The oil filter, despite being as small as a coffee mug, plays an important role as a life-blood for the engine. Located on the side of the engine block, it cleans out any large impurities in the engine oil that could have otherwise damaged the engine. Dirt, metal shavings and other large particles suspended in engine oil and left unfiltered can especially wear down engine bearings and cause low oil pressure. Over time, this could lead to major engine damage.
Modern oil filters also prolong the engine’s life by retaining a small amount of oil every time the car is turned off. It is made possible by the filter part called anti-drainback valve. When an engine is at rest, the moving parts at the top of the engine are left without lubrication as the oil drains into the bottom of the engine. But seconds after the car is started, the small amount of oil in the filter quickly restores proper lubrication into the top of the engine, preventing unnecessary wear and tear of all the parts.
The abrasive contaminants in engine oil can get the filter so clogged up that instead of cleaning the oil, dirty oil circulates again and again around the engine. A clogged filter will also create resistance to the flow of engine oil, preventing lubrication from reaching all parts of the engine. Thus, the oil filter is one of the parts that need regular maintenance and replacing. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, not every car or motor vehicle needs to have an oil change every 3,000 miles. Always check the manual to know how often the filters should be replaced and its proper size.
Types
Picking the right oil filter along with regular oil change can promote long engine life. At present, there are different types of oil filters available. The first type is the standard spin-on filter. It resembles a metal with filter media varying from cellulose to synthetic materials. It catches contaminants as oil flows through and is convenient to change. Another type is the magnetic filter which employs a permanent magnet or electromagnet to capture metallic particles. It is simply maintained by cleaning the particles off the surface of the magnet.
The third type, spinner or centrifugal filters use centrifugal force, powered by a compressed air system, to separate the contaminants from oil. Then the filter deposits it to a container, which must be periodically cleaned to prevent the unfiltered oil from circulating.
Using gravity, sedimentation filters, also known as gravity bed, separate impurities heavier than oil by allowing them to settle to the bottom of a container. Lastly, high efficiency by-pass oil filters remove very small particles that primary filters cannot remove. This type allows extended oil drain intervals and reduces engine wear.