Every 3,000 miles; make that your promise to your car, truck, or SUV. You should have oil and oil filter changed every 3,000 miles to ensure you don’t damage your engine. Why so often? Because motor oil gets dirty fast and a clogged oil filter can end your vehicle’s life. There are signs your oil filter is clogged, aside from failure to get the oil changed. Here’s what they are so you can spot them quickly.
Poor Performance
Poor performance can be any number of things and a clogged oil filter is one of them. You will notice that you press down on the accelerator and it seems as if nothing happens. Your engine will lag and not pick up the speed it usually does. This is also an indication of a clogged fuel filter, carburetor or fuel injector problems, a clogged air filter, or transmission trouble.
Engine Sputters
The oil filter cleans the oil from contaminants and then releases it into the engine so it can circulate through the moving parts to lubricate them and collect heat. If the oil filter isn’t releasing the motor oil into the engine, the parts will suffer and your engine will sputter. You will notice it sputter more the faster you go, and this problem shouldn’t be ignored because sputters cause engine damage.
Audible Metallic Noise
If your engine is not getting enough oil the parts are not properly lubricated. The result is metallic noise created by the moving parts. This is usually grinding and if you hear this noise, pull over right away, turn off the engine, and call your roadside assistance service to get towed to the auto service shop. If you allow the parts to continue to grind together, you’ll enact the engine death sentence discussed above.
Low Oil Pressure
You should never see your oil pressure gauge drop while you’re driving. If you do, you’ve got an oil problem. Oil pressure drops can be caused by a clogged filter or a serious oil leak, although leaks don’t usually just happen spontaneously. No matter the cause, if our oil pressure gauge heads downward quickly, do the above. Pull over and call for a tow to an auto shop. Don’t keep driving your vehicle.
Exhaust That Is Dirty
Finally, a clogged oil filter can affect your automobile’s exhaust. You shouldn’t see smoke coming out of your tailpipe at all, except maybe a little white smoke when it’s cold outside. If you see brown or black smoke exiting the pipe, your vehicle could be burning fuel or oil. The smell of burning oil is strong, so you might know right away that the exhaust is being caused by a clogged oil filter.
Don’t drive with a clogged oil filter. Come to Demore’s Automotive to have your oil and filter changed today.
