-
3 Reasons to Replace an Air Filter
It’s always a good idea to periodically replace the air filter in your vehicle. Most car manufacturers recommend that you change the air filter in your vehicle about every 10,000 or 15,000 miles; however, if you live in dusty areas or you frequently drive on dirt or gravel roads, you may want to consider changing your air filter much more frequently. With these types of driving conditions, you may want to change your air filter every 5,000 to 6,000 miles. Here are some good reasons why you should frequently replace your air filter:
Better Performance
Your car’s engine requires adequate airflow intake for proper combustion and to generate power. A clogged or dirty air filter will mean less air is able to pass through the filter and enter your car’s engine. This will result in less efficient combustion and poor performance for your vehicle.
Better Gas Mileage
A sufficient amount of airflow into the engine also means that your engine doesn’t have to work as hard to create the power needed to accelerate or maintain acceptable driving speeds. More efficient combustion means more power and less work for engine. By allowing an engine to work more efficiently, you can usually improve your fuel economy or gas mileage by up to about 10% to 15%.
Less Frequent Oil Changes
Many of the contaminants found in an engine’s motor oil come from dirty and clogged air filters. By making sure that your vehicle always has a clean air filter, you may reduce the frequency that you need to change the motor oil in your vehicle as the oil will remain cleaner for longer periods of time.
