Mechanic installed filter without filling with oil

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Darkfire

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Jun 11, 2011
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I was rather surprised that the mechanic I've been taking my car to for an oil change installed a new filter without adding oil to it 1st. How big of a deal is this? I've always done oil changes myself in the past but I didn't want to deal with the hassle anymore. I don't know if he was just being lazy or what, this isn't Jiffy Lube, but rather a local mechanic that maintains an entire school bus fleet as well as services police cars. This guy has been very good for everything I've had him do in the past: brakes, rotors, replaced serpentine belt, replaced failing water pump.

Maybe he doesn't think it's that big of a deal? Strange though because I thought it was a standard procedure to fill the filter with new oil before putting it on so that you don't have a second or few seconds of no oil coming up through the intake tube.

I was going to say something to him about it but I decided to just let it go. I was thinking "well at least there was Mos2 in the oil that I had added in what he drained out so there was some extra lubrication coating the metal parts."

Thoughts?
 
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always installed filters dry. never had an issue. unless the car spacifically calles for a priming procedure i never bothered. each is to his own about this.
 
I don't even bother and I know better.

There is SO much oil coating all the parts in the engine, that microsecond it takes to fill the filter isn't going to hurt anything. Especially with how tiny oil filters are today.

I have posted before that I have changed the oil on an Acura that had less than a quart of oil left in it, the owner never checked the dipstick. Car still runs. And the oil filter on removal was EMPTY and she was driving it down the highway.

Pre-filling an oil filter just carries more risk of making a mess unless the filter is mounted upside down.

No official literature or procedures even mention this, your mech did nothing wrong.
 
Agree with the above posters.. the extreme majority of people (including mechanics) do not pre-fill. There are some big diesel engines that want a pre-filled filter during a change - and maybe he would do it then - but it's not spec'd for standard gassers.


I pre-fill, but I like watching my oil pressure idiot light shut off a second sooner after a change. But that's about the only benefit. The downsides could be: making a mess, and sending unfiltered oil into your engine (we're filling the exit port of the filters).
 
I have never done this in 15+ years of Oil changes - despite what people may think, oil stays on all lubricated parts for a very long time, more so than the average oil change.

I did a valve adjustment on one of my motorcycles after it was sitting all winter and the cams/valves still had a very noticeable film of oil on them!
 
I prefill if the filter points up, but anything other than that will spill oil. You can hear the engine noise if there is no oil in the filter from a cold start, so I start the engine for a few seconds to get the oil flowing then change it.
 
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I agree with everyone else, it's not necessary. I've never once filled a filter before installing it. At my work, they do fill the filters on our diesel trucks before installing them, but those things hold as much oil in the filter as most cars hold in the sump.
 
Originally Posted By: Darkfire
I thought it was a standard procedure to fill the filter with new oil before putting it on so that you don't have a second or few seconds of no oil coming up through the intake tube.
I wouldn't call it "standard procedure", although I always do it myself. It's just the way I learned. I doubt filters at quick-lube places are pre-filled.

I agree with the others that no harm was done, so sleep well.
 
Originally Posted By: Falken
No official literature or procedures even mention this, your mech did nothing wrong.

Good to know, thanks.

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
At my work, they do fill the filters on our diesel trucks before installing them, but those things hold as much oil in the filter as most cars hold in the sump.

Makes sense.
 
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Originally Posted By: Darkfire
Thoughts?

You have OCD. Then again, this is BITOG, I guess most of us do to some extent.

Pre-filling an oil filter with oil is not a standard procedure, at least not on any cars that I've ever owned.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Pre-filling an oil filter with oil is not a standard procedure, at least not on any cars that I've ever owned.

The instructions on most oil filters I've seen include pre-filling.
 
I used to prefill my filters, but I cant really doit with my truck because its at an angle. Now I just rub a little new oil on the seal and call it good. Oil pressure jumps up quick and it doesn't even clatter on the dry start. No big deal.
 
Originally Posted By: NMBurb02

The instructions on most oil filters I've seen include pre-filling.
Do the instructions include which magic spell to use to keep the oil from pouring out when you go to put it on? I'd fill em up if they mounted vertical and were easy to get to but I don't own anything like that.
 
Originally Posted By: Virtuoso
Agree with the above posters.. the extreme majority of people (including mechanics) do not pre-fill. There are some big diesel engines that want a pre-filled filter during a change - and maybe he would do it then - but it's not spec'd for standard gassers.


I pre-fill, but I like watching my oil pressure idiot light shut off a second sooner after a change. But that's about the only benefit. The downsides could be: making a mess, and sending unfiltered oil into your engine (we're filling the exit port of the filters).


My oil light never came on even after an oil change with a "dry" filter?

Hot oil moves fast.

I don't even think I have seen the light blip on, if I ever changed the oil COLD, actually... (I usually let it at least get warm, meaning, let it run as I jack up the car. A new habit I have gotten into.)
 
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