Oil Filter

In the summertime, many of us can be found at the pool on a hot sunny day. Nothing beats the cool, clean and refreshing water that runs like silk over our skin.

Alternatively, many of us would be hard pressed to consider swimming in any pool – perhaps even our own, should a storm blow in leaves, sticks or other debris that would take away from an otherwise, refreshing experience.

It follows that without pool filters, skimmers, nets and a saline or chlorine system – cleaning the water within the pool would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to say the least.

Oil filters work in much the same way to refine and maintain purity of the motor oil so that it can do its job lubricating and removing contaminates in the engine. As an engine runs, dirt and other debris collect together with the oil.

Fully functioning oil filters catch these particulates that - when combined with oil - form clumps or blobs of oil, and can build up a “sludge- like” consistency. Over time however, this build-up can have several effects on the engine: the purity of that oil becomes more degraded than oil passing through a newly installed oil filter, or the degree of the build-up prevents the required amount of oil from getting into the engine.

Replacing the oil filter at a minimum of every 3 months or 3,000 miles is essential to prevent dirty oil from circulating through your vehicle’s engine. Most modern vehicles can have even longer oil change intervals, but this is dependent on the manufacturer recommendations for type and grade of oil that the vehicle needs to perform efficiently.

Today, many motorists are opting for synthetic oil in their vehicles to provided further engine protection and increase the time between oil change intervals. Keep in mind however that you’ll need to have an oil filter with a higher capacity to process it.

It’s important to speak with your NAPA Service Advisor about which grade and interval schedule is best for your vehicle. They’ll get you squared away so that your engine feels as good as you do when swimming in a clean, refreshing pool on a hot summer day.

Posted September 17th, 2015