Who thinks about changing their air filters? Let\u2019s admit it. No one does. You head to your local auto parts store for a new windshield wiper, and they always ask. Would you like to purchase a new air filter today? You inevitably decline. But, if you stop to think about it\u2014when was the last time you changed your air filter? Probably never! It seems like such an inconsequential part\u2014like something that they just try to get you to bundle with your much-needed purchase to get more money out of you. Switching out your filter regularly can\u2019t really do that much for your vehicle\u2019s performance\u2026 can it?<\/p>\n
The truth is, your air filter is vital to your vehicle\u2019s performance. You car or truck needs an exact mixture of air and fuel to run efficiently. This is how your vehicle maintains the combustion process, which powers your engine. Your air filter acts as a barrier that protects your engine from dirt and other particles. If you\u2019re skeptical, check your grill and your front license plate after driving a long distance in warm weather. It\u2019ll inevitably be covered in leaves, sap, bugs and other grime. All of these things can make its way into your engine bay\u2014even water. If these bug guts, water and other grime can make it passed your air intake, it can cause corrosion or abrasion in your engine. Two things that you definitely don\u2019t want to happen! Your air filter catches all of these contaminants before they can reach your engine. However, when your filter gets clogged, these particles can pass right through and cause your engine to work harder. A clogged air filter will actually starve your engine of air, which it needs to execute the combustion process. In theory, a totally clogged air filter can cause your engine to stop running.<\/p>\n
More than likely, a dirty filter will just reduce your engine\u2019s performance. It can lead to decreased MPG, reduction in power and even permanent damage to your engine. You may think that permanent damage is a pretty severe side effect for such an inconsequential part. However, it is a realistic outcome. These contaminants can wear on your engine\u2019s metal and produce even more debris. If the debris accumulates enough, it can get sucked into the combustion chamber and cause your engine to completely shut down.<\/p>\n
Even if it hasn\u2019t gotten that far, a dirty filter can seriously affect the performance of your vehicle. When your air filter is blocked, the oxygen in your fuel mixture decreases and clean air can\u2019t mix with the fuel. The mixture will become too fuel-rich and lower your gas mileage. This can put unnecessary stress on your engine. You may even notice that your vehicle is running a little rough. Your check engine light may even turn on. Don\u2019t ignore these warning signs. Some parts on your vehicle, you can procrastinate on replacing. For instance, certain worn out floor mats or that cheesy pi\u00f1a colada air freshener. However, your air filter is not one of them. It\u2019s a simple, but vital part and they\u2019re cheap and easy to replace. Check your vehicle\u2019s owner\u2019s manual to see how often you should replace it. Or, have your favorite auto technician check the state of your air filter at your next tune up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Dirty Air Filter Can Trigger Your Check Engine Light Who thinks about changing their air filters? Let\u2019s admit it. No one does. You head to your local auto parts store for a new windshield wiper, and they always ask. Would you like to purchase a new air filter today? You inevitably decline. But, if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[38,20,21,39,40,41,26],"class_list":["post-2106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-filters","tag-air-filter","tag-auto","tag-car","tag-check-engine-light","tag-dirty-air-filter","tag-engine-light","tag-vehicle-maintenance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2106"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3038,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2106\/revisions\/3038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courthouseautomotive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}