Both my vehicles have vertical filters. I have always pre-filled the filter with oil. I don't even think about it. Does it make a big difference? Probably no, but I will continue to do it anyway. Old habits die hard.
Do you pre-fill the filter with oil during OC?
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Prefill shortens the time for oil pressure to come up. That has to help the bearings. Is it significant? Probably not over the life of the car.
Most dealers, quick lubes and independent garages do not pre-fill oil filter, they do a vast majority of all oil changes. Very small percentage of oil change is done by DIY, of those DIY only a small percentage pre-fill oil filter. I never hear of engine damage because of no pre-fill oil filter.
I'm sort of chuckling at using what "qucik lube" places do as the standard of whether to prefill a filter or not. Their standards are obviously different than mine, and I would hardly judge their methods as the 'correct' way.
I prefill the filter to reduce dry start effect after OC. An adbv is designed to help reduce dry start, and most like to have one that functions properly for that reason. So why, 'if practicable', would I not prefill for the same reason? Even if it is for just one start after each oc.
True, it likely doesn't make a big differnce over the life of the car. That said, it's one of the advantages of diy, doing it your way for whatever reason. Quite frankly, couldn't care less as reference, whether quick lube places or even the dealer does it or not.
fwiw, had my harley 5k service done last week and the mech prefilled the filter, not at my suggestion.
I prefill the filter to reduce dry start effect after OC. An adbv is designed to help reduce dry start, and most like to have one that functions properly for that reason. So why, 'if practicable', would I not prefill for the same reason? Even if it is for just one start after each oc.
True, it likely doesn't make a big differnce over the life of the car. That said, it's one of the advantages of diy, doing it your way for whatever reason. Quite frankly, couldn't care less as reference, whether quick lube places or even the dealer does it or not.
fwiw, had my harley 5k service done last week and the mech prefilled the filter, not at my suggestion.
Easy enough to prefill for most filters, so may as well. Nice about the Harley shop. I wonder if Mercedes and other high end car dealerships prefill?
It's not possible to pre-fill cartridge oil filter in a Mercedes, because it's mounted on top of the engine.
I used to but haven't the last couple times. After reading another of these threads that talked about that oil being unfiltered and the fact that a lot of cartridge styles (my Ecotec) not really being able to be pre-filled, I tried it on the G6. Haven't noticed any difference in noise at that first start and oil pressure light still goes off after the start-up light show.
It depends how bad of a headache I have.
An engine can run quite a long time with out oil. There is oil on all the parts.
Originally Posted By: Steve S
An engine can run quite a long time with out oil. There is oil on all the parts.
I agree. There is a small window of time, and if the pump starts pumping within a minute or so, there is no harm done.
An engine can run quite a long time with out oil. There is oil on all the parts.
I agree. There is a small window of time, and if the pump starts pumping within a minute or so, there is no harm done.
Pre-fill fuel filters whenever possible for sure, if not then prime the fuel system 6+ times or you'll have issues.
Oil Filter? The oil has to fill that thing up almost instantaneously doesn't it? Since an engine pumps oil at such a quick rate to get it to the places it needs most. Maybe creating a .5-1 second delay by not having it pre-filled at most.
Oil Filter? The oil has to fill that thing up almost instantaneously doesn't it? Since an engine pumps oil at such a quick rate to get it to the places it needs most. Maybe creating a .5-1 second delay by not having it pre-filled at most.
If the location and position of the filter allows for pre-filling it I do. If I buy a car that has a cartridge filter or has a filter mounted in a position that would cause oil to spill out if it was pre-filled then I won't pre-fill it. I see no downside to pre-filling a filter.
The Tacoma I can't because it angles downward and the Jetta for some reason I can't prefill the filter. Both don't have issues to date.
Other than taking a ~minute extra time there is no "downside" to OF prefill. But, now that I own a cartridge filter application vehicle, won't be able to on that car. However, I'll continue to do it on the other vehicles I service.
Originally Posted By: Steve S
An engine can run quite a long time with out oil. There is oil on all the parts.
How about draining your oil out, run your engine quite a long time, and test your theory on your engine first.
A lot here must have nice new cars with tight bearings. My Ford would knock knock knock at each oil change startup until pressure built. That's the power of an oil film. I would say prefilling a filter takes two knocks away out of three.
The question was do you prefill your oil filter, not does your car have an oil filter that can be prefilled. The question sort of assumes the filter is prefillable.
An engine can run quite a long time with out oil. There is oil on all the parts.
How about draining your oil out, run your engine quite a long time, and test your theory on your engine first.
A lot here must have nice new cars with tight bearings. My Ford would knock knock knock at each oil change startup until pressure built. That's the power of an oil film. I would say prefilling a filter takes two knocks away out of three.
The question was do you prefill your oil filter, not does your car have an oil filter that can be prefilled. The question sort of assumes the filter is prefillable.
I always do on my own cars, and usually do it on customers cars when I work in the express lube, if the filter is facing upwards. At least if the customer seems to give a [censored] about the car, or if the car is neglected and needs all the help it can get.
prefill the oil filter when you can it does make a difference in the long run
I have always filled up the filter most of the way to the top. I worked at a mr lube for a couple months to help out a friend and they had a very good routine and actually I would trust that place with any car I own or will own if I didnt change my own oil. I do reccomend others. They would take the filter off first just in case you could not get it off and the oil would be drained already. Then the would wipe off the baseplate and chech for a gasket and make sure the spinde was tight. The filters would only be filled if the engine had a turbo and the gasket would be lubed with fresh oil and installed hand tight. they hardly ever had a problem and if they did it was a human mistake not from routine or practice.
I fill horizontal filters half full vertical ones around 3/4 and if I changed a upside down one i would put enough in to just soak the element. They are on some tacoma pickups.
I fill horizontal filters half full vertical ones around 3/4 and if I changed a upside down one i would put enough in to just soak the element. They are on some tacoma pickups.
yes I do.
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