Does the stock Air Filter Replacement Indicator really work? [&:]

My Truck: 2006 Ram 4X4 ST Cummins 6-speed manual Heavy Duty towing package. Everything is stock. I have 7300 miles on it. Bought it last May.

This indicator does not seem to do anything. The yellow indicator inside the clear sight window has not moved at all. It’s apparently designed to move as the intake vacuum increases due to the filter getting clogged. It’s located on the clean side of the filter, mounted on the side of the air box. According to the manual it’s supposed to move into the red zone indicating when to replace the air filter. It has not moved at all since I bought the truck new. I decided to look at the filter anyway. The filter is definitely dirty. I have no idea what kind of air flow is going through the filter, but I will definitely be replacing it soon. It was visibly dirty with dark areas all over it along with chunks of butterflies, wasps, fine particles of dust, and some light sand (trip to the desert). [] The clean side was spotless.

I think this “indicator” was designed for morons, who never change their air filters, but in practice does not work and is just another part that can fail, and an unnecessary point where dirt can get sucked into the air intake on top of that. [:'(]

What do you guys think?

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Thanks for any comments.



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This is an opinion and only an opinion:
I think it is an idiot indicator. If it is RED you should have changed the filter long ago. The more air flow (CFM's) the better the engine runs and higher MPG's. Hence filters like the K&N. Air filters are cheap. I change mine at least every other oil change.

 

Thanks RyEnFF31. I agree 100% with your opinion. I'm changing the filter tomorrow.

I noticed the stock filter has an extra layer of fiber material about 1/2 an inch thick across the paper vains of the filter. This materail is on the dirty side and is the first part of the filter that dirt comes into contact with. It appears to be glued on. It's the strangest thing I've seen with a stock filter. It's almost like some kind of filter skin they put on it. I looked up NAPA, WIX, FRAM, AFE and others and can't find a stock replacement with this type of fiber material on it.

Any ideas?

 

well if it aint pulled down ...then yo filter aint dirty enuff to change
But sum folks change a diaper ..when the Baby dont need it ..dont hurt nuttin ..baby like it ..and all it cost is $$$
filter dirty on the outside ?? means it is doing it ..filter dirty on the inside means ..baby needs changin..
either way baby loves it !!

 

LMAO

heybaylor - That's a great analogy, butt it's the wrong end!

 

Watch out... Could be the filter is not sealing in the airbox. This happened to me one time.. I noticed the gague was not moving and sure enough the cover was not on 100%.

My 2006 can pull with a clean filter 1/2 way in the yellow. FYI

 

I've never seen that gauge move either. I don't know if it's a good thing, a bad thing, or if the thing works at all. Just keep your filter clean and you should be fine.

 

realy. . .it is just an idiot indicator. I put a brand new filter in my truck at around 10K since I was pullin the thing down easily, even with the new filter I could pull the gage to the red just by stomping on it good and this was before I got my TST.

I installed a BHAF around 20K, just went past 36K and thing thing still looks fine, probably got another 10-15K left on her.

 

Dual batteries??? does that mount infront of the passenger batt?

 

these 3rd gens have the passenger battery located where the stock ait box on the 2nd gens mounts. if I backed up a bit with the camera you would see where the battery is located just behind the air filter.

the BHAF does add a good bit of turbo noise