How To Change A Car Air Filter

Remember dorsum to the last time yous had your oil changed at a quick lube. The mechanic brings you out to the car to show you how filthy your air filter is and tells you it's time to replace information technology. You're a busy human with places to get and people to run across, and then you nod and requite him the go alee. Y'all go dorsum to the lobby and read the six month old Field and Stream that was in that location at your concluding oil change while the mechanic does his thing.

"Shouldn't be more than $10 actress," you lot think to yourself.

"And your full today for the oil change and new air filter is $45.77," chirps the cute young lady with bad highlights at the cash annals.

What the wha?

That's right. Your $20 oil change doubled its cost in merely a matter of seconds. I've seen mechanics charge anywhere from $18 to $25 to change an air filter. Virtually the same cost as an oil change.

The air filter itself is only about $10 for most vehicles. Where the shop gets you lot is where they always get you- on labor. You'd recall with what they charge, replacing an air filter is some complicated task that necessitates special tools but available to licensed mechanics. Y'all'd retrieve that, but yous'd be wrong.

The reality is that changing your machine's air filter is quite possibly the simplest maintenance job you can perform. It seriously takes about a minute to complete and requires no special tools. Just some know-how.

If you're a man who has never washed any car maintenance and would like to get started, merely you're not quite ready to change your oil, kickoff off changing your own air filter. Information technology'southward a quick way to save some cash- money that you can use for more than important things similar paying down your debt or ownership a squirrel lamp.

Ready? Permit's get started.

What Does an Air Filter Exercise?

For your engine to run, it needs air. The air mixes with gas, the spark plug gives a spark, and-presto!-you've got internal combustion. For an engine to run efficiently, the air that it takes in needs to be as make clean as possible. Trouble is that the air outside is full of junk that doesn't burn cleanly or evenly at all. Dirt, pollen, common salt, and bird feathers are merely some the things your engine will suck in to create the controlled explosion that moves your motor. Y'all don't want that stuff in your engine.

That'due south where the trusty air filter enters the picture.

Air filters are connected to the engine's intake manifold. Most filters are rectangular (older cars that take carburetors utilize a donut-shaped air filter) and are made of a porous, paper-similar fabric, folded like an accordion. Hither, take a look at one:

Car air filter.

Epitome from Shutterstock

The filter prevents dirt and other particulates from getting into your engine while assuasive the make clean air through. Uncomplicated, yet effective.

Why Practice You Demand to Change Your Air Filter Regularly?

Increased fuel efficiency. Afterwards logging thousands of miles on your car, that filter tin can get really dirty and clogged. A dirty air filter doesn't allow air to get through to the engine. Remember, your engine needs air to run efficiently. A reduced amount of air means your engine needs to utilize more than fuel to get the same bang to run your engine. Salve yourself some money at the pump. Change your air filter regularly.

Prolonged engine life. Engines are big and powerful, but they tin can be surprisingly sensitive to the smallest grain of sand. Over time, dirt and other particles can cause serious damage to your engine'southward internal parts. Better to spend $10 now on a new air filter than thousands of dollars afterwards on a new engine.

Reduced Emissions. Reduced air flow can also mess with your motorcar's emission control systems causing you to spew more bad stuff into the atmosphere. Men demand polar bears to wrestle. Save one by changing your air filter.

How Often Should You Modify Your Air Filter?

It'south recommended that you change your air filter in one case every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes outset. If you alive in a peculiarly dusty identify, do it more frequently. It's always a skillful idea to at least bank check your air filter at every oil change. If you take your machine into a quick lube and the mechanic says you lot demand a new i, but tell him you're going to await on it and so go alter it yourself. Cheque your owner'southward manual for specifics on when to change your air filter for your brand and model.

How to Change Your Air Filter

1. Purchase your air filter. Most air filters are pretty cheap. Between $10-$13. Swing past an automobile parts store later on work or pick an air filter up while yous're grocery shopping at a Super Walmart. Figuring out what air filter to get for your car is easy. Kickoff, you can cheque your owner'southward manual, merely let's face information technology, you'll probably forget to do that. Lucky for you, places that sell air filters have this tattered phone book-looking thing hanging off a shelf. It's literally the telephone book for auto parts. Yous just look upwardly the year, make, and model of your car, and it tells y'all what parts you need for it. If your auto parts shop is really fancy, they'll take a crappy Speak & Spell-like reckoner that you can employ. Merely information technology'due south ordinarily busted, then you'll probably only stop upwardly using the book.

two. Open your hood and locate the air filter box. It'south the black plastic box sitting on top of or to the side of your engine. The filter box usually has a giant hose sticking out of its side.

Man changing air filter box under car hood. Image from Shutterstock

3. Open the air filter box and remove the dirty air filter. Opening an air filter box is a cinch. Just unclasp the big metallic clips that concord the tiptop down and open the box. Remove the muddied filter.

Man remove dirty air filter under car hood. Image from Shutterstock

four. Check the erstwhile air filter. Requite your old filter a look over to run across if information technology's past its prime number. Look inside the folds. Run across a lot of dirt and gunk? Time to replace it.

v. Put in the new air filter. Place your filter in the filter box. Brand sure it sits snuggly in the box. Close the top of the box and snap the clips.

That's information technology. Your engine will no longer exist gasping for air like a guppy that jumped its bowl.

Full fourth dimension: nearly a minute.

Coin savings: $10-$15

Any other tips? Did I miss annihilation? Drop us a line in the comments below.

Tags: Cars