Can I Change My Oil Filter Without Changing My Oil?

Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Leepu Da Maxim

Yes, you can change the oil filter without changing the oil. However, from my years of experience working with cars and other vehicles, you should change both the oil and oil filter at the same time. This is because fresh oil and a new filter will work together more effectively.

Key Takeaways

• The oil filter is responsible for removing contaminants from the oil so it is very common for an oil filter to become clogged with dirt, grime, and other contaminants
• If you change the oil filter but not the oil then the dirty oil will work with the oil filter but it will reduce the lifespan of the filter
• If you have an older vehicle with high mileage then you should change both the oil and the oil filter at the same time for better result
• If you don’t change the oil then the new oil filter may struggle to filter the old thicker, dirty oil

DIY Oil Filter Change – Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Lower cost of money since it does not pay for labor Less time is required to perform the entire procedure It’s easier to choose the best oil for your vehicle	Some basic tools are required Tracking oil changes is more difficult Some technical knowledge is necessary to avoid errors

Do You Need To Change The Oil Filter Every Time You Change The Oil?

Generally, the vast majority of vehicle and car manufacturers recommend changing the oil next to the oil filters. Each of these components can provide a certain performance and therefore suffer some wear.

So, a vehicle will perform better when both changes are made. In turn, manufacturers indicate that an oil and filter change should be made every few years.

Here the person can choose to make these changes approximately every 3 months. It may also be advisable to perform these changes on a vehicle every 3,000 miles.

This can be much more useful for those people who don’t use a car much. So, in only 3 months these types of vehicles may not even get half this amount of distance.

On top of that, a vehicle that is used every day for work probably does not need three months to reach 3000 miles. Here the operation is much more intense and this amount of miles can likely be achieved in much less time. 

That’s why this type of vehicle will need much more frequent oil and filter changes. In other words, this is an excellent way to avoid various types of damage to a vehicle.

Is It Ok To Use An Oil Filter Twice?

If your vehicle’s oil filters are of high quality, then it is recommended to use these components about twice. However, in this case, synthetic or low-quality oils are not recommended.

If this is the case, then it is not recommended to use the same oil filter twice. Otherwise, the vehicle will not be able to provide the best performance.

Especially when using synthetic or poor quality oils the service life of the oil filters is considerably shortened. So here you have the option of using a high-quality oil.

You should even choose this type of oil for the first and second time. On the other hand, if you decide to use synthetic oils then you should also change the oil filter every time.

Even some synthetic oils are so poorly recommended that they may interfere with the proper functioning of the vehicle. These types of oils can allow for much faster oil filter wear.

If improper use of the vehicle is also a factor, then the oil filter should be changed early. This way, the person will only spend more money on poor-quality oils and oil filters. 

How Many Thousands Can An Oil Filter Last?

Generally, there is no one exact point that any type of vehicle needs to consider. For one thing, vehicle manufacturers may recommend that oil and oil filters be changed every 3000 miles.

This makes it much easier to obtain the highest functionality in combination with pure, clean oil. However, some people choose to wait a little longer before making all these changes.

Generally, most recommendations are between 5000 miles and could go as high as 7500 miles. This may be more than enough distance for new oil filters and high-quality oil.

Another important factor is how often a vehicle is operated. Especially vehicles that are not used frequently do not need very frequent changes.

So people who do not use a vehicle every day do not need to wait a short time for an oil change. Some people take more than 3 months to get 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 miles.

In turn, waiting longer before making these changes can be beneficial. This way, people will have a bigger budget for the next change. Also, your vehicle will be able to run better with high-quality oil, along with a new oil filter.

How Do You Drain An Oil Filter?

To begin with, you will need to have some kind of tool such as a screwdriver. The important thing here is that you make a hole in the filter dome.

To do a good job you should make sure that this hole is made right at the end of the dome. Once you do this you can then flip the filter so that all the oil drains out. You will need to prepare some sort of device to avoid getting oil all over the place.

So prepare a drain pan or container large enough to hold all the oil. Also, the room temperature should be above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is recommended that you allow at least 12 hours for all the oil to drain from the filter. This is simply a matter of waiting long enough, as oil residue may remain inside the vehicle.

After sufficient time has passed you can add a new oil and oil filter. The vehicle will then have a purer and cleaner functionality from that moment on.

Besides, it is advisable to add new, high-quality oil here. When you add synthetic oil or oil of poor quality, the service life of the oil filter is considerably shortened. Therefore, although you will spend less money on oil, the wear and tear on many vehicle components will increase considerably. 

How Do I Know If My Oil Filter Is Bad?

In general, a vehicle’s exhaust system may be releasing too many dirty, black, and toxic components. One of the main reasons for this could be a significant blockage in the oil filter.

So you need to take the proper steps to prevent the situation in your vehicle from getting worse. This would only lead to more clogging and failure of other vehicle components. 

You may even notice a funny smell of burning oil in the exhaust pipe. The least you need to do here is clean all of the interior components of the vehicle.

To begin with, both the oil filter must be changed and a new oil must be used for your vehicle. In this way, you will prevent other key parts of the car from starting to fail from that moment on.

Also, all vehicles need an oil and oil filter change from time to time. A common distance to consider is the 5,000 miles a vehicle can travel.

So if a vehicle has traveled 5000 miles since its last oil change then you should perform this procedure again. For vehicles that are used daily for a particular job, a three-month interval is required for each oil change. 

What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Oil?

Just like any other vehicle component, oil and oil filters have a certain life span. This means that each of these components needs to be changed every few months or miles.

In general, people prefer to have an oil change every 5,000 miles or so. Some people even prefer to change their oil every 7500 miles.

When a person does not make these changes on time, then the engine may begin to fail and malfunction. One of the most common consequences is that the engine becomes too hot during use.

Of course, this is not recommended at all as it damages other components of the vehicle. In turn, the engine will begin to run at a lower level of efficiency as time passes.

Here, it is necessary to take into account that the components of the vehicle are made of different types of metals. So, when these metals are exposed to a high temperature they can be deformed in a much simpler way.

This will undoubtedly generate a great deal of wear that will continue to worsen the operation of the vehicle. In other words, you will spend much more money on all engine repairs. That’s why it’s highly recommended that you have your oil and oil filter changed at the appropriate time. 

How Often Do You Change The Oil Filter With Synthetic Oil?

Today, some high-quality synthetic oils are suitable for cars. Here, you could wait between 6,000 miles and 16,000 miles to make these changes. It is also important to remember to change both the oil and the oil filter. This will allow a vehicle to have optimum functionality. 

On the other hand, when a person waits too long to make these changes to a vehicle it could be serious. Here, you may notice that the oil starts to burn and the engine becomes hotter than usual. So, it will be much more expensive to make repairs than to change the oil in time.  

References:

https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-oil-filter-without-changing-oil/102538

https://getjerry.com/questions/can-you-change-the-oil-filter-without-changing-the-oil