Hi there, Im a newbie to the forum and so just finding my way around Im trying to find out if the oil filter on my van has been changed within the last 12 months. It certainly looks a bit old and has a stamp of 05/14 on it, which Im guessing might be the date of manufacture/production? The last garage was meant to have carried out a full service including oil change and filter - Im sure a new filter wouldn't look like this? it even has the odd spec of rust from stone chips if you look carefully :-( Thanks everso to anyone that can shed some light on this for me.
Impossible to tell really, esp as yours is covered in oil from an oil leak. The date is likely manufacture, but doesn't give much of a clue. Easy and cheap enough to put another one in yourself, if it bothers you.
Dont bother worrying about the date on the filter. Look at the oil on the dipstick. If its still golden and clear then its good to go. In the USA where oil changing every 3000 miles is a fetish, they often keep the filters over 2 oil changes. OTOH .. a new filter and a can of oil is dead cheap compared with a new T4 engine. Only trouble is that at the moment our local dump is closed for the duration so I have 3 litres of used gearbox oil and 6 of used engine oil hanging around in my garage. But the dump's gate is quite low compared with @snottys EMPI fence ..
Careful with the drain plug and strainer nuts on your Type 4 when you do change the oil, don't over tighten them
I wouldn't touch the strainer tbh, I did ours when we first got it 7 years ago and have left well alone ever since
Had to do the gasket on mine, it was leaking a bit. Tho I've been told, they all do that, sir! Certainly worth buying a torque wrench so you can't it wrong. Wish I could find mine
