DC Tech: Don't go by filter minder

[Crunch]

A few weeks ago I took my truck in for 40,000 mile routine maintenance. The filter minder had just started to move, and the filter still looked clean but I told them to go ahead and change it. I asked the tech about it and he said it was best to change it every 15,000-20,000 miles and to ignore the filter minder. Do they even put a filter minder on the `05s now? I was going by the look of the filter for a changing schedule, but this pretty much confirms that the filter minder, and maybe even the concept of a filter minder is worthless. BTW, I have no complaints about my 5 Star dealer service, other than the general fact that I'm dealing with a dealer. Huffines Dodge in Lewisville, TX. It may be due to there being so many Dodge dealers in the metroplex, and surrounding Hooterville towns giving each other competition. My one complaint is that they wouldn't give me a Viper as a loaner car.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Personally, I would only consider the filter minder as a crude and rough indicator of element condition - they are hardly a laboratory quality instrument to guage differential air flow/pressure...



Case in point, a pretty large number of owners of 3rd generation trucks have found their filter minders to be essentially non-functional and worthless in use as any real indication of filter element condition.

 

[JVolpe]

I installed the "Filter Minder" on my AFE air intake to plug up the hole. I check my filter every week. I push the yellow button just for grins every time I do.

 

[KCJackson]

I ignored the FM on my 96, and I'm ignoring it on my 05. I knew my air filter needed attention when I couldn't hear the Holset whistle as loud as usual.

 

[JHardwick]

Personally, I would only consider the filter minder as a crude and rough indicator of element condition - they are hardly a laboratory quality instrument to guage differential air flow/pressure...



Case in point, a pretty large number of owners of 3rd generation trucks have found their filter minders to be essentially non-functional and worthless in use as any real indication of filter element condition.

I wouldn't call it worthless. Everything is relative, if a guy were to pay attention to the minder and filter, a correlation can be made there.

 

[Donn]

I installed the "Filter Minder" on my AFE air intake to plug up the hole. I check my filter every week. I push the yellow button just for grins every time I do.

I talked to aFe and they told me that the filter minder is worthless with their system and to change it according to the reccomendations that came with the aFe intaks system. Works for me!

 

[rbattelle]

On my last filter change I went 26,600 miles because I was patiently waiting for the filter minder to move. It never did. When I finally decided to remove the filter I found it filthy on the dirty side, and dirty on the clean side. I was very disappointed. From now on I'll be changing every 15k.



-Ryan

 

[BHolm]

Yes the '05s still have them and mine works! It might help that my truck see's some extended pulling up the grades around here. It was pegged so, not trusting it, I reset it and less than a week later it was pegged again. The filter was dirty, it had 15k miles on it. Generally though I am a little skeptical of them.

 

[DocDetonancour]

In 7 K I have seen my filter minder pegged twice. Pushed the reset and it went back to bottom. Seems any high air demand will move it into the yellow? Doc

 

[2Gen3Gen]

Im ashamed to say, ive only lifted the hood on my 04. 5 3times since new in September. I have 9k on it and the dealer changes the oil every 3k with Delo. You might say Im one of those that gets a new truck once the ash tray is full but I don't smoke. Im just waiting to see what happens with the mega cab. If it is as ugly as the pictures, Ill keep this truck, unless D/C dumps the Cummins in 07 and it show's up in the Toyota.

I never thought I would see the day that I pay someone else to change my oil. Geeezzzzzz, Im getting old. :{

 

[DCaswell]

The filter minder is about as much use as boobs on a boar chicken. I suck mine down every time I tow anything.

 

[GTX]

I agree with DCaswell. Mine sucks down whenever I tow and the EGT's will climb over 1300 pre turbo very quickly and easily. Looking at changing to a BHAF.

 

[macdaddy]

Tow a big load then check it.

In 7 K I have seen my filter minder pegged twice. Pushed the reset and it went back to bottom. Seems any high air demand will move it into the yellow? Doc

Any time I towed with the stock air filter it would register a reading.



Mac

 

[BHolm]

I remain the odd man out with my filter minder. It was pegging towing a couple snowmobiles up the mountain and the dirty filter. I had a new filter installed and pulled my Bobcat back 1400 miles from MN, over several mtn passes. The filter minder hasn't moved, so mine doesn't just move when the airflow is high.

 

[CMckee]

mine works pretty good with the k&n. it doesn't start to show yellow until the filter is starting to get dirty and i have a heavy demand. then i know it's time to clean and renew it.

 

[bombero]

Look, that minder is there to tell you not to fool with the air cleaner. Once it is installed correctly, dont be taking it off and seeing what a good job its doing. There are more motors lunched by incorrectly installing a air cleaner than by any other screw up. Believe me. Been there!!

 

[Pawpaw]

Look, that minder is there to tell you not to fool with the air cleaner. Once it is installed correctly, dont be taking it off and seeing what a good job its doing. There are more motors lunched by incorrectly installing a air cleaner than by any other screw up. Believe me. Been there!!

The only problem I see with that advice is that some of us seem to have filter minders that don't work at all.



I put 15,000 miles on the factory filter and 20,000 on the Mopar replacement element. I'm now running a Cummins element, and it still hasn't moved... EVER.



If I trusted my filter minder, I have a feeling the engine would probably choke off and die before it ever moved.



Bob

 

[Eric_77]

PawPaw I drive mainly highway around here and go 25-30k before cleaning and that seems to be when it gets dirty.



If you tow heavy or use lots of turbo you move more air throught the filter getting it dirty faster (even faster if you have dirt roads you are dealing with).



So little turbo boost or towing you have not sucked that much air through filter and my feeling is fuel used would be better indicator of when to change/clean filter than miles.

 

[Crunch]

PawPaw I drive mainly highway around here and go 25-30k before cleaning and that seems to be when it gets dirty.



If you tow heavy or use lots of turbo you move more air throught the filter getting it dirty faster (even faster if you have dirt roads you are dealing with).

Same for me. Even at 40K the filter wasn't dirty, but I figured it couldn't hurt anything. I also agree that pulling it out and putting it back in (still talking air filter here) can cause dirt to slip in and screw up the engine.



In addition to the towing and turbo use, how many who have their air filter get dirty quickly are living out in the country, drive dusty roads or use their truck in construction areas with a a lot of dust? I think the environmental conditions outside the truck have as much to do with filter longevity than anything else. IN previous threadts people have also mentioned that the air filter gets more efficient with use, as the collected dirt functions as a filter it in its own right. Changing the air filter too frequently might let in smaller particles that also mess with engine longevity.

 

[Matt400]

Lets not forget that early filter minders were defective. Those would just go down with a clean filter. They just push in so if your interested pull it out and suck on the end. Sounds funny but it will give you an idea how much resistance "your" minder takes to move it.