OEM intake filters pre-oiled??

[JAG247]

I was wondering if someone could shed some light on something. My 25 GT only has about 1200 miles on it. I did the first oil change. I checked the intake filters to see how they looked and they basically still look new. However, I felt them and I noticed a very light oily residue on the filter that showed shiny on my fingers. Are the OEM filters pre-oiled?

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[GooberDH]

I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be dry. I replaced mine with OEM a while ago and they didn't have any oil.

 

[Skye]

Some filters will come from the factory with a touch of silicone or other rubber lubricant on the gasket surfaces, to keep them in shape or produce a better seal. But the filter material itself should be dry.

Oiled or wet filters can produce faults and issues with the Mass AirFlow sensor, the liquid coating and pestering the MAF. Manufacturers don't need that hassle.

Edit,

If considering an oiled filter, like K&N, I'd pass. We had a few threads last year, people getting fault codes after installing them. If it wasn't the airflow, it was an oily mess involving the MAF.

 

[robvas]

I've used K&N filters for 25+ years and never had them get oil on my MAF.

This must have gotten started by some idiot who sprayed half the bottle of oil from the cleaning kit on the filters when servicing them.

 

[JAG247]

Well, then, I’m not sure what it is. I’m guessing it could just be road crud that gets blown up in the intake housing from driving in the rain and stuff like that. It doesn’t smell like engine oil. I’m also wondering if it could be something from the car wash I take it through??

 

[Zig]

Well, then, I’m not sure what it is. I’m guessing it could just be road crud that gets blown up in the intake housing from driving in the rain and stuff like that. It doesn’t smell like engine oil. I’m also wondering if it could be something from the car wash I take it through??

Leaking carbon filters.

although i’d be tempted to wipe it dry leave everything as is, and check periodically just to confirm if somehow liquid is getting past the filters or if mass amounts of blowby or simply an over exuberant assembly lube.

 

[JAG247]

OK, here’s an update. I just got off the phone with my local Ford dealership. I was advised that Ford does put a very light oil on the paper filter itself. The guy even went back to the warehouse and checked the other filters that he had in stock and he confirmed that when he touched the paper filter, a very light oily residue came off on his fingers. Maybe this is something new that Ford is doing.

 

[owlhoot]

Could this oil be from the PVC valves being vented back through the air intake? I noticed black oil on my intake air filters when I replaced them at around 20,000 K

 

[robvas]

Could this oil be from the PVC valves being vented back through the air intake? I noticed black oil on my intake air filters when I replaced them at around 20,000 K

Is your PCV plugged in BEFORE the air filter?

 

[JAG247]

If it is correct that Ford is using a very light oil on their paper filters, this would coincide with the filter turning black overtime. The oil is going to catch more dirt and grim. I’ve seen K&N and other oiled filters do the same thing.

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