Air filter monitor

[dieselpilot]

I know this reads like a diesel tech 101 questions but is the air filter monitor a reliable means of determining the time to change the air filter or do you guys just change it out in a preventative maintenance fashion. Like every second oil change?

Also, and this is going to sound a bit naive, but at which end does the red indicator have to be at when it's time to change the filter, the firewall or the air filter housing itself. I've looked in the manual and it isn't very clear.

The reason I ask is that when I shut down I hear the air filter housing sucking air for several seconds after shutdown, or at least it sounds like it's coming from the air filter housing. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner running down after it's shut off.

Thanks for helping me out, again.
Bryan

 

[FTG-05]

Bump cause I want to know too.

Al

 

[DaveBen]

The monitor is a toy and has nothing to do with real world monitoring. I use miles and time to determine when to change my air filter. Don't rely on the monitor. I don't think I have seen mine move at all.

Dave

 

[BamaSixGun]

The monitor is a toy and has nothing to do with real world monitoring. I use miles and time to determine when to change my air filter. Don't rely on the monitor. I don't think I have seen mine move at all.

Dave

mine shattered to bits once over in GA, have no idea why.

the filter light did come on, put a new back in, the light went away.

 

[zr1pete]

My power went in the old toilet and found that the air filter was full of sand.
now you have to understand around here it's the land of over filled dump trucks and they spill sand all over the roadway (Land Developers) that's why the filter was full and BTW it did it's job too. The motor was starving for air and the filter minder never moved a bit.

 

[Scot]

My thinking is this (& I have many critics ) The filter minders have been on semis and commercial equipment for years and have worked fine. A visibly dirty filter does not mean a clogged filter or that the filtration is not working.

My minder on the 03 was slowly moving until 60K when I hit a blizzard and clogged it with snow. Dash light came on and I pulled over and waited for the engine heat to melt the snow. After reset the minder returned to about 25% restriction. The filter was finally changed at 70K when the dealer pulled the motor for oil leaks. At 70K the restriction had moved up to 50%ish.

The monitor is a toy and has nothing to do with real world monitoring. I use miles and time to determine when to change my air filter. Don't rely on the monitor. I don't think I have seen mine move at all.

If you have not seen your minder move chances are you don't have enough of an air flow restriction. Just because you have driven 50-100-150K miles does not automatically mean your intake has injested enough dust to reduce the air flow.

I don't wait for the light to come on with mine but I would also never spend the time & money on every other oil change. When my 06 gets over 50% I'll do it (could be 50K could be 150K I'm not in a dusty area so who knows). The 03 will never be changed by me again cuz I'm just waiting to sell it.

 

[FTG-05]

Ok, so unless you're using your PSD as a bulldozer, the need to change the air filter isn't a 15K mile think like the fuel filters.

What mileage are you guys using if you don't use the filter minder?

Thanks,

Al

 

[DaveBen]

25k to 30K miles.

Dave

 

[patrickc]

I clean my K&N cold air intake filter every 2nd or 3rd oil change. (10-12K)
My stock air cleaner I changed about every 20K. Mind you that is driving in dusty conditions. (construction sites)

 

[bendog]

I suspect the sucking sound you are hearing is turbo boost draining down. I just changed my air filter for the first time at 44K, it looked like it would have gone another 44K. The filter minder will be closer to the filter when indicated to change.