6 Signs You Need To Change Oil Filter of your car

Maximize Engine Life and Change Oil Filter Before It's Too Late: 6 Warning Signs for Car Owners

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The oil filter is responsible to keep dirt and contamination with external dust and materials away from your engine oil.

The oil filter ensures that the engine oil is clean. It is obvious that the cleaner your engine oil is, the better performance of your car.

As the oil filter works on cleaning the lubricating oil for your engine, it accumulates dust and dirt, and other impurities, which makes it less efficient.

So, it is essential that you keep a check for some signs that mean you should immediately check/replace the oil filter for your car.

Before we dive into the signs, let us discuss the risk involved in ignoring the change of oil filter.

What happens if you don’t change your car’s oil filter in the due time?

It just means that you’re taking a big risk with your car. If your oil filter is clogged, this will impair the functioning of engine oil. And, engine oil or engine lubricant does not get to function as it should. This could damage your engine, costing you a lot more than what it would cost in replacing the oil filter.

It is highly recommended that you use good quality engine oil for your car.

Let us now discuss the signs of clogged oil filters or signs that tell you to change your old filter.

Read more about Oil Filter: The Ultimate Guide To Car Spare Parts

Signs you should change your oil filter

1. Slowing down in acceleration

Slow car acceleration due to oil filter problem

If your car is not accelerating as it normally does, this is the first sign there is some kind of problem with your engine. And, mostly it has to do with some dirt accumulating in your engine oil. This is a common red flag that you need to check the oil filter.

2. Check the exhaust

Dark exhaust fumes due to oil filter problem

Dirty exhaust fumes are a clear sign that your vehicle needs to be checked immediately. Well, it could be said that the vehicle exhaust is supposed to be dirty, that’s just obvious. We don’t argue with that, But when the exhaust fumes get darker than normal, it is a sign of not just oil filter problems but other problems as well.

3. Oil pressure gauge

Oil pressure low due to oil filter problem

If your engine oil and oil filter are performing well the oil pressure gauge is constant. An immediate and steep drop in the oil pressure gauge is a sign that the oil filter must be changed.

4. Engine Overheating

Engine overheating due to oil filter problem

When the oil filter gets dirty and clogged this reduces the lubrication in the engine, which increases the friction in the mechanical movements in the engine. This results in Engine overheating. So if your engine is overheating, this is a sign to get your car checked.

5. Metallic sounds

Metallic sounds in engine due to oil filter problem

As we discussed earlier, clogged oil filters will not give sufficient lubrication to the engine. And, this would create friction. This also results in metallic sounds from your engine.

6. Sputtering

Sputtering due to oil filter problem

Sputtering is when your car is not able to keep up with the speed, there could be slight and sudden reduction and back to the increased speed. This happens when the oil is clogged and there isn’t enough oil for the smooth functioning of your car.

Conclusion

It is always recommended to check your oil filter every three months if you go on long rides often. If you have low usage like 5000 Kms in 6 months, It’s fine to get it checked in six months. You don’t want these signs to show up as these are the worst-case scenarios.

Oil Filter FAQs

If you drive with a bad oil filter, your engine will not be properly lubricated and will overheat. This can damage your engine and lead to expensive repairs.

Yes! You’ll need to have the right tools on hand to remove the old filter and install the new one. Changing your oil filter is a relatively simple task that you can do yourself.

A car oil filter is used to remove impurities from the oil that circulates through the engine. Over time, the oil can become contaminated with dirt, dust, and other particles that can damage the engine. The oil filter helps to remove these impurities and keep the oil clean.

If your oil filter is clogged, you may notice some of these symptoms:

  1. Your car’s engine is not running as smoothly as it used to. 
  2. Your car’s oil level is dropping faster than usual.
  3. Your car engine is overheating in a very less time.

It’s important to have it checked out by a mechanic as soon as possible.

Where can you purchase oil filters in Dubai?

Oil filters are available at different suppliers and dealers of auto spare parts in Dubai. Noorhan is amongst the leading brands that deal with genuine auto spare parts and aftermarket parts for different car brands, including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Jeep, Ford, and other Japanese, European, American, Korean, luxury cars brand.

Other Recommendations:

Please make sure that you use an exact replacement of the oil filter in your car, if the oil filter doesn’t fit the car as it should this could cause the lead in engine oil causing further damage.