Has anyone changed their air filter yet?

fireman1028 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:58 pm

I am at 17,000 miles and noticed that the CRD was starting to feel a little sluggish. I checked the air filter as part of routine maintence today and to my amazement, the air filter was completely black and almost 80% blocked!!! :shock:

I bought a NAPA Gold filter, maybe the milage will go up a little.

Anyone else have a similar problem?

n3qik · **Posted:** Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:05 pm

Yep, saw dirt at 5 K miles on one side. Flip it to the other side to buy me some time.

retmil46 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:24 am

Checked mine at 8000 miles, back half of it was the same way, almost pitch black. I think it has to do with where the stock intake sucks in air, just behind the front grille in front of everything. Anything that gets sucked into the grille can get sucked into the intake - pine needles, bugs, road dirt/debris, even rain water from a hard rain. I could see in the bottom of the filter housing where it had actually sucked in enough water during a hard rain, and fast enough, to form a puddle in the bottom of the housing before draining out - it sucked in water faster than it could drain. I replaced the filter, and removed the inlet hose to the grille. Hasn't affected MPG any, may actually have improved it (removing the hose), and I'm not sucking up everything that hits the front grille.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

I checked mine at 4700 miles and it had solid dark black streaks on the top and bottom of the intake side (about 1.5 inches) but was mainly clear in the center and spotless on the back side. I went ahead and changed it. Figure I will keep an extra two or three filters on hand and check the filter after I go off road each time. Arizona is just real dusty.

CTKJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:02 am

8k and I haven't checked yet, what brand and part number do you guys recommend?

europachris · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:17 am

Changed ours at just under 20K miles. It was FILTHY! Definitely time to change it out.

The air filter in my Jetta TDI, which is about the same size, gets much less dirty in the same time period.

But, figure that the CRD gets half the mileage, burns twice the fuel, needs twice the air to run (roughly). That would lead one to believe the airfilter will get twice as dirty in the same time period.

Incidentally, the oil gets at LEAST twice as black after 10K miles on the Delvac. That CRD oil is some EVIL NASTY stuff!

Chris

crackercrd · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:27 am

I checked mine at 15K and it is BLACK, I was really shocked. far dirtier than I've seen on my other cars.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Mine was changed by DCX at 8K, as part of the EGR replacment (it was black), and I changed it again at 17K as it was getting black. Gets dirty about twice as fast as my V6 Liberty, using the exact same filter. That CRD really pulls some air. I see an extra $12 a year for semi-annual filter changes as cheap maintenance, considering the price of fuel.

GreggD · **Posted:** Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:24 pm

I kept a check on the one in my Liberty & it didn't start showing signs of getting dirty til I changed it at 12.5k. Noticed a little sluggishness & less MPG before the change. I used a Purolator brand for replacement. I drive about 80 miles to work & back 5 days a week & putter around town some on the weekends. I got worried the first time I saw how the oil looked at 4.5k, like "liquid soot". The service advisor told me that was normal.

Guest · **Posted:** Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:38 pm

Just changed mine last week at 7,700 miles. I'm surprised people are going past the required 12,500 mile absolute limit that is stated multiple times in the maintenance schedule and owners manual.

tired_old_dave · **Joined:** Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:45 pm **Posts:** 79

You must have your hose clamps tight. Saw two crd's recently and both owned by women(three really, it was my better half who wanted the crd after the test drive). Somewhere I mentioned - what about a woman who buys a crd - but the word woman should've been replaced by a phase of some kind for a person who turns the key and buys fuel and just drives the vehicle. Recently while driving our malibu I passed a crd with custom tags with the word Kay in it. The second female owned vehicle, I got to see under the hood. The air filter was clean for the number of miles on it. The hose clamp on the airbox to turbo hose at the airbox was rubbing the ps reservoir and had a buildup of dirt at the connection. Obviously breathing air past the filter and maf sensor. The tranny dipstick was riding way up out of the tube and had tranny fluid on the black plastic engine cover. When I read a post that there are millions of happy crd owners out there and only these few whiners on the net, I want to scream. Someone told me this once (an old quote) - one who knows not that he knows not is a foul - shun him. But I don't see that happening here - just help and more help.

DZL_LOU · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:25 pm

Just changed mine on the 05 CRD with 14,000 miles. I too had the black soot on the paper folds of the intake. Somehow I'm led to believe that there is an exhaust burn leak since the engine compartment also has the black liquid soot on all the engine components. The only way that black soot could accumulate so much on the filter is either the air box is cracked somewhere or the fresh air intake is somehow also inhaling the diesle exhaust burn.
Anyone have any other suggestions or experiences with a black sooty film in the engine compartment?

fireman1028 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:12 pm

Quote:

I'm surprised people are going past the required 12,500 mile absolute limit that is stated multiple times in the maintenance schedule and owners manual.

Owner's Manuals are for sissies

Seriously, I never read the part about 12,000 air filter changes........ then again, i havent even taken the manual out of the plastic it came in.

Allen

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:42 pm

Owners manuals are for people who want to keep their expensive warranty they paid for intact.

Even if you don't care about the owners manual...it's foolish to go 20,000 miles without touching the air filter. Mine will get black and clogged in 5,000 miles on this thing. After driving gassers all my life, it's obvious to me how much more air these turbo diesels suck in. Wow. I change my air filter every oil change on this thing. It's a small cost for good insurance.

vtdog · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:27 am **Posts:** 640

Wow-air filters get dirty!!! Who wudda thunk? What an amazing find, dirt on an air filter.

Seriously, you guys gotta calm down. Every squeek and rattle, or unexpected jolt and many here run screaming into the night like 12 year old girls. Please, get a life.

BTW, I checked my air filter (based on the thread) and a 21k miles it is dirty (again, big suprise) and has soot covering the folds. It is, however not unusable and I'm still getting good mpg. It will go when I take it in for the 25k service. Maybe its because I live/drive in Northern New England and the air is not as dirty as around major cities, but I really don't think the filter is worse than I have seen on any of my previous cars.

So just calm down and change the filter if you think you must

oldnavy · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:47 pm

vtdog wrote:

Wow-air filters get dirty!!! Who wudda thunk? What an amazing find, dirt on an air filter.

Seriously, you guys gotta calm down. Every squeek and rattle, or unexpected jolt and many here run screaming into the night like 12 year old girls. Please, get a life.

BTW, I checked my air filter (based on the thread) and a 21k miles it is dirty (again, big suprise) and has soot covering the folds. It is, however not unusable and I'm still getting good mpg. It will go when I take it in for the 25k service. Maybe its because I live/drive in Northern New England and the air is not as dirty as around major cities, but I really don't think the filter is worse than I have seen on any of my previous cars.

So just calm down and change the filter if you think you must

I must say I have thought that many a time here, it was the same way on the VW diesel forum about 5 or 6 years ago. I would say more but I don't want to hurt anyones feelings so I will refrain from further comments.

fireman1028 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:55 pm

Quote:

Wow-air filters get dirty!!! Who wudda thunk? What an amazing find, dirt on an air filter.

It's not the fact that air filters get dirty, it is that some (if not most) CRD owners are new to diesel's and some maintenance items (like air filters) do not need to be replaced until around 25-30 k on a gasser.

All I am attempting to do is to make other CRD owners aware that this is one item that shouldn't be put off until 25-30 k.

now where is that owner's manual...... :wink:

Allen

oldnavy · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:07 pm

Hey I never went by the OM for air filter changes, I look and see how dirty it is and if needed I change the filter.

vtdog · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:27 am **Posts:** 640

Old Navy:

I don't worry about insulting the writers. If they can't take the barbs, then they are not manly enough to own the CRD

tired_old_dave · **Joined:** Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:45 pm **Posts:** 79

Did you also ask for help at edmunds as dzl_lou? On that forum someone complained about exhaust fumes/smell in the cabin. The zone rep/engineer per the post rolled up his shirts sleeves and "retaped an exhaust connection?". Can't give the name or the date. My Jan 05 build date is so clean a jeep manager asked how many times have I cleaned under the hood. Never cleaned, just tightened everything.

Has anyone changed their air filter yet?

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