The oil filter is responsible for the purity of the engine oil. It removes carbon deposits, oil coal, soot and metal particles. This is particularly important because:
- In the worst-case scenario dirty engine oil can damage the engine
- The engine oil circulates continuously in the oil circuit. This allows dirt particles to accumulate and accelerates wear on the engine
- Even the smallest impurities can act like sandpaper and damage mechanical parts in the engine
- Dirty oil can also damage the bearings
There are a few things to note about the use of the oil filter:
- The filter and oil must always be changed at the same time. Otherwise the fresh oil can release the filtered dirt again
- The pressure in the filter can rise too sharply if its capacity is exhausted. This can even cause the filter to burst
- In older models the oil filter resembles a tin can that contains a filter element and in this case, the entire unit has to be replaced. Models produced since 2005 have a fixed filter housing, so only the filter insert has to be replaced