The buying a used car blues..

[JTK]

I checked the engine air filter on the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder I purchased used with ~23K miles on it a little over a week ago. Of course the vehicle had been "completely gone over" by the dealer. Oil changed, everything checked, etc. Here's what I found:

Immediately ran over to Napa and grabbed a ProSelect and replaced it. The clean air side of the housing and plumbing looked clean, but still. Who knows how long it had been sucking in unfiltered air because someone got lazy checking this filter and smashed it on upon install. There were a few Valvoline instant oil change records on the carfax. It may have happened there. Who knows. It appeared to be the OEM Nissan filter.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I'm surprised a 2019 with only 23k wouldn't still have the factory air filter

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
I'm surprised a 2019 with only 23k wouldn't still have the factory air filter

It was a Nissan filter in there and because of the lack of cleanliness of it, I have to assume it was the OEM.

 

[Sayjac]

So what's your assessment of what caused the collapse of the filter on the one side? Even at 23k mi. I don't believe it should look like that. If filter to blame, so much for oem being all that. Another possible reason, folks "checking" the AF at VIOC like they do, not properly reseating/resealing the filter in filter box.

As for what it may have done, water under bridge. Doubtful anything significant done. But understand the concern.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Sayjac
So what's your assessment of what caused the collapse of the filter on the one side?


The air cleaner box is a little fiddly to deal with, so I could see someone carelessly trying to cram the filter element in there and not watching what's happening towards the rear of the box. If I hadn't completely removed the filter I wouldn't have known the rear of it was crushed.

 

[Sayjac]

Ok, that makes sense. Generally speaking 23k miles on an AF not outside many/most reasonable service intervals, ime.

 

[28oz]

Many years ago, I picked up a "Certified Used" 2001 Honda Odyssey from a Honda dealer. After a month or so, I decided to check the air filter. There wasn't one. I don't know how you completely forget to put a filter in?

At least yours HAD a filter!

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted by 28oz
Many years ago, I picked up a "Certified Used" 2001 Honda Odyssey from a Honda dealer. After a month or so, I decided to check the air filter. There wasn't one. I don't know how you completely forget to put a filter in?

At least yours HAD a filter!


Here's an even better one - had to take the Dakota to the dealer for some work and when I left I noticed the engine sounded very loud. Pulled over and popped the hood and the entire intake plumbing from the box to the throttle-body was left off.

 

[supton]

Ya know, you open the air filter housing, and you run the risk of damaging the filter. But sometimes you have to look. Not that long ago it was time to replace a filter on one car; I had to empty out someone's nest. This bothered me and so I checked all vehicles for intruders. Found one air filter with hole chewed through it...

Who knows how long it had been like that.

 

[28oz]

Originally Posted by opus1
Originally Posted by 28oz
Many years ago, I picked up a "Certified Used" 2001 Honda Odyssey from a Honda dealer. After a month or so, I decided to check the air filter. There wasn't one. I don't know how you completely forget to put a filter in?

At least yours HAD a filter!


Here's an even better one - had to take the Dakota to the dealer for some work and when I left I noticed the engine sounded very loud. Pulled over and popped the hood and the entire intake plumbing from the box to the throttle-body was left off.

Wow!

 

[JTK]

I've had similar things before and you'd think I learned my lesson and would check this before I left the lot.

I had bought a used 2005 Trailblazer with ~18K miles on it in 2006 from a local chevy dealer. If I remember right, it was an ex-rental out of Virginia. The air cleaner box and OEM air filter was packed with sand.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by opus1
Originally Posted by 28oz
Many years ago, I picked up a "Certified Used" 2001 Honda Odyssey from a Honda dealer. After a month or so, I decided to check the air filter. There wasn't one. I don't know how you completely forget to put a filter in?

At least yours HAD a filter!


Here's an even better one - had to take the Dakota to the dealer for some work and when I left I noticed the engine sounded very loud. Pulled over and popped the hood and the entire intake plumbing from the box to the throttle-body was left off.

Yeah, same thing happened to me at a Ford dealer. Had some work done and it was loud afterwards. I complained to the dealer and they said they checked it and it was fine. Went on a trip and found the whole air cleaner assembly in the trunk. They never checked it.

 

[Dave9]

Most likely, it was taken to a quick oil & lube place, then the minion there pulled it out to show the customer, who declined to buy their overpriced generic filter, so the lube tech crammed it back in without a care what he was doing... which is why nobody touches my vehicles if I can help it. Sometimes they even break the filter housing latch mounts off and you need a whole new housing (or ghetto rig something to clamp it down), making that oil change cost $150 more if you're not savvy enough to pull one out of a junkyard vehicle.

 

[JTK]

^ For sure on that Dave. The reason I've been my own fluid and lube tech forever.

I was getting so p-d off at the 3hr process of 'taking delivery' of this vehicle at the packed dealership that the general manager apologized to me and gave me a free oil change coupon. I immediately gave the coupon to my FIL who used them for OCs.

 

[ecotourist]

Had something similar happen on one of my first car purchases. Shortly after I got the car (a '65 Comet with a 289 V8) home I checked the air filter. Fortunately I took the whole assembly off and found that the gasket that sat between the air filter housing and the carburettor was out of place. There was even a bit of grit on top of the carburettor. Who knows how long it had been like that.

Bought the car with less than 40,000 miles. I don't know if that was the cause, but that engine began to use oil and was smoking like a madman at 85,000 miles.

But that was on the dusty prairies. Your outcome may be better.

 

[GZRider]

I'd also think one of the instant change place may have damaged that filter while removing it in order to sell a overpriced replacement. Nissan specs a long air filter interval on the VQ's, up to 40,000 miles (OEM filter) in some cases. The engine should be just fine, VQ's are pretty solid engines, look at some of the ebay intakes people run on their Nissans just sucking in unfiltered air from leaks in the bends and welds or just a lack of hose clamp to hold the elbow securely to the tubing and filter housing. Change the oil too if you are really concerned.

 

[Mr Nice]

It sucks, luckily you caught it now verses 60K miles.

 

[NissanMaxima]

That's terrible but good you checked. Did you complain to the dealer and show them the filter? Maybe you could get some concessions like some free oil filters or the like. Perhaps a less than stellar Google, Yelp or Dealerrater.com review?

 

[69GTX]

Stuff happens. But you should be fine now that you have gone through the car. You'll get a long life on your new vehicle.

I've bought used cars and missed important stuff. In one case the seller told me the AC wasn't working because it was too cold out and automatic "shut off" was keeping it from running. A few months later I' under the car looking at things more closely and realize half the AC system is missing....lol. So much for my skills 25 yrs ago. I drove that car w/o AC until it died around 100,000 miles and 5 years later. Turned out to be a not so bad little car.