STP Premium filter after ~13000 miles
- Thread starter lazarus55
- Start date
I know very little about air filters but considering that it wasn’t run in a high dust environment (clearly, as the top of the filter is so clean and my air box appears to be sealed up well) wouldn’t we expect better filtering efficiency? It almost seems like the top and the bottom have the same amount of dirt.
I replaced it with a FRAM Ultra which btw had sloppy injection molding, but was a much better fit than the STP which was borderline too big and barely fit.
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Fit is very important. As to the loading of this filter, I wouldn't be concerned because the media is not going to allow that sand and large particles to pass through, so it's got to go somewhere. Better tell is the cleanliness of the intake tube upstream of the filter, it should be perfect.
I don't understand. So one side of the filter is clean and the other side is dirty? That's normal. What makes you say that dirt is getting through the filter then? Do you have pictures of the clean side of the filter to compare?
As long as the clean side of the air box isn't dusty, the filter was doing a decent job.
With how clean that filter is at 13k miles, I'd keep the new air filter in service for at least 30k, if not 50k miles. Clean air filters are much less efficient than dirty filters.
Interestingly, The STP for my Volvo fit better than OEM. Find a premium filter & run it. It doesn't appear that you'll have any trouble going 20k on a decent quality filter. If you put on very low mileage then you may want to change by time instead of miles. Air filters seem to be more efficient as they load up so changing them too early may not pay off. Your posted filter still looks good at 13k.
My experience has led me to 30k engine air filter / cabin air filter changes....and they're far from loaded even then.
They can have patches of thicker dirt.
They can have patches of thicker dirt.
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I run my air filters about twice as long as the owner's manual specifies. Air filters do a better job as they collect dirt. This way my engine is in better shape and I've saved time and money. Drives the same before and after the filter is changed.
3-4x the recommended AFI change for me.
Maybe you're right. They look perfectly good at twice the recommend change interval.
You've convinced me, I'm not going to change my air filter this year. It feels better to just sit down and have a beer anyways.
That filter still good. It will be bad,visibly..black tainted pleats.
Unless filter has visible black so if you hold it up sun, and little no light passes through, it's still filtering.
Efficiency. More filter loads up,the contaminants collect other contaminants ,acting as catchers..till media loaded.
New air filters allow particles through..till they collected and built up on filter media.
Unless filter has visible black so if you hold it up sun, and little no light passes through, it's still filtering.
Efficiency. More filter loads up,the contaminants collect other contaminants ,acting as catchers..till media loaded.
New air filters allow particles through..till they collected and built up on filter media.
What car/engine do you have? If the bottom is duty and top is clean, then it draws from the top.
2004 Dodge Dakota 3.7
I'm not familiar with that air filter specifically but the youtube vid shows that the air tube is on top (but I'm not sure it it is the same engine as yours). If that is the same as yours, the top should be the clean side.
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