Q for those who use OEM airfilters, not K&N

[302Xplorer]

What is your method for determining when to replace one? I know to do it when they look dirty, but is there a time frame?

 

[Bills98Explorer]

What is your method for determining when to replace one? I know to do it when they look dirty, but is there a time frame?

Till I get the open air set up on,about every 3 months.

 

[dman726749]

every other oil change

 

[ExplorerDMB]

There's a lot of different intervals out there for air filters. A lot of things play a roll - weather, dust, area, conditions, etc. etc. At work, when I open an air box and I take the filter out and look down it on the "finned" side, I look inbetween the fins. If inbetween there they are pretty crowded up with dirt crap and blah blah, I replace it. I've heard every 10,000 miles.

-Drew

 

[blast7]

I believe most manufacturer's suggest every 30,000 miles but I choose to do mine at least every year.

 

[Jason94sport]

I only replace it if it's tore, or really gunked up. I run compressed air on it & that blows away most if not all the dirt. Then reuse. This is on family cars. I have a CAI on my cars.

 

[jtf_explorer]

I would recomend running compreesed air through it in the reverse way air usualy goes through every oil change, but not at enough pressure to break apart the paper filter. As for replacing, I take a light bulb and hold behind it and depending on how much light you see coming through, depends on how much air can get through. Try it on a new one so you will have something to compare your used one to. If you see that it is prtty blocked replace it, better gas mileage will pay for te filter, especially with gas prices

 

[ExplorerDMB]

This really isn't about our type of filter systems, but some Fords and a lot of GMs have the little "filter indicatior" thing; do NOT trust this thing. A guy at work looked at it and said "yeah it's good". Well, a few weeks later he was doing some A/C service to the same vehicle and he had to take the air box out of the way, he opened it up and the filters were like black and had all types of stuff in it. Just a little tip.

-Drew