Everything You Need To Know About Coolant Filter

Confused? No idea about the coolant filter? Well, Parts Avatar has got your back! A car’s cooling system is a closed circuit in which the coolant moves from the water pump to the engine and the radiator. Coolant filters are used to trap the impurities and contaminants present in the coolant to keep the radiators and the oil pump functioning properly. Coolant filters are by-pass type filters that direct some coolants through the filters and are provided with holes to control the flow. It is important to choose the correct type of coolant filter depending on the type of coolant you use. Charged coolant filters with supplemental coolant additives (SCA) are used with standard coolants whereas they cannot be used with organic acid technology [OAT] coolants.

The coolant filters are mostly composed of cartridge or spin-on designs. Although, you are most likely to find spin-on designs in the current diesel engine cooling systems. We have listed all the types of coolant filters that are widely available:

• Pre-charge filter - These contain an adequate amount of coolant additive to charge the cooling system at first. This allows depletion to the first service interval.

• Spin-on filters - These are standard filters containing enough chemical additives to maintain cooling systems between the service intervals.

• Blank filter - These filters have no chemical additives and are used with cooling systems maintained by liquid additive, systems that use long-lasting coolants and need no additive, or on systems that are overcharged in order to bring back the additive to the normal range. Note that these filters are not compatible with water-only systems.

The coolant filter installed in cars plays a primal role and helps greatly. So, to protect your coolant filter, you need to be aware of some of their important features:

• It has a rough design and materials that have long-lasting durability
• It has seals that are built specifically to combat extreme heat and cold conditions

Do you know how these coolant filters work? Well, in case you don't! Parts Avatar has listed here for you. The coolant filters function to remove pollutants from the engine cooling system. Also, they add chemicals to the coolant itself to refill essential protectants that may be lost with time.

Have a look at the following five signs which signifies that your automobile needs an antifreeze/coolant service:

• The temperature gauge reads hotter than normal when the car engine is running
• Antifreeze leaks and puddles beneath your automobile (orange or green fluid)
• There might be a grinding noise coming from under the hood of your car
• Flecks or bits of rust start to show up in the antifreeze/coolant liquid
• Steam or an odor which is the same as boiling maple syrup is coming from the engine

If you know which car parts brand suits the best for your coolant filter, then it would save a lot of your decision-making time. What we believe is that picking a particular brand would always help reduce the clutter, and would make it easier for the customers to find what they are looking for. That’s why we have listed out some top brands for coolant filters below:-

• Wix Coolant Filter
• Mishimoto Automotive Coolant Filter
• BD Diesel Coolant Filter

It is very important to arm yourself with information before you shop for any auto part. We are here to help you dive deep into the names of the parts related to the coolant filter:

• Filter Media
• Center tube
• End Caps 
• Baseplate/Seaming Lid Assembly 
• Compression Spring 
• Canister 
• SCA Pellets (SCA charged filters only) 
• Plastic Insulator 

More than any other failure in a car, there's almost nothing as heartbreaking as a completely damaged car coolant filter. Now when we talk about the replacement cost, it might vary a lot even on the same car depending upon its performance, labor cost, brand, etc. A new replacement engine coolant filter can vary from $20 to $100. Coolant filters are also available as a complete kit with valves and hoses that might cost you extra.

Changing your car coolant filter is an easy process. Have a look at the steps of changing the car coolant filter below:

Step 1

The first step is to ensure that your car engine is cold. Open the car hood and look at the old engine coolant filter which has to be replaced.

Step 2

Use an oil filter strap wrench to hold the coolant filter and return it anti-clockwise to loosen it. While doing this, some of the coolant might spell out, so make sure that you are careful enough.

Step 3

Clean the filter base of the new coolant filter and lubricate the gasket before installing it. Place the new filter in position and hand tighten it until the gasket contacts the base.

Step 4

Finally, use the oil filter strap wrench to tighten the coolant filter. The number of turns to which the filter has to be tightened is often mentioned on the filter itself.