(posted this in the 308 section as well) I have read that you should change your oil filter every time you change your oil; not unlike what happens when a plebeian takes his car to Jiffy Lube. What happens when you change your oil more frequently than what is suggested? Keep the filter in and swap it out on the next change? It's my understanding that the filter works better after some use than brand new, out of the box, voiding any need to change it at EVERY oil change IF you are changing your oil sooner than recommended. True? False? Change it every time?
I change my filter with each change of oil at a 3000 mile intervals or 1 track weekend, whichever comes first.
Why would a dirty filter work better than a clean filter? Why would anyone pour $100 of new oil into a system and contaminate it because you don't want to spend another $30-50 on a new filter(s)? I change my oil and filters on my Ferrari once a year, which is about 3,000 miles. On my other vehicles, I changed the oil and filter every 5,000. I sold my 1991 BMW with 225,000 miles and my 1999 Dodge with 232,000 miles and both were running strong. Since my newer cars run synthetic, I have reduced the interval to 7,500 miles. I'll be sure to report my experiences.
Good price on the Baldwin that I thought I'd pass on...I ordered a couple this morning, for the 308. http://www.baldwinfiltersrus.com/baldwin_filters/part_lookup/B253/
Filters and oil are cheap. Engine jobs are expensive. I have 4 exotics,oil and filter yearly on all regardless of miles.Just my 2cents,but so far in the last 30 years no major engine issues. So why change?
I had a long conversation with Porsche a few years back when I was working on a project they had interest in... The lead engineer & I had a chance to talk about filter changes etc for the project (Porsche) and he says "...Michael... You Americans change zee oil filter much too often. Changezit every other interval..." Your mileage may vary.
A dirty filter actually filters down to a smaller particulate size than a new one. As particles become entrapped in the element then, only smaller sizes are allowed through the element. The flip side to this is there is a greater pressure drop with a used/clogged filter. There is a fine line that each one has to decide what is best for their car. With that said...I change mine once a year with filter. I have been using synthetic for about 5 years now. I put about 1500 miles on it a year (if I'm lucky, I need to drive it more).
I have used a System 1 brand oil filter on several Ferraris over the years. This is a multiple screen/mesh type of filter and the element is removable and can be inspected, cleaned and reused. In all the years of removing and inspecting/cleaning this type of filter I have never had to clean any significant debris from the element. I would say if you are changing your oil at regular intervals(ie; long as you are not draining molasses) it is a waste of time and money to change the filter every time you change the oil. On my BMW you can drain the filter element without removing the canister that houses it and that is what I do, drain the canister and change the filter every other oil change.
My understanding of the filter's value is in filtering the small particles of dirt and other debris from the oil. Most are too small to see. These small particles can be abrasive to the metal surfaces and cause accelerated wear and scoring of the moving surfaces ultimately leading to engine failure. The debris is more from corrosion products and dirt rather than metal bits, but you can still have these. Corrosion is a main concern with today's modern engines because they are higher efficiency and do not heat up as fast especially when people drive short distances (less than 10 miles). Moisture can build up in the crankcase and you have water, metal and oxygen all together which leads to corrosion.
I believe I read in Road and Track that with synthetic oils you could reasonably leave the oil and change only the filter if you have to choose one or the other. I only drive my collector cars about 250 miles a year and have begun changing oil and filter every 2 years. When I drive them I do so until the oil is fully warm long enough to boil out the water molecules and in So California the humidity is usually low when the car is sitting. Oil can't be used up in 250 miles.
No one wants a dirty /clogged filter. Still, it takes time/mileage to clog one. I have a bunch of cars- I go 1 yr and change both oil/filter at that time. I dont drive many miles for that matter. The 3000 mile oil change mantra has been debunked years ago.
