What happens if you change oil but not the oil filter?
An oil filter is responsible for filtering pollutants and contaminants out of the engine oil, which enables the oil to perform optimally and keep the engine lubricated and protected.
Over time, if the oil filter is not replaced, it collects all the dirt in the engine oil and gets clogged, rendering it less effective.
It is thus recommended to change your oil filter every time you change your engine oil, in order to ensure the health of your engine. However, technically you can also change the oil filter every other oil change.
This means that you can use the same filter for two oil changes and change the filter after every alternate oil change.
However, if you avoid changing the oil filter for too long, it can get severely clogged and damage the engine.
What happens when the oil filter gets clogged?
If an oil filter is not changed periodically, it tends to get clogged due to the amount of pollutants and dirt present in it. The severity of the clogging will be determined by the amount of the time the oil filter has not been changed.
Once the Oil filter is clogged, it will reduce the volume of oil that passes through the filter and into the engine, since the amount of space required for the oil to pass will not be available.
The reduced volume of oil flowing into the engine can cause severe damage since an engine cannot function properly without a certain amount of clean oil to lubricate and protect it.
On the other hand,if the oil filter has a bypass valve to regulate oil pressure within the engine, then the oil can bypass the filter altogether and instead flow straight into the engine.
However, this oil would be dirty and unfiltered and would therefore also cause significant damage and wear and tear to the engine.
Can you run a car without an oil filter?
An oil filter, as mentioned before, is an essential component of the engine, since it keeps the engine oil clean.
Technically, a car can run without an oil filter, however it will not last too long as there will be some engine damage which takes place due to the lack of filtration.
If a car has no oil filter, the engine oil will collect small and large pollutants and will stop protecting and lubricating the engine well. This will eventually lead to engine damage and the car will have to be taken to the mechanic to get the engine fixed.
If a car has a filter that is a metal screw-on, the absence of an oil filter will lead to zero oil pressure. This will stop the circulation of engine oil and the oil in the engine will get pumped onto the ground instead, causing the engine to seize up.
Thus, no matter what, a car or any vehicle, should not be used without an oil filter.
What happens if you forget to change the oil filter?
It may happen that while changing the engine oil, you forget to get the oil filter changed and now want to change only the oil filter.
If this happens, there is no cause to worry, since you can change the oil filter separately.
All you need to do is change the oil filter as usual. Once the new filter is installed, you can run the engine for a few minutes and then shut it off to allow the oil to settle.
Afterwards, you can also check the oil level in the engine and top up the oil if needed, since a little bit of oil will be drained away with the oil filter.
