Unused oil filters go bad?

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I have a few oil filters that are probably a good 5-7 years old. What are your thoughts on when is a oil filter too old to use?
 
If sealed and not dented then indefinite

Just sitting a cardboard box it depends on where they were stored, I start to get wary around 10 years.

Id use them but check for rust.

UD
 
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when i asked WIX about this several years ago, they said shelf life of 5 years... after that the media and glues can start to break down.


..but they are also trying to sell new filters as well... so...
 
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Originally Posted by diyjake
Good. They are completely dry and no rust, always kept in their cardboard box.



Should be perfectly fine to use. Like anything else I think the biggest factor is where they are stored. In a cool dry place they should be fine, but if stored outside in a damp barn or shed rust might start to form.
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071

Should be perfectly fine to use. Like anything else I think the biggest factor is where they are stored. In a cool dry place they should be fine, but if stored outside in a damp barn or shed rust might start to form.

This is how I feel as well.
I have a few filters from 2013 that are in my stash, and are stored inside in a closet with minimal temp and humidity fluctuations.
At 10 years I may start to worry if they are cellulose media, but blended or synthetic media, I would not worry.
I know 53' Stude cut open some 20+ yr old Fram Tough Guard filters and they appear fine (LINK)
 
Originally Posted by UncleDave
If sealed and not dented then indefinite

Just sitting a cardboard box it depends on where they were stored, I start to get wary around 10 years.

Id use them but check for rust.

UD

I agree with you....if stored in a damp basement I might get leery after several years....if wrapped well and stored in a dry area of your home....they should be good for a long time.
I've had UOA's done using 12 year old filters and even older oil and all looked well....
 
I cut open a Mobil 1 M1-201 filter that was 10 years old and it looked great inside. Glue was still pliable and no rust. Must have been stored in a favorable environment. I always put my oil filters inside glad wrap or old plastic sheeting and put them back in the box, to protect the guts from the elements. Works great.
 
Unless you keep them in such a harsh environment where they are rusting, I wouldn't hesitate using them.
 
One of the problems I've found about buying oil filters from Rockauto....especially those on 'CLEARANCE',
is that they are old and sometimes weren't stored well. I bought some a few years ago that were very old
(like 20 years) and had visible rust. OTOH, I was lucky with the 'Champion' filters that I bought last year on
clearance...they all looked fine despite some of them being made in 2014...it's a crapshoot...
 
I bought some pureone circa2000. I cut one open and looked good. Also bought those champion filters aswell which looked fine. I think they were in closeout due to a label change. They weren't that old.
 
No they don't go bad, as long as they don't rust or get a bunch of junk in them, can be stored for years and used anytime.
 
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