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If you own a home, you are probably accustomed to changing the air filter in your furnace regularly to improve air quality. When it comes to your vehicle, the air filter works just the same. A clean air filter can improve much more than just the efficiency, and quality of air in your engine.

What Is An Engine Air Filter

An engine air filter takes out the bad road debris that can damage your engine or impair your car’s overall performance. Some of that debris, which includes bugs, rocks, leaves and dirt, can enter your engine if your air filter is clogged or needs replacing. Clean air entering in and out of your car’s engine enables your vehicle to function properly. When your air filter can supply clean air to your engine, it is able to improve your gas mileage by as much as 10%.

When To Change The Engine Air Filter

The short answer on how often you should change your engine’s air filter is that it varies. The maintenance schedule for replacing your engine’s air filter depends on the make of your vehicle. A good rule of thumb is to replace the filter every 12,000-15,000 miles. If you typically spend most of your time driving in hot weather or on unpaved, dusty roads, your air filter will need to be changed sooner.

A simple check of the color of the filter is also a sign to change it out. If your filter is no longer white or and appears to be gray or full of particles, it is time for a new filter. There are a few vehicle problems that also signal a filter replacement. These include a decrease in gas mileage, ignition issues, the service engine light coming on, and black smoke from exhaust.

How To Change Engine Air Filter

The great news is that changing your filter is something you can do yourself by following these simply steps

Step 1: Pop the hood and locate the engine’s air filter housing. Typically, this is a black plastic box beside the engine, but refer to your vehicles manual for the exact location.

Step 2: Open the unit to remove the old filter and remove any fasteners. Note: some may have a wiring harness attached that will need to be removed. Clean out any debris that may be caught in the housing unit before moving on.

Step 3: Place the new engine air filter into the box with the rubber rim facing up and secure the fasteners before closing the filter housing unit.