The Importance of Replacing Your Engine Air Filter

At Christian’s Automotive, we often find ourselves explaining to customers the significance of seemingly mundane car parts. One such component is your vehicle’s engine air filter. At first glance, it may seem insignificant, but its role is paramount in maintaining your vehicle’s performance and longevity.

When driving around, your vehicle engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas.

This massive volume of air passes through the engine air filter, which catches dust and dirt, ensuring that only clean air enters the engine. However, the filter can only hold so much debris before it becomes full. Once this happens, dirt starts seeping through the filter and infiltrating areas where it shouldn’t.

The dirty air first comes into contact with the mass airflow sensor. This delicate component measures how much air is getting into your engine, and when it begins to accumulate dirt, the readings become inaccurate. As a result, your vehicle doesn’t get the proper amount of fuel, leading to rough driving and poor performance.

In the long run, a dirty sensor can cause severe damage requiring replacement, which can be quite expensive. In fact, you could buy a case or two of air filters for the cost of a sensor replacement.

Moreover, the dirty air doesn’t stop at the sensor; it continues on to your vehicle engine where it’s burned along with the fuel. This process dirties up your combustion chamber and increases harmful exhaust emissions, negatively impacting air quality.

So, when your friendly and knowledgeable Christian’s Automotive service advisor recommends an air filter replacement, remember the potential costs and poor performance that can occur if you neglect this simple service.

Christian’s Automotive has been providing quality auto repair services for years. Our team of experts is always ready to advise you on the best maintenance practices for your vehicle. If you’re unsure whether it’s time to replace your engine air filter, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to keep your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently, because your car’s health is our priority.