How To Clean A Reusable Car Air Filter

Cleaning your car's air filter is probably one of the easiest jobs yous can undertake and a fantastic introduction to DIY auto maintenance. My father ran his ain auto repair business and equally a kid, cleaning the air filter was one of my areas of expertise.

Cleaning and reusing a car's air filter is an adequate practice. Performance air filters are durable and are designed to be reused. Although standard air filters may be cleaned, they aren't durable and volition need to be replaced at the next service.

In this article, you'll acquire the importance of cleaning your auto's air filter, how to make clean information technology correctly and when to alter it out.

What Happens When Auto Air Filter Is Muddied?

Your car'due south air filter, made from plastic, paper, and foam may seem like a trivial component, after all, it's pretty unimpressive to wait at. Simply permit's have a moment to consider what the filter actually does.

A car's standard air filter is cleverly designed, it's synthetic with pleated paper. Nosotros describe them equally paper filters but information technology's a highly engineered media. It's a resin-treated paper mixed with synthetic fibers that tin filter fine particulars as small as 5 microns.

The pleated media configuration makes a deviation too, the pleats increase the surface area which increases air intake capacity, important when the engine is moving with the throttle wide open up.

Your car'due south air filter has two master tasks, filter the air and settle the air.

Filter the air

Our surround is filled with silica, they're fine particulates of rock basically. The fine grains accept the ability to destroy your engine, non at once, but over a period of a year. If not for the air filter, the constant smash of fine grit sucked into the engine, would erode the throttle body, intake system, valves, and cylinders.

In addition, many mod cars are fitted with turbochargers. The turbo helps power output and efficiency. The turbos impeller spins in excess of 250,000 rpm, grit hitting the turbo's impeller at these speeds will wear the impeller away in jig time.

I am a mechanic and I've worked on seen the damage this causes. Some environments have higher levels of silica and under these conditions, the damage tin can happen surprisingly quickly. This blazon of damage can be expensive to repair.

Settles the air

You know your cars use computers to balance the delicate ratio of gas to air. The measurement is important, an engine won't run well if it'south getting too much air or not plenty.

A sensor inside the air filter tubing is mission-critical. It'southward known as a Mass Air Menstruation sensor or MAF. Its function is to measure incoming airflow and signal the PCM (Power-train Control Module). The PCM then calculates how much fuel to add, this is a continuous operation.

Airflow moving around a automobile tends to be erratic and therefore uneven. Allowing big chunks of air to enter the engine would crusade the sensor and PCM to make erratic calculations, non helpful for smooth running.

Calculation a pleated air filter slows downward, uniforms, and stabilizes the airflow.

Tin can Yous Clean A Car Air Filter With Lather And Water?

Some performance air filters may be cleaned using soap and water. However, these type filters will resemble a sponge-type material. Standard pleated paper-type filters should not be done in soap and water, this will touch how air flows through the filter.

Washing tends to damage the fibers and prevent airflow, this volition result in poor, rough, or no running. Black smoke, engine calorie-free on, and misfiring are all possible symptoms of a washed air filter.

Can I Vacuum My Air Filter?

Vacuuming your car's air filter is admittedly fine. Withal vacuum from the direction of airflow, otherwise, you'll be trying to suck the grit through the media. Plainly, if the filter is thick with dirt and grit it needs to exist replaced.

How To Clean The Air Filter Similar A Pro

Cleaning your machine'south air filter is equally you know an adequate exercise, only isn't a substitute for replacement. Your air filter should ideally be cleaned every 15,000 miles and most service intervals volition recommend a change every 30,000 miles.

If your surround is dusty, driving on unsealed roads during the summertime season, for case, volition obviously cause a ton of grit inside the air filter. In dusty weather cheque and clean the air filter in one case a month.

Cleaning your filter is easy, follow these tips:

Remove the air filter cover – On most cars this won't require any tools, just some may require unplugging the MAF sensor.
Remove and examine filter – Holes, replace filter.
Clean filter – Borer the filter on on a flooring will cause the dust to drop off. Tap from direction of airflow. Use a vacuum or soft bristle brush to remove any remnants.
Bank check filter – Concord the filter to the light, if light doesn't pass through the filter, it'due south time to replace information technology.
Make clean the housing – Remove grit from the air box, use a damp cloth to trap the dust and dust.
Clean the MAF – Spray some contact cleaner on the mass sensor.
Reassemble – Cleaning the filter keen, only exercise supervene upon the filter in one case per twelvemonth, especially important if your automobile is turbo charged.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Motorcar's Air Filter?

Maf Sensor cleaning — Cleaning MAF Sensor

Air filters aren't expensive, you tin can buy most filters between $25 and $50, and you tin normally add together the cost of the filter again for labor to fit. But you tin can easily fit the filter yourself, in many cases most cars use a tool-less air filter housing.

I would advise fitting information technology yourself and using the savings to buy an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) filter from the dealer and some electrical contact cleaner for the MAF sensor.

You can bank check out the MAF cleaner I use here on the Consumables page.

When Should I Change The Air Filter?

A vehicle's air filter should be cleaned every 15,000 miles and then replaced every 30,000 miles. For virtually cars, a new air filter once per twelvemonth is about right.

However, if your vehicle operates in dusty conditions, you need to check and make clean it once a month. Clean air is specially important to turbo-charged gas and diesel engines alike.

Declining to clean the air filter volition result in premature turbocharger failure, and that's quite spendy.

Does Irresolute Air Filter Meliorate Gas Mileage

A dirty filter does impact gas mileage. The clogged filter prevents airflow and that chokes the engine. Express functioning means the engine needs to work even harder to get the chore done and that takes more gas.

Replacing a dirty filter for a clean gratis-flowing filter will make a difference to your performance and consequently your gas mileage.

Does Changing Air Filter Improve Performance

A neglected muddied air filter will allow dirt to contaminate the throttle body. Your throttle torso is responsible for controlling airflow to the engine. A dirty throttle plate is common, cleaning is a uncomplicated job that makes a earth of difference to how your vehicle performs.

Spraying the throttle trunk with throttle body cleaner removed grit, clay, oil, and carbon deposits.

A clean throttle plate results in smoother idling, crisper response, and more fuel efficient. Check out the throttle torso cleaner I use here on the Consumables page.

A muddy filter restricts airflow and that restricts operation. The engine can't make power without oxygen. Whatsoever restriction in the oxygen-rich airflow will hamper power output.

Some common restrictions include:

Muddied air filter
Kinked air intake duct
Loose turbo charger hose
Leaking inter-cooler
Loftier altitudes
Extreme ambient temperatures

Cleaning, changing, or plumbing fixtures a operation filter will improve airflow, power, and gas mileage.