Using Old Air Filters

[ThirdeYe]

Is there anything wrong with using an old air filter, that hasn't been used? I went to Advance Auto today and I bought the last air filter they had for my car, which was in a box that looked like it was from the stone age (every other box for every other car was the newer colored one) and I looked at it closer when I got home and it was apparently made in December of 1998. It looks nice and clean and there's no damage to it anywhere, it was just stored in its box on the shelf for a decade apparently. I guess Integra filters don't move very much

I bought it because it's really hard to find filters for my car.

 

[Dick in Falls Church]

Use it

 

[lenjack]

What he said.

 

[Donald]

Just make sure the rubber gasket is still flexible and has not dried out.

Ask for a discount.

 

[Dave Hess]

Use it.

As long as the filter was kept in the box, the gasket should be fine.

 

[ThirdeYe]

It doesn't have a gasket, it's a really unique design where it's a filter connected to a plastic tubing, that fits inside the rubber tubing underneath the hood that connects to the intake. The only gasket is a small 1/2" gasket that just simply seats the filter inside the actual housing just to set it in place, but serves no purpose from what I can figure.

 

[Dave Hess]

I'm surprised it such a small filter.

 

[obbop]

Looks like a "marital aid."

 

[PandaBear]

I don't think it is 2.25" in dia. It is around 6" in dia for the filter media drum area. Filter media usually don't degrade over time (up to a certain point, everything ages) when dry. The "gasket" you see on the filter is only a rubber piece to prevent vibration, not a seal. The sealing is done with hard glue near the edge of the paper media. The sealing is done on the rubber intake hose with the metal spring.

They are expensive, so go ahead and use it instead of throwing it out.