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I just changed my GL 350 engine air filters for the second time at 80,000 miles. They were pretty bad - full of bugs and dirt and bits of leaves and sticks. They were about the same as this the last time I changed them at 40k.
It's very easy to change the air filters out on the diesel - I am thinking 20k miles is probably a better interval.
What is your practice? Did yours look as bad as these?
The 2016 Mercedes maintenance booklet says 50,000 miles. I have changed my other vehicles' engine air filters every other year, which amounts to something around 30,000-40,000 miles.
The filters in the photo look very dirty. Exactly how many miles did you say are on the filter in the photo?
Those are the dirtiest 40,000 mile air filters I have ever seen. I have driven several vehicles over 200,000 miles. Do you drive offroad, or drive through brush? I'm am not seeing how filters get that dirty driving on interstate highways and neighborhood streets.
You are robbing engine of air and power with those air filters. They are cheap enough and easy enough to change once a year, so thats what I do in general. No reason not to.
Those are the dirtiest 40,000 mile air filters I have ever seen. I have driven several vehicles over 200,000 miles. Do you drive offroad, or drive through brush? I'm am not seeing how filters get that dirty driving on interstate highways and neighborhood streets.
I tow a 30-foot airstream, and we go camping a lot - but the truck is very rarely truly off-road. When I changed the truck's original filters at 40,000 miles, they looked about the same as these. I think I will start changing them annually - it only takes about 20 minutes. I'm also wondering if I will see a difference in fuel economy - the engine had to be working harder to pull air with how dirty they were.
Next up is changing out the transmission fluid and filter, plus transfer case and differential fluid. I last did all of these at 40k as well... Oil changes I've been doing every 5k miles...
Makes you wonder how restricted they have to get before the filter sensors will complain that the airflow is too low.
A lot would have to do with how hard you're pushing the engine. If you're put putting around town, you won't move much air through the filters. Wide open throttle to pass someone would be when you'd trigger the sensor, which presumably works on pressure differential.
A lot would have to do with how hard you're pushing the engine. If you're put putting around town, you won't move much air through the filters. Wide open throttle to pass someone would be when you'd trigger the sensor, which presumably works on pressure differential.
Good point. In the case of ddruker, he's pulling a trailer so presumably he's been on the throttle pretty good and for more than just a second or two at time. I guess there must still be enough relatively free areas for enough air to get through. It just surprises me by looking at it.
Good point. In the case of ddruker, he's pulling a trailer so presumably he's been on the throttle pretty good and for more than just a second or two at time. I guess there must still be enough relatively free areas for enough air to get through. It just surprises me by looking at it.
I sure have! Just about a month ago I pulled the trailer to Huntington lake. There is an 11 mile steep uphill section on Highway 168 with a 7 percent grade where I max out at about 45 MPH at full throttle while towing and in fact it’s the only road where I’ve ever been concerned about overheating the GL - I don’t think I’ve ever seen the engine temp gauge move much on the truck except for during that long pull, and it absolutely heats up every time I head up that road - I turn off the air conditioning and come off full throttle and downshift manually to keep the engine temperature in check...
So yes when towing uphill I do occasionally run wide open...
I just don't like taking the crossbar off - and the environment I am typically in does not seem to put much dirt and debris into the air filters.
It is difficult to visually assess the filters. The dirt you see typically isn't what is actually clogging the filters. It's the particles you cannot see - too small - that make the filters darken. This you can sort-of see by looking at the clean side of the filter. If the media is turning dark viewed from that side, that is when you are blocking air flow. The big stuff on the surface of the dirty side? The air just moves around that. It's the little stuff that's jammed in the paper that blocks the flow.
I change filters every 20k when I change the fuel filter. Which seems practical, unless I was misinformed that FF were supposed to be replaced every 20k
I change filters every 20k when I change the fuel filter. Which seems practical, unless I was misinformed that FF were supposed to be replaced every 20k
Change interval for diesel fuel filters on the gl350 is every 20,000 miles... Takes about 20 minutes, the most annoying parts are fiddling with the click clamps on the fuel lines and getting the air intake reseated correctly.
i think it’s not a bad idea to do the engine air filter and diesel fuel filter together every 20k. I have been doing oil changes at 5k, cabin air filters every 10k, brake fluid flushes at 20k and transmission, transfer case and differentials fluids every 40k.
Change interval for diesel fuel filters on the gl350 is every 20,000 miles... Takes about 20 minutes, the most annoying parts are fiddling with the click clamps on the fuel lines and getting the air intake reseated correctly.
lol in the gasser you have to disassemble the vehicle and turn it back into iron ore to access the fuel filter
Originally Posted by ddruker
i think it’s not a bad idea to do the engine air filter and diesel fuel filter together every 20k. I have been doing oil changes at 5k, cabin air filters every 10k, brake fluid flushes at 20k and transmission, transfer case and differentials fluids every 40k.
I bet the diesel has a much higher air filter change need than the gasser. It's like running the gasoline engine with wide open throttle everywhere you go. Much more air gets moved through the filter. Plus if you are starving the engine for air, the basic principle of compression ignition will not work as well.
You can get brake fluid moisture meters for cheap. Much more useful than a time or mileage based interval. I even set up my bleeder fluid line so I can test the output fluid, bleeding at the caliper until it comes out dry.
You have a link to the diff and transfer case fluid change procedure? Much obliged.
Oil change intervals on all cars - 7,500 miles
Fuel filter on diesel - every other oil change or 15,000 miles
Air filters - as stated above, about once per year.
It's very easy to change the air filters out on the diesel
Especially if you have the STAR diagnostic system, as WIS calls for resetting quantity mean value adaptation data when changing air filters on diesels.
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