What an Oil Filter is and Why Your VW Needs a Good One

As oil runs through your engine, dirt and metal particles contaminate your oil. These contaminants degrade the quality of your oil and reduce its efficiency. As a result, the engine isn’t as well-lubricated as it should be. This causes premature wear. To maximize the longevity of your engine, it has an oil filter.

What Does an Oil Filter Do?

Before the oil makes it to the engine from the oil pan, it runs through the oil filter. The filter traps the debris inside the oil before passing the oil along to the engine. By keeping the oil clean, the filter helps keep the engine in good condition.

How Often Should You Replace Your Oil Filter?

It’s recommended to change your oil filter every time you have your oil changed. If you reuse a filter, the risk that it may clog grows. Twenty or thirty years ago, manufacturers recommended changing the oil every 3000 miles. Back then, you could get away with changing the filter with every other filter change. Now, many vehicles have a 7500 mile or more change interval. Changing the filter every other time would mean that it has to last for 15,000 miles. That is just too long for most filters.

Why Quality Matters

The oil filter plays a big part in how long your engine will last. That’s why it’s important to use a high-quality oil filter that’s designed specifically for your engine.

The most common oil filter design is the spin-on type. It’s a tube-shaped metal container with a pleated filter inside. The oil enters at the perimeter of the container and passes through the filter, where the debris is trapped. Next, the clean oil exits out the center of the filter and moves along to the engine.

When an oil filter becomes clogged, it lets all the dirty oil pass through without filtering any of it. The filter is designed to let this happen because it’s better to send dirty oil to the engine than to deprive the engine of any oil at all.

The likelihood of your oil filter either failing or clogging up early is higher with a cheap aftermarket oil filter. If you want a reliable oil filter that lasts as long as possible, buy an OEM oil filter designed specifically for your Volkswagen.

At RealVolkswagenParts.com, you can find genuine OEM oil filters for many different Volkswagen models at wholesale pricing. Look up your Volkswagen model here to see if we have the right OEM oil filter for your car.