Types of Oil Filters [with Function & Complete Guide]

What are Oil Filter?

Types of Oil Filters [with Function & Complete Guide] :- The major reason for filling your engine with motor oil along with its additives is because it acts as an absorbent and holds organic contaminants like bacteria, bugs, and oxidized oil, and inorganic contaminants like metallic particles, wearing off the components of the engine, and dust. Therefore, motor oil helps to protect the engine as well as improve its efficiency and performance. However, in order to prolong the life of your vehicle’s engine as well as provide better engine performance, all car manufacturers install oil filters that constantly clean the oil inside your engine before directing it to the moving parts of the engine.

Significance of Oil filters in a Vehicle

What blood does for the human body, oil does for your vehicle. This is why oil is considered the blood of your vehicle. This oil circulates into your engine and constantly lubricates your engine’s moving parts since your vehicle’s engine is in constant friction and heat. This oil reduces the heat produced during the working of the engine and friction so that your car’s engine does not wear and tear in the long run. This oil travels through the moving parts of your vehicle’s engine does its magic.

However, this oil is not immune to contaminants and impurities. In simple words, during the working of the engine, the oil gets dirty. In order for your vehicle to run smoothly, the oil must remain free of dirt, dust, impurities, and other contaminants. Dirty and contaminated engine oil causes some issues with your engine and can have adverse effects on your car’s overall performance. This will result in permanent damage to your car.

Adverse effect of Impurities & Function of Oil Filters

In order to prevent the above problems, oil filters are installed inside your vehicle’s engine. The oil constantly circulates in your engine and can get contaminated. These contaminants will accumulate in your oil, which will affect your engine and its performance. The oil filter constantly separates and removes these contaminants and impurities from your motor oil and keeps it clean. In order for your engine to work efficiently, the oil must remain clean and free of any contaminants or impurities. Over time, the oil can get filthy and can do significant damages to your engine as well as affect its performance hence the oil must be kept clean at all times.

Types of Oil Filters

Although there are several different types of oil filters available out there in the market, all of them serve the sole purpose of cleaning engine oil and filtering out all kinds of contaminants and impurities. These oil filters constantly remove any and all kinds of impurities and will keep your oil clean while it does its job of lubricating your car’s engine. Here are some types of oil filters that you can choose from according to your vehicle’s requirements.

1. Magnetic Oil Filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

The magnetic oil filter can successfully clean out any metallic impurities and contaminants from your engine oil and is equipped with secondary support to a full-flow filter. But this magnetic oil filter is not equipped to effectively remove any non-metallic dust and filth. This magnetic oil filter does not require any replacements. It is a really good feature because it saves a lot of time as well as money. Some oil filters must be replaced over time since they will lose their quality and efficiency, but in the case of magnetic oil filters, there is no such need for replacement as it lasts longer and does need to be replaced. Magnetic filters only require regular cleaning and maintenance for their smooth functioning and operation. 

If you want to avoid replacing your oil filter every now and then, this magnetic oil filter is a perfect fit for your needs. All you need to do is make sure that you regularly clean and maintain this magnetic oil filter every once in a while.

2. Full Flow Oil Filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

The primary oil filter gets its name from the fact that this is the oil filter most vehicle manufacturers use. The primary oil filter is a full-flow oil filter, which is more valuable and works efficiently in cold temperatures. Since cold weather makes the engine oil thicker, the oil filter should not be limiting as the engine will not receive the right amount of oil to do its job of lubricating the engine’s working parts. Unlike Some oil filters that can only clean a few impurities and contaminants on the oil, this full-flow oil filter is capable of removing and filtering out all the contaminants present in your oil. This full-flow oil filter is capable of making your oil run its course freely and with no distraction, which is not the case with other oil filters.

3. Secondary Oil Filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

Some vehicle manufacturers install a secondary oil filter whose main purpose is to support the car’s full-flow filter. The secondary oil filter is actually responsible for cleaning less than ten percent of the oil being used by the vehicle’s engine. In the event where the full-flow filter might have missed some of the impurities and contaminants when it filtered the oil, the secondary oil filter works to filter some more contaminants.

Having a secondary oil filter increases your oil’s life as well as its purity and provides more protection to your engine. Since the secondary oil filter works independently from the primary oil filters, it can efficiently clean your motor oil and effectively remove any contaminants or impurities present in your motor oil. As a result, you are required to change your oil filters less frequently. You can install a secondary oil filter even if you already have a primary oil filter in your vehicle.

4. Spinner Oil Filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

This spinner oil filter is a type of secondary oil filter which uses centrifugal force to trap the contaminants and impurities present in the motor oil of your vehicle. The spinner oil filter is capable of removing even the smallest and tiniest impurities present in your car’s motor oil. The spinner oil filter is equipped to produce a force that is about is two thousand times greater. This oil filter gets its name since these oil filters use a spinning motion in order to separate out dust and other impurities. This oil filter will continuously spin in a circular motion at high speeds and trap the contaminants mixed in the engine oil.

5. Cartridge Oil Filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

This cartridge oil filter also falls in the category of full-flow oil filters. This cartridge oil filter is effortless and easy to use. Once installed in your vehicle in an upright position, there is no more need to remove the oil to inspect it. This cartridge oil filter also has no metal used in its manufacturing, which is the main reason why it is so easy to use. If you are looking for a simple oil filter that can be used effortlessly and works efficiently, you can try the cartridge oil filter.

6. Spin-On Oil filter: ( Types of Oil Filters )

Similar to the cartridge filter, the spin-on oil filter also falls under the category of full-flow oil filters. Aside from the sleet side canister, the spin-on oil filter also contains a steel canister inside. Apart from the steel canisters, the spin-on oil filter is also paired with a paper element. Since the spin-on oil filter is effortless and easy to install and use, this oil filter is very popular among those who prefer to do things independently. This spin-on oil filter is best suited for filtering out the contaminants that are mixed in with your oil.

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