How To Change A Car Air Filter
A car air filter filters out dust and other debris from your engine's air intake. If your air filter becomes too clogged with dirt and other contaminants, it will not be able to draw in enough air to efficiently run your engine, resulting in higher fuel consumption, slower acceleration, and overall reduced performance. In order to maintain your car's performance, you should change your air filter according to your owner's manual specifications. Thankfully, the process is fairly simple and can be done in just a few minutes with the right know how.
Before You Begin
You won't need any tools, but you will need a replacement air filter, available at most automotive and hardware stores. Find one that fits your make, model, and year of vehicle. You may also want to use gloves to keep your hands clean while working.
If you have a reusable filter (made out of gauze or foam), you don't actually have to replace the filter, but instead only have to clean it with water, and then apply motor oil to the filter before reinstalling it into the filter box.
However, all vehicles come factory installed with paper filters, which are not reusable and need to be replaced. If you haven't replaced your air filter yet, odds are you have a disposable paper filter.
Removing the Old Filter
Locate the air filter box. Depending on your vehicle, it will be located on top of or right beside your engine.
Unclasp the clips that are keeping the box sealed. You will expose your old filter, which will be fairly dirty. If there is not a lot of visible dirt and debris between the folds of the filter, it does not need to be replaced.
Remove the filter from the housing, taking care to not dump the dirt inside the engine compartment.
Take the new filter out of its packaging and install it in the housing, making sure that it sits snugly, with no wiggle room. If there is space between the filter and the housing, then you have the wrong model of air filter. Take the old filter in to an automotive store to match it with a model that will fit in your vehicle.
Close the top of the housing, and snap the clips back into place. Close the hood. Your car should now experience increased performance and better fuel efficiency with the newly installed air filter. For more information, talk to a company like White Pass Garage.