Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Does the air filter minder really work?

[Tomscreek]

I have 63,000 on my truck and according to the filter minder the air filter is still 100%. I always take it out and blow it off with compressed air when I change oil. The bottom green sponge is pretty dirty looking. Should I just get a new one anyway? Probably 90% of the miles are pavement.

 

[HAnderson]

With that 63000 miles I would go for a new one Howard

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

There was information published in the magazine a while back from fleetguard I believe (I don't remember the issue #) that said the worst thing you could do was open up the airbox to check the air filter at oil changes because you compromise the seal on the filter. They said go by the filter minder, period. That being said I personally wouldn't trust the filter minder 100% because it could be defective. I would set some predetermined mileage to replace it at even if the filter minder isn't telling you to change it - like 50k for example.

 

[OTRPU]

Well, mine's worked a couple times, cept goes from 0 to 100% blink of an eye. Dam header bolts backed out again, course just dumping soot in the engine compartment. Noticed boost dropped to nothing and EGT's were goin outta sight. I had a cleaning and charging kit with me. Stopped and had a local shop clean and oil the aFe, had them screw the header bolts back in, also found the turbo hanging on by one bolt. After discovering the problem I only had to limp in for 16 miles, overnight in the truck in the guys parking lot. No appt, got me in and out only leaving $150. All said and done one of the kinder and gentler shops I've run into while loaded on the road. Filter minder ain't all that much help, first clue is seeing that the aFe is imploding and about to be sucked through the intake. Take it from me, soot in the engine compartment ain't a good thing.

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Cheers,

Steve J

 

[andrewkoperdak]

MY DC tech manuals says don't mess with the air filter until the F. minder says it is dirty... . With that said I have replaced it 4 times in 80K miles without the minder ever indicating anything. I think the Filter Minder and Forest Gump come from the same genetic stock.

 

[keimmmo]

I don't know how well yours works, but mine is WORTHLESS! I run in a lot of dusty conditions and have changed the filter half a dozen times in 70k miles. I have never seen the filter minder move... even when the filter was DIRTY!



Steve

 

[jjohn]

IMHO the only thing it's good for is plugging the hole!

.

 

[ProspectorTim]

Mine never moved the first 3 1/2 years. Now (for the last 5 or 6 months) it keeps jumping up to around 50%. I have washed & re-oiled my Amsoil air filter, replaced it with a clean spare Amsoil filter with only residual oil in it, and keep checking the air box for any kind of restriction. Everything seems fine - except the filter minder!



'99 with 115k miles, stock turbo, RV275 injectors & boost module ... shouldn't even make the filterminder move!

 

[Ncostello]

The one we have seems useless. However we have a dash mounted one on our fire engine at the VFD. It mounts in a 2" hole right next to all the other gauges. It keeps track of our huge ECCO air filter... which by the way costs $200 each and is only available from the manufacturer as its custom built for the truck.



It works great. It always registers some minor restriction and gradually shows more as time goes by like its supposed to. If you run it real hard you can see it go up a little.

 

[WyattEarp]

So thats what that little thingy ma bob is, cool I thought maybe the gov't had installed a new tracking device on my truck, no wonder it don't do anything but just set there.

Actually all kidding aside mine hasn't done much either but of course i just rolled over 88000miles today and i figure in the going on 5yrs i have had the truck I have changed filters at least 10-15 time lets see that 88000 divided by hmmmm, okay that means i have let my truck go no more than 8800miles and changed as early as 5866miles the air filter that is, to me thats more important than anything else as we all know these engines are some major air hogs.

:--) I just figured up what i have spent on air filters $330 WOW!! i guess $330 is better than $3300 for not changing my filter.

 

[obert]

For performance, the minder is crap. even when working correctly, it just lets the filter get too dirty for optimum performance. Otherwise, the intent is well, but i personally don't care for it. A paper filter, not unlike the AFE or K&N types, filters the air better the dirtier it gets (WHEN LEFT ALONE!!!). The minder is supposed to let the filter get as dirty as possible and still allow the engine to run"normal".



Steve St. Laurent, correct, don't open the air box unless you have a "reusable" filter or a new one in your hand.



but most importantly-- as a diesel mechanic, i cringe when i hear some one say they tapped out their air filter, I'm abhorred to hear about using compressed air. Even when blown from the clean side, compressed air damages ALL filters. The first time may only be at a microscopic level, but twice or more and you might as well not even use a filter. Dirt particles lodge into the media, where high speed air and vibration during use cause the dirt to erode the media around it. Only the tiniest particles work through, but those are the ones that stick to cylinder walls, suspend in oil, and destroy the engine. I had a kubota turbo diesel, that on the inside looked as though it had 12,000 hours on it. It really only had 1200 hours, and a beaten, dusty air filter. Warranty was denied and the customer had an enormous expense over an $18 air filter.



Our truck filters cost more, but it is worth it. Folks, those filters are there to protect the engine, it pays to respect them.



There's always some one on a soapbox around here, and i hate to be that guy for this thread, but in my job most of the failures i see could have been prevented, generally caused by blatant operator abuse, ignorance, and simple lack of respect for the machinery. I'd hate to see the same happen to the intelligent people of the TDR.

 

[WyattEarp]

Im with Obert on this one, like i was saying that filter is the life center of that engine, without the air it will not run, with dirty air it will run but to an early cummins death. .

 

[RSarvie]

Obert I see you have a K & N. I have the Air Charger system in mine with the cone style filter. TDR mag doesn't speak highly of K & N products, so I was thinking of switching to an AFE filter now that I have modded my 01 a bit. Since your wrenching on these things, what's your opinion of the K & N??? Would I be wasting my $$$ switching? BTW, I clean it as per the directions, no pressurized air. Thanks...

 

[Tcolesanti]

My dad installed a K&N filter on his truck when it was new. Its a '95, with the K&N, the filter minder never moved, my father being an ex truck driver just looked at the filter minder and figuered everything was fine. Last month I installed a cam plate and boost elbow, the filter minder buried itself at the stop as soon as the truck hit 30psi of boost. I took the filter out and when I inspected it I wondered how the engine was getting any air period. I swapped him for my old K&N drop in which was like brand new and it solved the problem. I ended up getting him a huge Fleetguard filter afterall.

 

[moparguy]

I agree with those folks who say don't mess with the filter if the filter minder indicates things are OK. It's surprising how dirty a filter can look on the dirty side and still flow adequate air.



Just remember, on a new filter the bigger openings in the filter media offer lower restrictions to flow, so they flow more air, dirt particles then clog these larger openings up first. As this process continues air is forced to flow through smaller and smaller openings in the filter media, giving better and better filtration.



Of course at some point the filter becomes clogged to the point that it doesn't flow sufficient air and then the filter minder is pulled down.



This is true on a stock engine, if the fuel's been turned up requiring more air, then you can likely pull the filter minder down at will on a stock filter setup. That little fact is what caused me to start looking in the Napa catalog a few years ago and find what's now known as the BHAF.

 

[DEickhoff]

Just this last weekend I replaced my air filter (Fleetguard) and boy was she dirty. The filter minder had not moved an inch. No indication it was dirty. With the clean filter installed the truck runs so much better. I for one will change the filter every 2 to 4 oil filter changes. Until I install a different air system like scotty II, K & N or aFe.



Dawna

 

[Tomscreek]

I just replaced mine and will replace it more frequently. However just because they look dirty doesn't necessarily mean that a filter is not working adequetly, I think.

 

[Joe Gerber]

Quite awhile back, at almost 70k miles, I decided to change my filter, even though the filter minder didn't indicate it. I was afraid the filter minder was defective, even though I had read that you should just let it do its job. The filter looked pretty dirty and I felt I had made a mistake by not checking it sooner. Then I slipped a hose over the filter minder, and sucked on it. The filter minder dropped down with very little sucking, and stayed down. I concluded that my filter minder worked, and that I didn't need to change the filter. But, as long as I had the new filter, I put it in. I didn't notice any change in performance or fuel economy with the new filter.



My engine is stock, so I assume a slightly dirty filter will flow enough air for it.



Joe

 

[Muleskinner]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

There was information published in the magazine a while back from fleetguard I believe (I don't remember the issue #) that said the worst thing you could do was open up the airbox to check the air filter at oil changes because you compromise the seal on the filter. They said go by the filter minder, period. That being said I personally wouldn't trust the filter minder 100% because it could be defective. I would set some predetermined mileage to replace it at even if the filter minder isn't telling you to change it - like 50k for example.

I agree. I can pull mine down after hard acceleration. I just poke it and reset it again. 60,000 miles plus on an air cleaner????????????? Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. 30,000 miles should be tops unless you are driving in a dirt proof chamber.

 

[rblomquist]

Originally posted by Tomscreek

However just because they look dirty doesn't necessarily mean that a filter is not working adequetly, I think.

Exactly. No different that saying the motor oil is bad because it's no longer clear. Fortunately for us oil analysis is reasonably priced enough that we can let science give us a real answer. Not many folks are able to test an air filter scientifically but they're so cheap we can just swap them out at designated intervals.