If you’ve ever wondered how many filters you have in your automobile, Stringer Auto Repair says three or four primary ones. As with the fluids in your car, truck, utility vehicle, or van, you need to change the filters when they get dirty. Failing to change the filters can directly affect your engine’s performance, your vehicle’s acceleration, your gas mileage, and can also damage your engine. Here is a guide to the filters in your automobile and when they need to be changed.
Air
Your vehicle has an air filter in the engine that needs to be changed once a year or every 12,000 miles. This filter cleans the air that comes in from the outside before that air is used in the combustion chamber with the fuel. Air and fuel are mixed in the combustion chamber so the spark plugs can ignite them to get your vehicle started and keep it running. A dirty air filter will cause all of the problems discussed in the introduction of this blog post.
Cabin Air
The reason we said three or four in the introduction is that some cars do not have a cabin air filter. Those cars have netting that never needs to be changed. Check your owner’s manual to see if your vehicle has a cabin air filter and, if it does, when it needs to be changed. Generally, this filter needs to be changed every 30,000 miles. This filter keeps the air inside your passenger cabin clean so you aren’t inhaling contaminants and exhaust.
Fuel
A clogged fuel filter will also cause the problems discussed in the introduction of this blog post. In fact, if your fuel filter is completely clogged, you won’t be able to start your automobile. The fuel filter needs to be changed every two years at a maximum. It should be changed after you’ve driven 30,000 miles whether that is in one year or two. The fuel filter makes sure that the fuel introduced to the combustion chamber is as clean as the air is.
Oil
Finally, the oil filter cleans the oil of the dirt and debris that it picks up when it circulates through the engine. Your vehicle must always have clean oil circulating through the engine; otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the engine beyond repair. The oil filter is changed every 3,000 miles or whenever you get your oil changed.
Stop by Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, for a filter check. If anything needs to be replaced, we will replace it.
