If you have old filters, replacing it might be a newly added task for you. It worked till the last breath, but it will stop working when it fails to pass the oil or get the dirt of the oil. There might be other reasons that play a significant role.
But the solution is simple and obvious. You have to change your faulty or damaged oil filter or repair it. Repairing might be tiresome and costlier. If you want to get a secure service from the oil filter, you must replace it.
Do oil filters expire?
Oil filters expire after you use them for a long time. Maybe they will last for a year and lose their capacity. A faulty or damaged oil filter will ruin the gasoline or the fuel tank. So, replacing faulty filters would be wise to replace faulty filters; you should buy the perfect sized oil filter.
If the engine oil filter goes bad, you should never continue to use it further. You can expect several years of filtering oil through your engine oil filter. It will go longer than that if you take proper care of the filter and clean it regularly.
Once the filters go wrong, you can’t repair them or use them. It will damage the entire fuel system through the dust and debris because it will fail to extract the oil dust and provide the pure oil to the fuel tank.
In Particular, you must replace the engine oil filter and purchase a new one. Since it directly connects to the engine, you should never take the risk of passing dirty oil here. The oil dust must be filtered adequately; otherwise, it will damage the engine.
You must carefully use this filter, and if you find any damage or faulty filter part, you must replace it with the new one. Although it will cost you some extra bucks, it will be worth it. You can secure the engine and make the oil filter work for a long time.
How long do unused oil filters last?
Each of the types of products we use in our daily needs has some or the other expiration date to ensure maximum use at that time.
A new oil filter will give us more time to utilize it. So, it is excellent if you wouldn’t use a channel past 2-3 years of age.
The oil filter will keep going seemingly forever, sitting unopened in a dry environment. The elastic seal and any elastic internals will proceed to mature and get hard. That way, we can get the best service for using an oil filter in your engine for a certain period.
So we understand that if we keep an oil filter intact, we can use it after a long time by respecting the environment where I stored these in a good way.
How to store oil filters?
Keep in mind when storing an oil filter as it can interact with the structure of the environment when it is in the warehouse. So if you can ensure a good environment, it can be stored safely for a long time.
Keep shelves at all times:
Be sure to use shelves in your store or warehouse when storing oil filters.
Because if you put it on the floor instead of the shelf, its efficiency and durability will continue to decrease. And it is the best practice to keep your oil filter safe for the long run.
Maintain temperature:
The place where the oil filter is stored must always be temperature controlled.
Temperature fluctuation will cause the development of air between the container and the compartment’s headspace, which perhaps decreases the quality of the products.
Maintaining humidity:
Humidity control is another essential factor to keep in mind when storing oil filters.
Depending on the change in humidity, the plastic-wrapped oil filter can get sweaty from the inside, which reduces its performance. So, if you keep everything right and are indifferent to this, you may face a loss.
Is it OK to use an old oil filter?
It is not OK to use an old oil filter. If you use an old filter, your engine may be damaged. There are numerous minor channels throughout the engine.
Suppose you put an old oil filter in your machine. In that case, the following will happen: some engine components will not receive enough lubrication, the microscopic channels can become clogged, and your engine’s fuel economy decreases.
Overheating and damage to parts are caused by insufficient lubrication. The absence of a better phrase may lead you to a large amount of spending on repairs.
How many miles can a oil filter last?
An oil filter can last between 6000 and 9000 miles driving your car and how far you drive it.
If you travel many miles, you will almost certainly have to change your car’s oil filter more frequently than someone who doesn’t put on many miles.
On the other hand, some drivers are interested in knowing the exact number of miles they should travel before changing the filter.
If you attempt to drive as many miles as possible without changing your filters, you may be setting yourself up for significant engine problems and expensive repair fees.
This enables the oil to perform at its optimal level in terms of lubricating the internal components of your engine.
It is possible that your engine’s internal parts are being damaged if your filter is clogged, resulting in an increase in operating temperature due to a lack of lubrication and higher friction and a reduction in the engine’s life span.
What happens if I don’t change oil filter?
One of the essential functions of an oil filter is to capture particles, dirt, debris, and other foreign objects that the oil may have carried as it flows to the engine.
This is done to ensure that the engine receives only pure oil. When an engine is fed with clean, refined oil, it is more likely to function at its best and last for a more extended time.
When an oil filter is old, on the other hand, it will not be able to capture all of the particles carried by the oil; as a result, these particles will get into the engine and cause significant troubles or even a breakdown over time as they accumulate.
The result is that some impure elements will make their way into the engine and cause significant damage, which will cost you much money if the oil filter is not changed on time.
Because there is no means to monitor what is happening inside your engine, you will not be aware that something is wrong until a breakdown occurs.
Can you clean and reuse an oil filter?
Although you can clean and reuse an oil filter, cleaning the muck out of your old oil filter will not solve your problem. You would be causing damage to the filter media if you did so. This will prevent the filter from performing its function.
The paper filter material may shred and contaminate the engine. Oil filters employ a filtering material capable of trapping even the tiniest particles that are invisible to the eye.
Once the particles have become embedded in the oil filter, it is impossible to remove them altogether. You don’t want to reuse a disposable oil filter in any way, shape, or form.
How to dispose of old oil filters?
Disposal of old oil filters is not as easy as you think. It will take several steps to go through. Here I come up with some tips that will help you dispose of oil filters.
Recycling Oil Filter:
The best way to dispose of the oil filters is to go for recycling. You will find some nearby or recycle shops that will take your used oil filters and use them for the best solution. It will help you not to damage the environment.
Replacing the old oil filters:
You can do it if you want to dispose of your existing oil filter with the new one. There will be no worries. You need to change it with some precautions.
First, you cannot leave over the oil filters or any part. It will damage the environment. Moreover, you need to store the oil filter and dispose of it correctly. In that case, you can follow our tips of storing the oil filter, and do it perfectly.
Final thoughts
Oil filters expire after using them for 6000-9000 miles of driving. But the exact time will vary. The oil filter may last for several years if you are a moderate user Considering the miles. And will last for a year if you heavily use the car daily. But once the filter expires, you must replace it.
I am an automotive enthusiast and have been interested in cars since I was a little kid. I have worked in the automotive industry for many years and have extensive knowledge of vehicles and their engines. I am a father of two and I love spending time with my family.
Read more about the author here.