste.

 

[harry j]

I was using the same EAO for three changes, but now I'm not so sure. According to the UAO, The ISO code has gone up from 16/15/12 to 17/18/14. I am on the third OCI now and a third UOA is pending. I will know for sure if 3 changes on the same filter is advised. I have a bad feeling about this.