Remote Possibilites: whether to get a remote oil filter

There are some additions and upgrades you can make to your vehicle to make regular maintenance and repairs a little easier. To make changing oil easier, a car owner can install a remote oil filter. The premise is simple enough; you install an adapter kit onto the normal location of the oil filter, and run remote lines to the new location of the oil filter. If properly installed, there are no drawbacks to it, and it can make changing your oil a little easier.

Striking oil

Nearly every car, truck, van, SUV and motorcycle has an aftermarket remote oil filter kit available. A remote kit won’t exactly break the bank, either. It will likely cost less than $100. If you’re concerned about the quality of the installation, you can have a mechanic do it for you, which shouldn’t be too costly. A bypass valve is installed, and send/return hoses run from the original oil filter location to where the new oil filter and mounting bracket are located.

Little downside

There is no downside to installing a remote oil filter. There is the initial cost, but there is a payoff is for the DIY auto repair crowd. If you don’t change your own oil, there is no advantage other than being kind to your mechanic. The upside is that it makes changing the oil filter a cinch. The only thing you’ll have to crawl under the hood for is to remove and replace the oil drain plug. You should be doing so every 3,000 miles.  Replace the oil filter just as you normally would.

The good the bad and the oily

As far as modifications go, installing a remote oil filter is not complicated, or expensive. There is little in the way of savings that it offers, and the only benefit is a little less hassle in doing your own maintenance. It does minimize the time you need to be under the car, and it can be a benefit if you drive a car or other vehicle that is low to the ground.