Protect Your Engine by Choosing the Right One.

How Do I Choose The Right Oil Filter For My Vehicle?

The greatest enemy to your engine? It’s actually tiny dirt particles, smaller than the eye can see. Dirt particles in the 10-20 micron range can do serious damage to bearings, cylinders, and other engine parts.  This is why effective oil filtration is critical. 

Particles less than ten microns can pass through the space between the shaft and the bearing. Particles between 10 and 20 micros become lodged between that space and will begin to generate heat which will cause damage to surface areas. 

A misconception in oil filters is that if there is less material inside, it does not work well. That’s not the case; not all filter material is the same. In fact, there are many forms of material in the filter marketplace. The amount of material does not always determine the efficiency or capacity of the filter. 

“Valvoline™ uses an advanced synthetic blend material, which provides excellent protection, high efficiency and greater capacity,” says Tim Latham, Product Line Manager, Global Products.  (Traditional cellulose media is not as efficient as newer synthetic-blended media.)  

Oil filters with traditional cellulose (paper) are usually lower-quality filters with larger pores and lower efficiency. They usually provide less protection for the engine. 

Oil filters with cellulose-glass-polyester-synthetic blend have microfibers that improve efficiency without sacrificing capacity. The polyester fibers provide superior durability. Overall these oil filters improve engine protection.  Oil change interval and choosing a quality oil filter is extremely important to maintaining your internal engine parts for the life of the engine.

When choosing an oil filter, always consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual for compatibility and warranty information.

Oil Filter Tip

Here are some more tips: 

• All filter manufactures have a catalog, website, or app to look up the correct filter for your vehicle.  Visit Valvoline Filters to find the right one for you,  or download the app for Iphone or Google Play – Valvoline Service Parts.

• You want to also ensure the filter is rated to last for the recommended drain interval (oil change interval) of your vehicle.  

Always check the owner’s manual for correct parts and oil change intervals for your vehicle


Don't miss out on new content

An error occurred while submitting your email address to the mailing list. Please try again or contact us for assistance.

By submitting your email address you agree to receive email information, great offers, and more from Team Valvoline.

Thanks for signing up. Set your password and start earning reward points for everything you do on the site.

You already have a Team Valvoline account. Sign in here.

Did you forget your password?


Valvoline Night School