According to my owners manual this indicator monitors the air filter and lets you know when to change it. I have 43000 miles on my truck and the indicator reads at 50%. Was wondering just how accurate this indicator is? The truck runs fine and I haven't opened the air filter housing to look at it, but I'm old school and think with 43000 miles I should have changed this filter 20000 miles ago. However I seem to remember asking at my dealer sometime ago how much these Duramax air filters cost and was quite shocked just how expensive they are.
With my oil and fuel filter changes I have followed my Driver Information Center (DIC) readouts so wonder if I should trust this other little piece of technology and not waste my money changing my air filter before I need to.

Well its best to go aftermarket but normally I would change/service the air filter every oil change

My experience with the indicator is that it doesn't work at all. I agree with you on the cost and would not recommend replacing it at every oil change as a rule. A visual inspection and blow it out with compressed air is all you need. When it won't clean up enough to see light through it, its time to change it. At 43000 I would think you need to replace it.

I would not go with aftermarket. Do a search on here. There was a very extensive test done that proved the factory filter flowed and filtered dirt better than all the other filters tested.

If it moves, it's time to replace it. Unless you are in really clean air, I'd suggest 25k max. That is actually pushing it for many. The OE paper setup is tough to beat.

Well its best to go aftermarket but normally I would change/service the air filter every oil change

I'm going to disagree with you a little on the aftermarket. There was a study done (link is somewhere in this site) regarding the flow/filtration of aftermarket vs. stock on these trucks. The stock not only filtered a TON more dirt etc, but it was good for 500 hp. Mine is staying stock.

I'm going to disagree with you a little on the aftermarket. There was a study done (link is somewhere in this site) regarding the flow/filtration of aftermarket vs. stock on these trucks. The stock not only filtered a TON more dirt etc, but it was good for 500 hp. Mine is staying stock.
x2 on this the factory filter, not only flows as good as most aftermarket or better but has great life. The air filter restriction guage is right on, we had one tested in my friends shop and the air filter is a donaldson anyways which is one of the best air filters made in my opinion.It is not uncommon to get 75,000 miles out of these in low dust conditions.

My experience with the indicator is that it doesn't work at all. I agree with you on the cost and would not recommend replacing it at every oil change as a rule. A visual inspection and blow it out with compressed air is all you need. When it won't clean up enough to see light through it, its time to change it. At 43000 I would think you need to replace it.



I would definitely not blow it out with compressed air. This will damage the filter media and allow more/larger particles through.

I change my air filter around 15k miles. It could go longer maybe 18-20k miles but it depends on the enviroment the truck is operated in. I think S&B Filters has a quality product but like others have said it's hard to beat the factory filter under 500 hp.

25K is probably the right number. At the end of the day dirty air gets into the engine and what ever you can do to stop that is a good thing.

x2 on this the factory filter, not only flows as good as most aftermarket or better but has great life. The air filter restriction guage is right on, we had one tested in my friends shop and the air filter is a donaldson anyways which is one of the best air filters made in my opinion.It is not uncommon to get 75,000 miles out of these in low dust conditions.

I would definitely not blow it out with compressed air. This will damage the filter media and allow more/larger particles through.


Agree the gauge works end of story. I do keep track of my mileage though too and if it would go down and stay down for a few weeks I would change it. I have 56K on my filter and its just starting to move. Do a short WOT run sometime before you check it to make sure its just not moving because you drive like a old man.

36K on our '06 and it has barely moved. Still runs as good and gets as good of mileage as it always has. Been meanin to check the air filter one of these days.

The sensor on mine has not moved and has 20K on it. I ordered a new filter for it yesterday because I started to doubt the sensor even works. I do take the filter out and check it every 5K.

Mine has never moved but i replace the filter every spring with an OEM filter. You would be surprised at the dirt that is in there that you cannot see, i usually get at least a handfull when i tap it out doing my inspection. If you live anywhere the State Municipality lays down salt in the winter it is even worse. Even new you cannot "see" through these filters, you can also see light through the road salt in the filter but still have air flow restriction. When i replace the filter there is a big improvement in performance too.

I notice a number of people here mention that their indicator has not moved or barely moved. I hope you are not doing what I have been doing for several years. In looking at the indicator there is an orange bar on the right side of the window. When looking at it one might think it is the part that will slowly move across the window showing the status of the air filter . I was looking at the wrong bar on my indicator and never bothered to look closer then a casual glance when checking my oil. The part that actually moves is down inside and is red. Unless you are fairly tall and can get right over the indicator and look down inside it is not easy to see. I had to get a flashlight to get a good view and see where it was on the scale.

I use a shop vac to clean the front of the filter after tapping the filter lightly on the ground to remove the loose debris. There is always bunch of dirt that falls out on the first tap. I tried an AFE after market drop in filter, but sold it as I didn't like what it looked like after a month in dirty wniter driving conditions. I think the stock set is better for my area so I put a brand new one in and kept the older one. Now I rotate them in 6 month intervals. I'm not sure why, it just gives me something to do I guess and I have a good spare on hand at all times. I don't think blowing compressed air through this filter is a good idea. My air restriction gauge has not moved, I have 26K b/t 2 filters.

i changed mine at 40 miles it was full of dirt and my milage was dropping i did not use one from the dealership i used on from the local auto parts store it was i think 30 bucks compared to the stealers 120

I have a slightly different view on this subject.

Point:
If you open the air intake system you let in some amount of dirt.
Banging the filter on the ground allows dirt onto both sides of the Medea.
Blowing out the filter puts dirt on both sides of the Medea.
Blowing or banging puts dirt on the clean side of the system. Thats what you want to keep out.

If you open the system the filter needs to be replaces. Your kidding your self if you think you can clean a filter.

Yes the Filter Minder does work. Big Donaldson filter last a long time. Especially if you are not using WFO.

I agree with the WFO runs before checking the Minder.

As always your truck and money do what you think is best.

More restriction is better, ='s better filtration of micron sized particles, the size that work their way past engine rings and into the oil and continue to wear and wear. I think stock is the minumum, I would definately upgrade to a full synthetic media, I am a believer in amsoils synthetic air filter which I believe is made by donaldson. Really, you are not going to get a 100 hp by putting on an air filter, get real. K&N sucks, alot of dust that is! If you want a good whole engine sand polishing job, buy any aftermarket air filter, and most all aftermarket intake systems. Sure, you can lower your egt's by putting on a low restriction air filter, but is it worth it to compromise engine longevity? Filter your air, filter your oil (auxillary bypass system) and filter your fuel. Anything you can do to improve filtration is good! Fuel filters filter better when their dirty! That's right, when they have a bunch of particles clogging them, they also catch more too, but restrict flow, so you watch your psi and when it drops it's time to replace. Same with the filter minder, when it drops, time to replace. STOP WITH THE INTAKE SYSTEMS YOUR SANDBLASTING YOUR ENGINE AND YOU ARE NOT GETTING MUCH HORSEPOWER OUT OF IT, AND ALSO YOU ARE MAKING PEOPLE RICH OFF OF CRAP THAT PEOPLE DO NOT NEED.

48,000, original filter, still clean and serviceable. Why spend $70.00 if you don't have to?

The filter minder begins to pull in at 10 iwc, and is usually fully in the red at 20 iwc. That is nearly 1 psi. 50% would be a little less than .5 psi of restriction. They are very reliable and this is easy to test. Just throw a sheet of paper on the element end, and go for a ride.

I am going to stir the pot here. I will not argue with some of the online test that say the stock filter clean the "finest" particles out of the airstream but, there is a point of diminishing returns. I have run K+N filters since the early 80's, I do not do it for any "power" increase I do it because I can buy it once clean it (409 and water then set it in front of a fan to dry and reoil) every other oil change (amsoil in everything been using since 84), my last truck (97) had 243K did not smoke on startup or leak and I never removed the valve covers or ever went any deeper into it than belts, idlers, water pumps, you know normal wear items and this goes for all the new vehicles I have bought (6). I only replaced it because I needed more towing capacity (bigger race trailer), the truck before that had 171K same deal. I used to send the oil in for analyzing (sic) and it always passed, and I have become a little lax on that but my point is that if the filter does a good enough job than it will pass oil analysis and I can get that kind of milage out of my motors and when they leave me they still pass compression and leakage test then the filter is "good enough" and because it is reusable it is more economical. Just my opinion based on my experiance with my vehicles since the eighties, and of course opinions vary. Have a good day.

This has been an interesting discussion and I really appreciate those who have taken the time to include their input. After reading all of this I would conclude that if whether you should change your air filter is something you think about when you wake up at 3 oclock in the morning, then you had better do it. If not, then relax, trust your indicator and think about all the money our government is spending that your great grandchildren are going to have to pay for someday as you go back to sleep.

Well...interesting thread. Many pros and cons of OEM VS aftermarket cleanables. I have read and dissected the study commisioned by Spicer. I, like many was surprised at the flows and efficiencies shown by the OEM filter. Seeing this study left me with the decision: Buy new Donaldson paper filters every 30-40K (twice a year), or use an aftermarket cleanable. I decided to buy an AFE...and later on a second one so as to have a spare, clean and ready to go. My decision was based on not having to spend $130+ per new OEM filter ea time I changed it out.

However I am at the point of likely going back to OEM...Reason being is that in my case, the fitment for the AFE is not as good n tight as a Donaldson...and the money saved is in the end, not really money saved if ones motor wears prematurely through particles getting past the filter.

six o one half dozen of the other...ea to his own I guess. Just my .02 CAD

cheers,

stk

Not sure about the OEM filter price being quoted. I have been using Merchant Automotive for this filter less than $50.

Try this http://www.merchant-automotive.com/airfilter2006-2007.aspx

i got a hastings replacement for my truck for only like 30 bucks cnd funds from local auto parts store

Just this weekend finally got around to checking air filter for the first time.Truck has just over 36k on it and the indicator had barely moved. Was shocked at the design of the filter. Had never seen anything like that on a pickup before, wasn't expecting that. Filter was a bit dirty. Turned it upside down and banged it a while on a hard surface. When I was done, there was a good 1/2 handful of dust or so. Called the local carquest store and they had a carquest/wix filter. regular price was like $55, but was only $26 and some change because of the annual filter sale going on, so we got 4 at that price! Now to see if the truck runs any different with a new filter.

So what should i do, take off my Volant cold air kit and replace it with the stock unit? Confused:mad:

my thoughts on the factory air filter are 1 it filters better than most aftermarket air filters. 2 it is approved by gm, (no warranty disputes) 3 the filter mfg has a very reputable name in filtration. 4 the majority of dealerships i have been into charge far too much for normal everyday parts like filters & oils ect. i took our truck in for warranty work and they told me i needed a new air filter when i told them it was a new filter the service manager started making excuses and told me i must not have reset the indicator. the conversation ended when i told him i change it based on mileage and the indicator had never moved.

OK, I changed my air filter yesterday. Since it was the first time I was unaware of the notch in the bottom of the filter housing that sort of locks it in and keeps the seal tight. If I had gotten up higher where I could look down in I would have seen it. Anyway it made it more difficult to remove the old filter as I was pulling on the wrong end. That notch also makes it a little tricky to install the new filter when it comes to pressing the seal tight enough to snap the back over that notch. Not much room to get your hands down in there.

I noticed that my OE filter was a Donaldson. When I tapped it on the ground quite a lot of dirt came out. After 43000 miles was probably best to change it even though the indicator only showed 50%. I had purchased a new filter from FleetFilter online for $30 and was surprised when I removed it from box to see it was also a Donaldson.

I followed the owners manual as to how to RESET the indicator but no matter how much I pressed on the reset button it stays on 50%. I don't believe this will affect the new filter operation and don't plan on buying a new indicator if this one is defective. I was wondering if anyone has had a problem in resetting their indicators or am I missing something in the owners manual??

Not that I know of your just pressing the blueish button on the end of the indicator right?

There is a soft button at the end, you push down on it and it should reset, tho may be slow.

So with that notch, how did you get the filter out? Just reach down and pull up? There must be some trick here...

So with that notch, how did you get the filter out? Just reach down and pull up? There must be some trick here...

You mean the boss that keeps the filter in place? Just wiggle it out and pull up at the same time. It is kind of a PITA to get out.

I changed mine a t 25 K and now at 40K it is about time to do it again.

The notch is in the bottom of the housing at the back of the filter and holds the filter tight against the front seal. To remove the filter just pull up at the back top then it will be easy to separate the front seal. I only pointed this out as I am not that tall and working at ground level it is easy not to see this notch and start pulling on the front of the filter to break the seal. The real trick here is getting the the new filter to seat over this notch. I used a 1 X 3 board to pry at the bottom while pushing down on the top of the filter to seat it..

As to resetting the indicator, I have pushed on the soft button on the end of the indicator (marked RESET)and it does not reset. Even removed the indicator and tapped it on bench while depressing in case it was stuck, but still stays at 50%.

This article will help answer some debate.

http://members.cox.net/td-eoc/INTAKES.pdf

Nice addition killerbee; it only reinforces what the original post by Arlen said. I cannot understand why anyone who has read his and your post would continue to recommend the aftermarket air filters for reasons other than stubbornness or personal gain.:D

Is there a difference between the Donaldson white filter and the Donaldson/GM OE blue filter, other than the color?

Big bump.

I just replaced mine, went from blue to white. Difference?

I have seen the white element come apart. That link is not applicable to this truck, sorry, that is the older gen. filtration. But I believe the filter minder is the same, so if it is staying green, there should be no real performance adv to changing it.

The latest Banks Infomercial seems to disagree with me, but I usually do not pay any attention to this kind of testing, because there is no verification.

I would really like to see one of these companies produce a better mouthpiece with guide vanes. If only they would send some of their engineers to college. :)

If you do not want to run an aftermarket filter that is fine, I do not believe you will "gain" any power from them. Like I posted before it is for the economic benifit. Something you need to realize about the posted article is that they do not state (for whatever reason) how many "microns" those dirt particles are sized at. I would be willing to bet the bank that anything the K+N passes is negligable. I am not making it up when I say I have used them since the eighty's from new till 200,000 plus miles and have never suffered any damage. If you look at the wheel on that turbo that damage was caused by more than "typical dirt" particles, those were large particles. If you do not believe me take a piece of metal and sand blast it, yes it will erode the metal but not like that and a K+N filter will not allow silica sand size particles through it. Now if you want to stay with a stock filter I say fine there is nothing wrong with it I am not claiming that, my point is that a K+N filter is a fine alternative as far as economics go. I will take a picture of my turbo it has 68,000 on it now and will post later and if I see any signs of errosion I will correct my post. Have a good day.

Is there a difference between the Donaldson white filter and the Donaldson/GM OE blue filter, other than the color?

I read they don't filter as well or hold as much dirt, but I don't know for sure. I have some and when I replace them I'll keep any eye on things. I doubt to many of them come apart since KBs post is the first I've seen about that.

I don't think it is a frequent occurence either. And it didn't come apart catastrophically either. The are "rolled" up and the adhesive is probably the problem. But one element defective is not much of a case.

I notice a number of people here mention that their indicator has not moved or barely moved. I hope you are not doing what I have been doing for several years.

In looking at the indicator there is an orange bar on the right side of the window. When looking at it one might think it is the part that will slowly move across the window showing the status of the air filter . I was looking at the wrong bar on my indicator and never bothered to look closer then a casual glance when checking my oil. The part that actually moves is down inside and is red.

Unless you are fairly tall and can get right over the indicator and look down inside it is not easy to see. I had to get a flashlight to get a good view and see where it was on the scale.


That's the only good info in this thread!

I too was wondering when that orange bar was going to move! Just looked deeper inside the gage and see the real indicator is at 50% with 22K on the truck since new, with the factory original BLUE DONALDSON air cleaner.

I will keep running the BLUE DONALDSON period.

Kinda glad I have broke my addiction to this site and only come look every week or so - With all the bogus opinions people spew here. Blowing out air filters with an air hose to save a few pennies! :eek: If you are so worried about the cost - don't buy a diesel truck in the first place. Or do like the smart shoppers and buy your filters from the MANY online sellers for much, much less.

An air filter lasting 40K or better does not sound like a bad deal to me…….

:rolleyes:

The orange bar is what should move...

http://www.filterminder.com/installation.asp

My experience with the indicator is that it doesn't work at all. I agree with you on the cost and would not recommend replacing it at every oil change as a rule. A visual inspection and blow it out with compressed air is all you need. When it won't clean up enough to see light through it, its time to change it. At 43000 I would think you need to replace it.

I would not go with aftermarket. Do a search on here. There was a very extensive test done that proved the factory filter flowed and filtered dirt better than all the other filters tested.wow are you serious

The orange bar is what should move...

http://www.filterminder.com/installation.asp

Good link! Except it shows the inside part that moves as yellow - mine is orange.


http://www.filterminder.com/images/home_tmythfact.gif

We make it easy for you to tell when it's time to change filters.
The myth is that an automotive air filter should be changed about every 6,000 miles, or when it "looks dirty." The fact is, a certain amount of dirt in an air filter actually increases its filtering efficiency by reducing the size of the holes in the filter media which helps stop smaller dirt particles. This means that instead of a maximum life of 6,000 miles, the typical air filter may actually last anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 miles! Filters do not plug based on time or mileage. They plug based on the operating environment of the vehicle.
The Filter Minder ® takes the guesswork out of when to change your air filter because it doesn't care how dirty the air filter looks or how long it's been installed. It only cares how well the filter is working. When the filter gets restricted, the Filter Minder ® will let you know.

Pop the little filter minder thingy out of its grommet and suck on the nipple! :D No really, it'll move down and you can see just what moves - the more times you suck, the further it'll go. Then push the green rubber covered button on the opposite end and it'll reset. On mine the orange bar at the top dropped down to the 1/2 position. If you don't wanta suck, use the vacuum from a oil gun or syringe. A little silicone pump seal grease makes it easier to pop back in.

After reading all this I'm surprised nobody has brought this up.....
http://www.pacificp.com/pdf/2006-2007%20Airbox%20Modification%20LLY-LBZ.pdf
As for the stock filter flowing enough air it will flow plenty.... here is a quote from PPE "The original Donaldson/GM filter will flow plenty of air for even the largest of tuner and or turbo upgrades. There is no need for any after market air intake system once this modification is done." There is plenty of posts on here about it and this explanation of how to do it is bang on and simple.... Also if some of you are worried that your filterminder isn't working try taking it out and sucking on the end you will see how easily the indicator comes up so if your filter was actually clogged and your truck was struggling to get air the filterminder would show it. I still change my air filter about every 15000 miles anyways even though the filterminder hardly ever shows any sort of reading..