How to Find the Oil Filter That Fits Your Car

Your furnace filter lets air through while trapping dust. A water filter in your kitchen allows water through while catching impurities you’d rather not drink.

An oil filter serves the same function for the oil in your engine: it collects debris such as dust, sludge, bits of carbon, metal dust, and even tiny insects that may have found their way into your engine. The oil then circulates back to the engine block to lubricate all its moving parts.

Automotive terms can be confusing. Two terms can refer to the same component, like transmission fluid and transmission oil. Sometimes, names of two components with different functions are used interchangeably. Examples include anti-freeze/coolant and AWD/4WD.

However, engine oil filter and air filter refer to different parts, and should not be used as synonyms. Although both protect your engine, the oil filter cleans the oil that lubricates your engine, and the air filter cleans the air your engine sucks in for combustion to take place.

All that debris eventually blocks the filter. Automotive manufacturers have added a release valve that lets oil flow if the filter clogs, which results in debris circulating through your engine. This prevents your engine’s components from grinding against each other and shutting the engine down.

Replacing your oil filter is cheap and easy. Repairing your engine is not.

Lower-quality engine oil filters often cost less than high-quality ones, but they become fully clogged sooner.

Because engine oil filters require effort to replace, buying a high-quality filter—one with a high filtration level that still allows oil to flow—will save you time and potential damage to your engine.

Let’s review the two types of filters so you know what to look for when you open the hood.

Engine oil filters generally come in two types. Your manufacturer will tell you what kind of filter you need in the owner’s manual.

Depth filters are made of fibres and form a thick cylinder. They look a little like a roll of paper towel. You’ll rarely find them in modern vehicles, but you might have one if you drive an older model.

Surface filters look like an accordion wrapped around a small telescope. Made of thick paper, their pleated construction gives them a larger filtration surface. Surface engine oil filters are the most common type in modern cars.

Oil filters are housed in a metal cylinder. Canister oil filters (also called cartridge oil filters) use a permanent metal cylinder, where only the filter itself is removed.

However, most filters today are fully disposable units: you replace both the filter and filter housing at the same time. These are called spin-on oil filters.

Depending on your car’s make and model, your dashboard may tell you when to change the oil. Failing that, change the engine oil filter every time you change your oil, about twice a year or every 5,000 km to 15,000 km. Your owner’s manual will have more specific guidance.

If you have the right tools at home, you can change your own engine oil and filter. We have instructions on how to change your oil right here. But please remember: engine oil is a hazardous substance and must be properly recycled. Do not dump it down the drain or sewer. Not only is this extremely harmful to the environment, but you may face fines if caught

Check out the NAPA Auto Parts website for a wide range of oil filters. Not all of them will fit your vehicle – that’s why we created an oil filter finder. Click here and follow these steps to order the best engine oil filter for your vehicle:

1. Enter your vehicle’s year, make, and model and select the filter that exactly matches your vehicle.
2. Order your filter online and choose home delivery or in-store pick-up.

It’s that simple.

If you have questions about choosing or replacing your oil filter, visit a NAPA Auto Parts store to speak with an expert.