Car Servicing – Engine Air Filter

Many of us have found themselves in the following situation: They go to get their oil changed and their friendly service advisor at Oil Changers recommends a new engine air filter. They say yes, but don’t know what an air filter is or what it does.

If this has happened to you, rest assured that you did the right thing by getting a new one. But you should never be too embarrassed to ask your service advisor for more information. It’s your vehicle and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for.

Let’s review: “What does an air filter do?”

Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, the engine air filter’s job is to clean that air before it goes into your vehicle engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned. Without an engine air filter, the inside of your vehicle engine would be extremely dirty from all the gunk that was burned in the cylinders.

In fact, the engine in your car needs 12,000 times as much air as fuel for it to run. That little filter does a very big job. It’s no wonder that the air filter gets dirty and needs to be replaced. Think about a vacuum cleaner. When the bag gets full of dust and dirt, the vacuum doesn’t clean as well. It can’t move enough air to create good suction. A clogged engine air filter is the same way – the vehicle engine can’t get enough air to burn the fuel efficiently. That means less power and reduced fuel economy.

That’s why your owner’s manual has recommended that you change your filter at regular intervals. Of course the conditions you drive in will affect how quickly the filter gets dirty. If you drive where it’s very dusty or where there’s lots of pollen or pollution, you may need to change the filter sooner. The filter is easy to check visually, so your service advisor can quickly make the call. He might recommend immediate replacement or simply let you know that it is getting close and that you’ll need to replace it soon – like at your next oil change.

Because a severely dirty vehicle air filter hurts your vehicle, most people find that a new air filter pays for itself in better fuel economy before the next oil change.

The better your car breathes, the better it runs – kind of like people. And don’t worry – if you have a question or don’t understand a recommendation just ask your Oil Changers service advisor.

Oil Changers New Zealand