I wanted to ask a question regarding an issue I am facing for air filter on 2021 Jeep Wrangler. I drive a lot on sand (Dubai), almost every weekend with each drive being 2-3 hours. There’s a ton of dust– while entering the dunes, the convoy of ~12 cars kick up a lot of sand and when inside there’s fine sand everywhere. I have a stock OEM filter. I clean it after every drive by gentle tapping it and blowing air through the filter body while covering the bellow leading to intake manifold. I usually change the engine air filter every 1.5 months. However, the last drive was a long one – almost 8 hours – and post that while cleaning, when I checked the intake with a torch, I could see a coat of very fine sand on the top body of the air filter housing (clean side) and the bellow leading to intake manifold. I have never checked earlier with a torch so maybe it was from earlier but chances are slim. The car rides fine and I am thinking of the following –
- Install a MOPAR drop-in pre filter for added safety
- Maybe install a snorkel but I have received mixed views on that so will appreciate any thoughts
- In the next service, send oil for an analysis to check for silica contamination My question is – have I caused irreversible damage to my engine and if so, is there a way for me to find out? Did the suction from the engine while revving it high (we regularly go to 5-6k while riding dunes) pull out sand from the filter? I really love this car and would love to keep it for many years. Is there anything else I should look at to prevent it from happening again.
