oil bath air filter 72 220d
 

how best to clean filter and what to clean it with,when do you need to replace mesh air filter?

I think they are permanent filter, because the oil cleans the filter and acts like dirt trapper, all you need to do is to drain out oil that has been collected in the air box, if you want to clean it, then use oil to clean it

Clean the element with kerosene or similar. Muck out the bottom with a towel.

The element does have a replacement cycle, which, I think, was about 90k or so, but nobody ever actually replaces it.

Refill to the arrow mark (about 1 inch) with engine oil.

Mostly the same as Palangi said.

After dumping out the liquid Oil you can also use Diesel Fuel or Solovent to clean the Mesh and inside the cannister.

If the Mesh area has dirt crusted up in it it might be needed to soak it over night. Blow out carefully with compressed Air if you have it.

Dirt and thick Oil will be at the bottom of the canister. If stiff use something wooden or plastic to scrape it out.

They still us Oil Bath Air Filters on the little Gen Sets that power the Refer units on refergerated container type Trucks.

As a teenager working at a truck stop in the 60's, I cleaned a lot of these. The mesh was never changed unless you could see signs of damage (very rare).

Why did they go away from those filters? Cost?

-Jason

Worms are out of the can
 

IMHO, because there was a lot of money to be made selling throw away air filters. The can of worms question becomes: "Which one filters best?" and it will also bring out the K&N advocates. Results vary greatly depending on who is doing (or sponsoring) the test.

Dunno, my older OM616 in the Trax Town and Country had this filter and I feel it did a better job than the paper filter on my OM616 turbo in severe dusty summers of north India.

My dad thought the oil bath could not be beat.;)