Useful Tips For Checking And Changing Your Car’s Air Filter

By Ras Reed

Not only is air filter good for you in your room or office, its also ideal for your car. The lifespan of your beautiful car can be greatly enhanced with the right air filter. Your car’s air filter is very important since it keeps the engine of your car free of dirt which may reduce its efficiency. A wrong air filter or malfunctioning one that allows dirt into your car is detrimental to the wellbeing of your car. Hence, its highly recommended that you check the filter and change when necessary. Checking and changing your air filter is not as difficult as some people out there think. And you don’t need to call for your mechanic. You can do it yourself. It’s easy as 1, 2, 3.

When should you change your car’s air filters? You should change it once a year or after every 15,000 miles if you reside in an averagely dusty environment. But checking and changing it once in a while is more preferable. It’s not hard to check or replace the air filter. You can do it once you learn the how-to.

How do you check and replace it? You can do it by using a light from inside pointing outside and check how bright it looks through it. If you can see the light clearly, then your air filter is still in good working condition. But if you can’t see much of the light, that is an indication that the filter needs to be replaced.

Newer cars come with different air filters than the older ones. If your car is new, then its air filter is probably rectangular and can be found under the hood, near the radiator area or fender wells. Open it and remove the air filter from it and replace it with the new one. Make sure you close it up after replacing the filter.

But if your car is older, then the air filter will probably be of a big round shape which can be found near the engine area. You may find it screwed. Unscrew the cover, remove the air filter and put the new one instead while not forgetting to screw it back again. However, this demands your utmost attention in case there are any other attachment mechanism that may need to be removed as well.

However, if you can’t do all of that, it’s recommended that you call a professional mechanic to help you change it. This service does not require lots of money and you should therefore call the bluff of any mechanic that demands too much money. It’s also advisable that you stay with him when he’s changing the air filter as well as ensuring that a genuine air filter is actually used to replace the old one. There are many mechanics out there that will fix the wrong or fake air filter into your car. This ensures that you come back to them to have your car repaired. Be careful.