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A clean air filter saves fuel
AUTO
Friday, November 06, 2009
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve a car's gas mileage by as much as 10 per cent, auto experts say.
But not only will replacing a dirty air filter save on gas, it also protects the engine.
The often-ignored air filter is extremely important, for it keeps impurities from reaching and damaging the inside of an engine.
As a filter gets progressively clogged fuel economy, performance and emissions begin to deteriorate and worsens gradually until the dirty filter is replaced.
Recommended times or mileage for changing a filter is, however, hard to give because the life of the filter depends on how much impurities it removes from the air.
For instance a filter that lasts 20,000 or even 30,000 miles in a vehicle that's driven mostly on paved roadways may last only a few months in a rural setting where the vehicle is driven frequently on gravel and dusty roads.
Changing it annually or every 15,000 miles for preventative maintenance may be a good recommendation for the city driver but in a rural, off-road setting an air filter could conceivably clog in months.
However, regardless of the mileage or time, wisdom dictates that a filter is replaced before it reaches the point where it creates significant restriction to airflow.
Periodic inspection of the air filter is therefore paramount. And given its size and position in the engine, accessing an air filter is an easy task.
But when exactly that point is reached is subject to opinion.
Ironically it is posited that a slightly dirty filter actually cleans more efficiently than a brand new filter.
That is because the debris trapped by the filter element helps screen out smaller particles that may get through a new filter.
Removing the filter and holding it up to a light will show how dirty it is. If it's really caked with dirt, it obviously needs to be replaced. Trying to shake or blow the dirt out is a waste of time because too much of it will be embedded in the filter fibres.
Many filters that appear to be dirty are in fact still good and do not really need to be replaced. So it's up to you. If you think it's dirty, replace it. If you don't think it's dirty enough to need replacing, then don't.
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