How an oil filter works

The oil filter helps remove contaminants from your car engine’s oil that can accumulate over time as the oil keeps your engine clean.

The importance of clean motor oil is important because if the oil were left unfiltered for some time, it could become saturated with tiny, hard particles that can wear surfaces in your engine. This dirty oil can wear the oil pump’s machined components and damage the bearing surfaces in the engine.

How oil filters work outside of the filter is a metal can with a sealing gasket that allows it to be tightly held against the engine’s mating surface. The base plate of the can holds the gasket and is perforated with holes around the area just inside the gasket. A central hole is threaded to mate with the oil filter assembly on the engine block. Inside the can is the filter material, most frequently made from synthetic fiber. The engine’s oil pump moves the oil directly to the filter, where it enters from the holes in the perimeter of the base plate. The dirty oil is passed (pushed under pressure) through the filter media and back through the central hole, where it re-enters the engine.

Choosing the right oil filter housing the correct oil filter for your vehicle is of the utmost importance. Most oil filters look very similar, but small differences in the threads or gasket size can determine whether or not a particular filter will work on your vehicle. The best way to determine which one you need is by consulting your owner’s manual or by referencing a parts catalog. Using the wrong filter can cause the oil to leak out of the engine, or an ill-fitting filter could just fall off. Either of these situations could lead to serious engine damage.

You get what you pay for generally speaking, the more money you spend the better the filter is. Lower-cost oil filters can contain light-gauge metal, loose (or shredding) filter material, and poor quality gaskets that can lead to failure of the filter. Some filters may filter out smaller bits of dirt a little better, and some may last longer. So, you should research the features of each filter that fits your vehicle to determine which one best fits your needs.

Features to Consider in Good Oil Filters for Cars

The oil filter in a typical car circulates engine oil through small holes. While it does so, it removes various contaminants in oil like carbon particles and dust. Cleaning out the oil in this manner protects the engine from damage.

When choosing an oil filter, there are several factors to consider. Foremost of all, look for these:

• Compatibility—Before you consider anything else, you must consider the compatibility of the oil filter. The filter must be able to fit in the exact make and model of your car’s engine. Check with the filter manufacturer, who should provide a list or a table of compatible vehicle models and engines, and make sure your vehicle is on this list.
• Oil Type—Oil filters have media inside that takes care of the filtration of the oil. This media is not made equally for synthetic and conventional oil. Therefore, you must check whether the oil filter is compatible with the type of engine oil in your car. This information is easy to find on the label or the online product description.
• Mileage—Oil filters should be replaced or cleaned out following a certain mileage level. Most oil filters are designed to last up to 5,000 miles. High-performance oil filters can last from 6,000 to 20,000 miles. You might want to consider this mileage level when buying an oil filter because you will have to be vigilant about when to replace or change it.

At Just7, We believe that time is money. Our Oil changes are fast and reliable to suit your time.

We offer Conventional, Semi-Synthetic, Full synthetic oils with most common weights from different oil brands such as Pennzoil, Mobile1, and others. Our technicians will always provide you with the information about the recommended oil for your car and pricing to maintain the health of your engine and extends the life of your car.