Dry Filter vs Oiled Filter for your Cold Air Intake on Diesel Trucks

Both dry and oiled filters offer excellent protection, performance, and efficiency for diesel trucks. Choosing the best one depends on your preference and maintenance style. So what is the best filter for a diesel truck?

Oiled Filters

Oiled filters generally offer superior filtration and slightly better performance, provided they are maintained properly. Many of our customers keep multiple filters on hand to avoid downtime while waiting for the oil to dry after cleaning. Depending on conditions, oil can take over a day to dry. However, oiled filters do have a potential for user error. Common mistakes include applying too much oil or not allowing the oil to dry thoroughly. Excessive oil can be sucked into the intake and turbo, leading to long-term issues with the turbo and intake sensor. Proper maintenance and careful application are essential for optimal performance.

We typically recommend oiled filters for customers operating in dirty and dusty conditions. While you'll need to clean your filter more often, you’ll gain maximum protection for all components exposed to air past the filter. Additionally, using a pre-filter sock can extend maintenance intervals with a minimal performance trade-off. 

Sinister Diesel offers an easy-to-use cleaning kit which can be any air filter. It offers a powerful cleaning solution formulated to dissolve dirt, debris and contaminants that accumulated on the filter over time. Additionally, the cleaning kit includes a high-quality filter oil that provides optimal filtration and efficiency that helps capture even the smallest particles.

Dry Filters

Dry Filters still provide very close to the same performance and efficiency as Oiled Filters, but the slight trade off gains you a much less maintenance-heavy filter and a filter with much less room for error when cleaning. Not everyone wants to worry about if they applied too much oil, or if their filter oil has dried enough to drive. Dry Filters can be cleaned with compressed air in a few minutes, and re-used. At some point, they do need to be replaced but their longevity is still very good. This ease of maintenance is what attracts most people to the Dry Filters. We typically recommend Dry Filters to those who see less dirt and dust. An important note to take away from this is that all though the Dry Filter might seem like the better options, the trade-off in protection does not seem to be worth it and we will always recommend an oiled filters for trucks that live in dusty and dirty environments. A pre-filter sock can always extend your maintenance intervals on a Dry Filter as well.