Air Filter Replacement in Colorado
The Importance of Air Filters
While your car has a number of different filters, the cabin and the engine air filters are designed to clean the warm or cool air coming from the car's heating or air conditioning system. Airborne particles like dust, pollen, and gaseous vapors coming from the gasoline or diesel exhaust system can cause respiratory issues like eye and nose irritation or result in asthma symptoms flaring up. Along with these health issues, properly operating air filters also adds to better visibility because the interior of glass windows remains cleaner, and the windows will defog faster.
If you're looking to improve your car's engine performance, then consider having your air filter replaced. A dirty or clogged air filter will upset the balance of a car's air and fuel mix. If not enough air is reaching the engine, the result is excess fuel intake. The excess fuel in the car leads to a sooty residue on the spark plugs, reducing their ability to create the spark that is necessary for combustion.
How to choose the right air filter
Air filters vary not only by size to fit your car's engine air filter compartment, but they are also available at various quality levels or price points, shapes, and materials. The typical car air filter is a flexible or rigid plastic housing that is rectangular, square, or round in shape. The actual filtering material that is affixed and sealed within the plastic body will be a pleated material designed to filter out a certain size of particles and a certain amount of air contaminants.
The filter's material determines how well the air filter will perform. The air filter may be constructed from paper (or cellulose fibers), foam, or a high-quality synthetic blend of materials. Paper air filters are the most economical and do a good job of maintaining airflow and a level of filtration to prevent dust and debris from entering the engine.
Foam air filters are designed with a porous structure and are very lightweight. They are more effective at filtering not only debris but also finer particles of dust. Motorcycles and off-road-type vehicles often use foam air filters, but they must be regularly oiled and seated correctly for proper operation.
For the greatest durability and superior filtering capacity, choose an air filter manufactured of synthetic fibers. While these high-performance filters cost more, they are capable of catching the smallest particles and are more efficient than standard paper filters.
When to change your car's air filter
Your first line of defense for keeping your car operating at maximum levels is to follow the manufacturer's recommended guidelines for changing your engine air filter and your cabin air filter. The engine air filter is different from your car's cabin air filter and can be located by referring to your auto manufacturer's owner's manual.
The engine air filter is typically located in a black plastic housing that sits on the side or on top of the car's engine. This makes it easy to perform a visual inspection of the air filter. If it looks very dirty or grimy, then consider having the air filter changed immediately.
Also, consider your driving habits and where you live. If the environment in which you live and drive is dusty, has many unpaved roads, or is an industrial manufacturing area, then your car's air filter may need to be changed more often than recommended. Otherwise, the recommended rule of thumb is to change your car's engine air filter every 15,000 to 30,000 miles.
To keep your car running smoothly and safely, remove the air filter from its housing and brush off any surface dirt or debris with a soft brush. Or, you can use a compressed air hose or a vacuum cleaner to push or suck dirt from the filter paper. If the air filter is very dirty, you can swirl it in water to loosen the caught-up dirt, dust, and grime. Always remember to let the air filter dry completely before reinstalling, to protect your engine's performance.
Contact EAS Auto & Tire for an appointment to have your car's air filter cleaned or replaced when it is extremely dirty or when your car is scheduled for its regular tune-up or oil change servicing.