BREATHING - good for you and good for your car.The function of an air filter is similar to that of the hairs in your nose. They filter out dust and dirt particles, pollutants, etc. before the air flows into the engine. Air flows from the air filter through the intake manifold into the engine where it mixes with the fuel. The ‘stoichiometric formula’refers to the optimum air to fuel ratio: 14.7 parts of air to every one part of fuel. That is a lot of air.
Do all cars have filters? Yes! Old cars – 1960’s and below had oil bath filters. Now cars have dry paper filters which look like mini accordions.
How often should I replace my air filter? Depending on driving conditions, your air filter should be replaced every 10,000 to 30,000 miles. Clean, high-quality air filters ensure full engine performance. They clean the intake air reliably and are resistant to humidity, heat, oil and air pulsations in the intake process. Timely air filter replacement pays off. With new air filters, fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 10%.
Besides using more fuel (pain at the pump), cars with plugged air filters also create more emissions at the tail pipe. The overall performance is negatively affected. The worse case scenario would be that the filter becomes so dirty that the dirt escapes into the engine causing engine damage. Clean air filters prolong engine life. Similarly, people with emphysema (lung problem) do not operate at their full capacity. Second worse scenario, it could actually stop your car from running.
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| I've seen worse |
Imagine the road conditions your car has to put up with. There is dirt and trash on the roads which gets whipped around by the vehicle in front of yours. Then your car gets to breathe it all in. We've seen candy wrappers, paper, wood, dirt, leaves, pine needles, etc. lodged in people’s old air filters.
Garaged cars will occasionally find rodents who have deemed the air filter as the best place to start a family or camp out. They bring acorns, dog food, cozy shredded paper…all of the amenities of a happy rat or mouse, into the air filter and housing. One real problem that can occur in this circumstance is a horrific smell if the critter dies somewhere in your car. Ugh!
There is a product on the market called K/N high performance lifetime air filters for cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Initially they are more expensive, but they are designed to last a million miles and with better air flow. They are made with 4-6 sheets of cotton gauze layered between two sheets of aluminum wire mesh. This media is then pleated and oiled. It is recommended to wash and re-oil once every 50,000 miles. We mention this product because of our Green stance we take in our business. Imagine the positive impact on our landfills if every car in the world converted to a lifetime air filter during regular maintenance.
Stay tuned to the next edition of Rock, Paper, Car where we will talk about Cabin Air Filters.
