Most people know that they need to replace their car air filter at specific intervals (usually every 15,000 miles). The build up in the filter that causes it to clog doesn't happen all at once. It accumulates gradually, choking off more and more air supply to the engine. This results in a loss of performance and fuel economy. Cleaning your filter between changes is both something you can do and something that will help your car run better and more efficiently. How to Tell If Your Air Filter Needs Changing >> There are a couple of schools of thought on cleaning your air filter. Some people recommend using a cleaning solution. Others swear by vacuuming. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The soap approach might get the filter cleaner. The problem, though, is that it takes a lot more time (you need to make sure the filter is completely dry before replacing it) and has a higher risk level (putting the filter back in wet can damage your engine). Vacuuming might not get as many contaminants, but it is a fast process and you won't do any harm.

If you have the manual for your vehicle, take a look to locate your filter. interior wall ac coverIf not you can check the Internet or ask your mechanic the next time your car is serviced. what size ac unit for 1000 square feetThe filter will usually be fairly easy to access and is in a little canister. how much does it cost to recharge home ac unitMost open either with a wing nut or a couple of clamps that can be easily removed. The filter usually just sits in there and you can simply pull it out. If you choose to use soap, place the filter in a bucket with a soapy water solution. Swish it around and pull it out. Shake the filter to get as much liquid out as you can. Set it down on a towel to dry. Be sure to allow plenty of time to be sure it is completely dry.

For those who prefer the vacuum cleaner approach, run the vacuum over the filter for a minute or so on each side. Look it over again and remove anything that is left on the outside. Whichever method you use to clean the filter, be sure to clean out the canister as well. A soft cloth or paper towel will do a good job. Just be sure not to leave any pieces behind. If you use any thing wet, make sure the canister is completely dry before putting the filter back in. Once again, moisture left behind can cause engine damage. Put the filter back in. Reverse the process you used to open it. Remember that rather than paying to have a new filter put in you can save some money by doing it yourself. It's completely the same process - minus cleaning the filter. There are four main types of air filters used in cars today: A vehicle's air filter is a replaceable component of the intake system. As a motor runs, air comes in through the air intake and travels through the air cleaner.

Gas is added to the air that has passed through the air filter and the air/gas mixture is compressed inside the cylinder. As pressure builds in the cylinder, the spark plug fires, igniting the air/gas mixture, forcing the piston down into the cylinder. The piston turns the motor. So, the air filter provides clean air to the gas. When dirt builds up in the air filter, thus reducing the amount of air for the air/gas mixture, it can choke an engine and reduce gas mileage. You should change the filter before the car performance is jeopardized. A dirty air filter will hurt fuel economy, performance and emissions. The factory recommends that the air filter is changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles, however your everyday driving conditions will make a difference. Obviously you need to change your air filter more often if you live on a rural dirt road. The best advice is to inspect the air filter at every oil change, which should be every 3,000 miles, and replace the filter as needed. Visual inspection is a sufficient and most common method for determining air filter replacement.

You just need to remove the air filter and see whether the air filter is clean or dirty. You can also remove the filter and tap it with a screwdriver. If you see dirt falling from the air cleaner, it needs to be replaced. Every car and vehicle is different. The following advice is for the majority of cars, but always consult your owner's manual for information on how to replace your air filter. Remember to always wear protective eyewear and gloves when repairing a vehicle. First, locate the air filter housing. The air filter housing can be identified by looking for the air intake tube at the engine. The air filter housing typically has retainer clips or screws. Remove the clips or screws and then the air filter housing top. Replace the old filter with a new filter and reassemble. The difference between a factory air filter or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and a discount air filter is basically in the specifications, such as the micron count of the material used and filter material surface area.

Factory air filters have a small micron count and performance air filters have a higher count. Used auto engine air filter, clean side Used auto engine air filter, dirty side Auto engine air filter clogged with dust and grime Low-temperature oxidation catalyst used to convert carbon monoxide to less toxic carbon dioxide at room temperature. It can also remove formaldehyde from the air. A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mould, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds or ozone. Air filters are used in applications where air quality is important, notably in building ventilation systems and in engines. Some buildings, as well as aircraft and other human-made environments (e.g., satellites and space shuttles) use foam, pleated paper, or spun fiberglass filter elements.

Another method, air ionisers, use fibers or elements with a static electric charge, which attract dust particles. The air intakes of internal combustion engines and air compressors tend to use either paper, foam, or cotton filters. Oil bath filters have fallen out of favor. The technology of air intake filters of gas turbines has improved significantly in recent years, due to improvements in the aerodynamics and fluid dynamics of the air-compressor part of the gas turbines. The cabin air filter is typically a pleated-paper filter that is placed in the outside-air intake for the vehicle's passenger compartment. Some of these filters are rectangular and similar in shape to the combustion air filter. Others are uniquely shaped to fit the available space of particular vehicles' outside-air intakes. The first automaker to include a disposable filter to clean the ventilation system was the Nash Motors "Weather Eye", introduced in 1940. Being a relatively recent addition to automobile equipment, this filter is often overlooked, and can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle's air conditioning and heating performance.

Clogged or dirty cabin air filters can significantly reduce airflow from the cabin vents, as well as introduce allergens into the cabin air stream. The poor performance of these filters is obscured by manufacturers by not using the MERV rating system. Some people mistakenly believe that some of these are HEPA filters. The combustion air filter prevents abrasive particulate matter from entering the engine's cylinders, where it would cause mechanical wear and oil contamination. Most fuel injected vehicles use a pleated paper filter element in the form of a flat panel. This filter is usually placed inside a plastic box connected to the throttle body with ductwork. Older vehicles that use carburetors or throttle body fuel injection typically use a cylindrical air filter, usually a few inches high and between 6 inches (150 mm) and 16 inches (410 mm) in diameter. This is positioned above the carburetor or throttle body, usually in a metal or plastic container which may incorporate ducting to provide cool and/or warm inlet air, and secured with a metal or plastic lid.

The overall unit (filter and housing together) is called the air cleaner. In 2003 Ford Motor Company introduced the Visteon Long Life Filtration System to the Ford Focus.[2] This system has a foam filter placed in the bumper of the car and is stated to have a 150,000-mile (240,000 km) service interval.[2] According to a technical paper published by Society of Automotive Engineers, this design offers higher and more stable filtration efficiency than conventional air filters. Pleated paper filter elements are the nearly exclusive choice for automobile engine air cleaners, because they are efficient, easy to service, and cost-effective. The "paper" term is somewhat misleading, as the filter media are considerably different from papers used for writing or packaging, etc. There is a persistent belief amongst tuners, fomented by advertising for aftermarket non-paper replacement filters, that paper filters flow poorly and thus restrict engine performance. In fact, as long as a pleated-paper filter is sized appropriately for the airflow volumes encountered in a particular application, such filters present only trivial restriction to flow until the filter has become significantly clogged with dirt.

Construction equipment engines also use this. Oil-wetted polyurethane foam elements are used in some aftermarket replacement automobile air filters. Foam was in the past widely used in air cleaners on small engines on lawnmowers and other power equipment, but automotive-type paper filter elements have largely supplanted oil-wetted foam in these applications. Foam filters are still commonly used on air compressors for air tools up to 5Hp. Depending on the grade and thickness of foam employed, an oil-wetted foam filter element can offer minimal airflow restriction or very high dirt capacity, the latter property making foam filters a popular choice in off-road rallying and other motorsport applications where high levels of dust will be encountered. Due to the way dust is captured on foam filters, large amounts may be trapped without measurable change in airflow restriction. Oiled cotton gauze is employed in a growing number of aftermarket automotive air filters marketed as high-performance items.

In the past, cotton gauze saw limited use in original-equipment automotive air filters. However, since the introduction of the Abarth SS versions, the Fiat subsidiary supplies cotton gauze air filters as OE filters. Stainless steel mesh is another example of medium which allow more air to pass through. This also allow automotive ecu tuners to maximise the performance of engine to its peak. Stainless steel mesh also comes with different mesh count offering filtration standards. In extreme modified engine lacking in space for a cone based air filter, some will opt to install a simple stainless steel mesh over the turbo to ensure no particles enter the engine via the turbo. An oil bath air cleaner consists of a sump containing a pool of oil, and an insert which is filled with fibre, mesh, foam, or another coarse filter media. When the cleaner is assembled, the media-containing body of the insert sits a short distance above the surface of the oil pool. The rim of the insert overlaps the rim of the sump.

This arrangement forms a labyrinthine path through which the air must travel in a series of U-turns: up through the gap between the rims of the insert and the sump, down through the gap between the outer wall of the insert and the inner wall of the sump, and up through the filter media in the body of the insert. This U-turn takes the air at high velocity across the surface of the oil pool. Larger and heavier dust and dirt particles in the air cannot make the turn due to their inertia, so they fall into the oil and settle to the bottom of the base bowl. Lighter and smaller particles are trapped by the filtration media in the insert, which is wetted by oil droplets aspirated there into by normal airflow. Oil bath air cleaners were very widely used in automotive and small engine applications until the widespread industry adoption of the paper filter in the early 1960s. Such cleaners are still used in off-road equipment where very high levels of dust are encountered, for oil bath air cleaners can sequester a great deal of dirt relative to their overall size without loss of filtration efficiency or airflow.