Do I really need to change my car’s air filter? - Midwest Performance Cars
“How often should you change your air filter?” “What is a cabin air filter?” “Do I even need to change it?” These are frequently asked questions when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Let’s start with the “engine air filter” of your vehicle. First off, is it important that I change it? The answer is YES, and here is why: Your engine operates on a mixture of gasoline (or diesel) fuel and air. On a modern car, and by modern, we’re talking late 1990’s and newer, there is a computer which monitors the air/fuel mixture and makes continual adjustments in the fuel delivery system in order to get it just right, as well as continually adjusting the other engine systems to make up for when that mixture misses the mark a bit. The proper operation of your engine is relying on enough air being able to move through the air intake system, through the air filter, and into the fuel delivery system. If your air filter is dirty, it can restrict the free flow of air into the engine, contributing to lower gas mileage, rough running, and can even generate a check engine light if it gets dirty enough. That is a bundle of potential trouble, all in the effort to save a few dollars by stretching the life of a dirty air filter. That just does not make sense, and it ends up costing you more money, time and trouble – not worth it!
