Your automobile’s engine relies on a combination of air and gasoline to fire up and run. The more balanced this combination is the more efficiently your engine runs. So, yes, changing the air filter regularly improves your vehicle’s gas mileage. If it gets clogged and not replaced, your engine will not get the air it needs to generate combustion. Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic & Repair lists when you should change your air filter below as well as the other filters in your car, truck, or utility vehicle.
The Engine’s Air Filter
Your engine’s air filter needs to be changed every 12,000 miles. If you don’t drive that distance in one year, plan to have the air filter changed annually. It’s important to make sure that you always have a clean air filter. This not only prevents contaminants from making their way into the combustion chamber but also supplies the combustion chamber with plenty of fresh air.
The Air Filter in Your Vehicle’s Cabin
Your automobile may also have an air filter in the cabin to keep the air blowing through the vents clean and fresh. If it does, it’s a good idea to have this filter changed every 30,000 miles. If your vehicle does not have a cabin air filter, do not panic. There is netting that prevents contaminants from making their way into your vehicle’s cabin, and this netting does not need to be changed.
The Fuel Filter
The fuel in your engine must be as clean as the air. The fuel filter actually filters the gasoline or diesel fuel twice before it makes its way to the fuel injectors to be sprayed into the cylinders. As with the cabin filter, the fuel filter should be changed every 30,000 miles. If you don’t drive your vehicle 30,000 miles in two years, change the fuel filter every two years.
The Oil Filter
Finally, the oil filter must be changed every time you have the oil changed in your automobile. The oil filter actually cleans the motor oil after it has circulated through the engine. It removes the dirt and contaminants that the oil picks up during its route. It’s important that only clean oil circulates through your automobile’s engine, and this is why the oil filter is changed every 3,000 miles.
Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic & Repair is the best auto service shop in St. George, UT, and we’d be happy to inspect your automobile’s filters to see if they are clean or dirty. If they are dirty, we will replace them.
