Does your car problems pop up often at the time you are in a hurry? Undoubtedly, the last thing that anyone doesn’t wants to deal with is their car that doesn’t run properly at the time when one needs to reach the office, drop off kids at school, or just exactly at the moment of leaving on a long road trip. It’s indeed worth circumventing this alarming and costly situation!
Well.. the air filters of your car engine may not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing engines or scenarios mentioned above but, an air filter is very critical to the health of your machine.
To run properly, all the fuel-burning engines need a regular supply of air. And the air filters help to clean this air before it passes through the cylinders to prevent tiny particles of dust and gravel from causing any further damage.
To put it in context, air filters are similar to your nose which filters out the useless foreign particles just before the time air outstretched enters your lungs while ensuring your respiratory system works properly.
Tailored to pass clean air into your car engine, the air filters are your vehicle’s initial point of defence, that not only allows clean air into the engine but also prevents many airborne contaminants such as filth, grime and dust particles from being drawn into the engine space. The engine air filter can become dirty over time and lose its ability to filter the air entering the engine. But, if your air filter gets congested with dust particles, it may have a significant impact on the engine performance of your vehicle.
In this write-up, we will talk about the major repairs & signs of damage to the air filters of your car. Read on to learn more:
Though getting your car’s air filter replaced is usually not a costly affair, But, it will be wiser to get a regular basic maintenance check-up of your vehicle to keep it running sleekly. You should also keep an eye on these below-mentioned repairs & signs of damage on air filters that tell your car is crying for help!
#1. Weird engine noises
The time your vehicle is idling, you might experience some smooth vibrations of a healthy engine. But, if you get to feel and hear strange and unusual sounds like a popping or grinding sound, then, this means that your car’s engine is not getting the adequate amount of airflow and indicates the repair & sign of damage to the air filters that need to be fixed or replaced.
#2. Low performance
Is your vehicle responding normally the time you push the accelerator down? Or else is it too slow and flat? If it’s the latter, there’s a probable chance that a clogged air filter is preventing your engine from receiving the clean air that it requires to run efficiently. Don’t panic! This problem can be resolved by simply replacing your vehicle’s air filters.
#3. Low fuel economy efficiency
Having a low fuel efficiency and the economy is another obvious indication of an air filter that needs to be repaired or replaced. A faulty air filter restricts the smooth airflow while minimizing the oxygen level in the blend. In the end, your car’s engine pays back all this by consuming extra fuel to generate power for moving covering a similar distance or pace as you might with an air filter in healthy and sound condition.
#4. Experience smoke from the exhaust
With inadequate air supply, your car’s engine will run on a rich fuel mixture that will not burn entirely just before exiting the car as a cloud of black smoke. Alternatively, the heat in the exhaust could ignite the unburned fuel, resulting in flames and a popping sound at the end of the exhaust.
#5. The smell of petrol in the exhaust
When you start your car and smell the petrol, the reason would be the inadequate flow of air
entering into the injection system, causing excess unburned fuel to exit the vehicle through the exhaust pipe. The smell will go away once you replace the air filters.
#6. The Air filters look dirty
A fresh air filter is either white or off-white, and it will gradually darken as dust and dirt accumulate. Conducting a regular visual inspection of your car’s air filters in adequate light will not only reveal a lot of dirt, but most of the fine dust particles will be visible too.
Wrapping It Up
While most of the automakers’ suggestions on how often to change your air filter vary, if you keep an eye on any of these above-mentioned repairs & signs of damage in the air filters, still you could be in the safe zone. Looking into the condition of the air filters is something you can do yourself or can hire professionals as well. But, if you are willing to do it yourself, the first thing you should do is to locate the air filters in your owner’s manual and then follow the step-by-step guide to remove the air filters.