No Air Filter!! What!!??

[theTony]

My Altima was due for an oil change and I wanted to get some new wiper blades. So I took some time during lunch yesterday and went to an instant oil change in my neighborhood that I have used several times before. Not long after I was in the bay, one of the guys asked me where I last had the car serviced. I told him that it was serviced at the Nissan dealer where I had had purchased the car new nine years before, which had done near every service on the car since I bought it. The mechanic at the instant oil place proceeded to tell me that my car had NO air filter in it!! Apparently, the Nissan dealer "forgot" to put in a new one when the old one was taken out! The dealer has promised me a free new filter at my next service (I called and made them aware of what they did during my oil change).

My question, how much damage do you think was done to the engine from driving it lightly for approximately 4,000 miles with no air filter? Also, what do I suggest the Nissan dealer check over on the car to make sure the engine is OK? (Soon they WILL be inspecting this car thoroughly at THEIR expense, I assure you) but I want to be able to tell them exactly what I want checked!

[AZhitman]

Hoo boy. I'd be pissed.

Problem is, they can always claim they DID install one.

Do your own air filters from now on.

[APEXi240]

There will be no real damage done. You're just sucking in extra dirt, dust, ect. Tell Nissan you want them to do an engine flush at their expense. I really don't know what else they'd have to check. Don't worry about it.

Never get your car serviced at dealership, they usually suck. My father's girlfriend almost had her Maxima seize because when they changed the oil, they forgot to put new OIL IN THE CAR! It started knocking like crazy and the check engine light came on so she pulled into a gas station promptly...luckily.

My friend drove about 10k on his Civic Si with just the throttle body...sounded mean, looked funny...no ill effects.

[RYNO_s13]

As for real damage, not a whole lot, but if you're really feeling vindictive, blame them for EVERYTHING!!!

[AZhitman]

I disagree, Apex. The damage WAS done, regardless of how minor. If any non-combustible particulates entered the combustion chamber, they could have scored the cylinder walls. No way of knowing, as all such damage accrues over time - Your buddy's Civic Si shows no ill effects NOW - The effects will show up as a foreshortened life of the engine. For example, his engine may last only 200K as opposed to 250K.

If it was safe, air filters would be a dealer-installed option.

[APEXi240]

No where did I say it was safe, and the life of the kid's engine that I was refering to was not shortened substantially. Of course it is not good to drive with no filter, nor is it extremely detrimental.

A small amount of dust and dirt in the engine is NOT a problem, 4k is not a long period of time to be without a filter. There are many people that daily drive with ITBs with no ill-effects.

[Tino]

As for real damage, not a whole lot, but if you're really feeling vindictive, blame them for EVERYTHING!!!

I don't know that spark could lead to the bullsh*t, then insurance crap, then the lawyers and on and on and what a mess. It sucks but you could try keeping a cool head and ask nicely even though it might eat you alive inside. 0.02.

[Stoneage_Turbo]

have them pull a compression test and cylander leak test , see how it stacks up aganst factory spec and cars of simlair age/miles should tell ya if it sucked in anything bad , probably didnt , stock airboxes are ususly in a pretty clean place to start with , and have a tube that feeds them fromt he outside , i imagine it was just dust it sucked in , probably will be ok

do these have a hot wire type mass air sensoer ?if it does it might go bad since it was exposed to dirty air , take a peek sometime and see if there is a metal section with a screen in it in the airtube ..if your really pissed id make them replace it

[UncleBen]

that sucks Tony. i guess go back and be nice about, which would make them calmer and maybe easier to work with. tell them what you told us; that you had them put a new filter in, but they obviously didn't. see what they say.

[Former_240_s14]

As for real damage, not a whole lot, but if you're really feeling vindictive, blame them for EVERYTHING!!!

^ werd!

[AZhitman]

the life of the kid's engine that I was refering to was not shortened substantially

No offense, Apex, but HOW do you know? Is his engine dead yet? If so, how much longer COULD it have lasted?

That's like saying smoking doesn't shorten your life span - Impossible to know for sure.

[Cold_Zero]

I have seen guys at IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park) disconnect their air filters right before hitting the track. They disconnect everything from the Throttle body forward. I guess I am not that brave.

[Mayhem_J30]

what happens if a small rock or cigarette but was sucked up? I find stuff like that stuck in my filter all the time.

[diamondj30]

wondering,did you drive on dry dirt roads.nothing like breathing sAND.

[theTony]

wondering,did you drive on dry dirt roads.nothing like breathing sAND.

This car never left pavement and was only driven two to three times a week within a ten mile radius of its home.

[PalmerWMD]

louisville is pretty low dust area unless of course u r close to construction areas.

Fred..

[RYNO_s13]

And one of the Ryno's Top Five US cities. Off topic I know, but I just had to throw that out there.

[Queamore]

The best thing you can do leagally is keep everything you're doing documented and keep a cool head. That way if something does happen in the future like the engine starting to make noise and a mechanic has to take the engine apart for some reason and finds rocks or something like that in the engine you can take that stuff to your lawyer and make the dealer pay for everything. but you should be ok. even though that is alot of miles normal driving shouldn't suck anything in that will hurt your engine that can't blow out into the exhuast.