Oil (or just dirt?) on Engine Air Filter

5182 Views 14 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Leung82, Jun 23, 2020

mp3_e46

Discussion Starter · Mar 25, 2020

US 2015 CRV EX (2.4l Earth Dreams Engine).

The image shows oil (or maybe just dirt?) on my last filter with ~20K miles on. At ~30K miles I swapped it first and that one was far worse.

Before this filter went in I swapped out the PCV valve (quick/easy task).

I did manage to push a trombone brush quite far down the PCV hose and it was clean. Since then I bought a longer/ thinner brush but have not had time to get to the PCV hose .

Has anyone else seen this? Swapping the Engine Air Filter every 20K miles I don't mind, assuming no damage is happening.

The CRV is near perfect otherwise. Swapping out the transmission fluid for Castrol Transmax made the CVT super smooth (done over 20K miles ago). Just regular maintenance otherwise.

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1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Coastie05

· #2 · Mar 25, 2020

That's just dirt, so no need to worry. Usually you have to replace those filters every 12k-18k anyway, so at 20k it definitely needs to be replaced. Nothing to worry about at all.

Cliff's CRV

· #3 · Mar 25, 2020

Agree. I change my engine and pollen filters every other oil/filter change. They are dirty then, about 13000 miles.

Traylaw

· #4 · Mar 25, 2020

It's the same stuff you breath in everyday.

Carbuff2

· #5 · Mar 25, 2020

Traylaw said:
It's the same stuff you breath in everyday.

Actually, many intake systems routinely suck in a bit of oily vapor from the PCV (crankcase ventilation) systems. Depending on the flow of air across the filter housing, this could account for the pattern in the original post.

Us frugal Gen2 owners are lucky, the conical filter on ours can be repositioned to collect the dirt on the other side.

🤣

BigD

· #6 · Mar 25, 2020

Traylaw said:
It's the same stuff you breath in everyday.

OMG,

And just when I thought the Coronavirus was bad

Glad we live in the country. All we breathe in are diesel tractor fumes and crop chemicals.

mp3_e46

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 25, 2020

OP here. Our other vehicle's filter (RAV4) never looks anything like this; it just has light brown dirt.

Do you other Gen IV CRV owners see the same kind of dark pattern? If so I guess it's normal for the PCV to suck a little oil.

Our CRV drop its oil level between change. Perhaps ~half a quart every ~five thousand miles. Never before have we had any vehicles 'burn' any noticeable oil.

Leung82

· #8 · Mar 29, 2020

i change mine every six months just for the hell of it but somehow i haven't changed my mother's 17 crv since she bought it and that thing was about as filthy as the pic from OP. I threw in a wix branded filter and recently changed her cabin air filter which was equally as dirty.

ilovemyhonda88

· #9 · Apr 1, 2020

Mine are like that too if i dont change it. I now just change both filters once a year since they are so cheap. I buy a whole bunch at once from Rockauto.

Reactions: 2

aRaidersFan

· #10 · Jun 18, 2020

Looks normal. I have been using K&N air and oil filters when I replace filters, any opinions?

BigD

· #11 · Jun 18, 2020

The mention of K&N filters usually elicits a great deal of back and forth discussion, sometimes with "off color" language.

Me, I just use what the manufacturer recommends for everything from tractors to motorhomes including two SUV's.

Reactions: 1

Dans15

· #12 · Jun 19, 2020

Honda OEM filters (if this is one) have a light coating of oil to trap particulates and this look is absolutely normal. I change mine every 20k and it looks just like that.

Reactions: 1

miden141

· #13 · Jun 20, 2020

Our does look the same pretty much; I tend to do filters swap once a year, just after the polen season;
and yes our uses some oil between oil changes but I do not see any concern as of yet; our 16 CRV is stunning vehicle been so far

Kurbel

· #14 · Jun 20, 2020

At 15k my filter looked the same. There is ALOT of construction going on around us and all that dust...the other car calls for an engine filter every 20k and at 11k it was also dirty. Changed both. The Vs cabin filter was also stuffed after 9k miles. That one I change at least once a year after pollen is done.
Wonder if OPs area is experiencing similar real estate growth or some major construction project releasing additional amounts of dust...

Leung82

· #15 · Jun 23, 2020

Dans15 said:
Honda OEM filters (if this is one) have a light coating of oil to trap particulates and this look is absolutely normal. I change mine every 20k and it looks just like that.

I just bought a Wix branded air filter for my 15 CRV and i noticed the ones with yellow colored media also have a light oil coating. The store i work had a different one in stock also branded as a Wix but the media was white and that one did not have a oil coating. I didn't pay attention to where the white colored Wix filter came from BUT the yellow media one was made in Jordan. FYI, the Wix part number for a 15 CRV is WA10269.

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