Choisser Automotive recommends that you have your vehicle’s air filter changed every 12,000 miles. Annually is also a good rule of thumb if you don’t drive 12,000 miles in one year. The air filter is critical to your vehicle’s high performance. This filter removes contaminants and particles from the air so that it burns cleanly in the combustion chamber.
Clogged Air Filter Problems
If you fail to change the air filter, it will eventually clog. Signs that you have a clogged air filter include acceleration loss, your vehicle’s engine sputtering and hiccupping, the inability to start your vehicle, and black exhaust smoke coming out of the tailpipe. The latter is caused by too much fuel and not enough air in the combustion chamber, which is a result of the clogged air filter. Your filter isn’t the only filter that needs to be changed regularly in your vehicle. Let’s talk more about the other filters below.
Cabin Air Filter
The cabin air filter’s job is to purify the air before it blows through the vents into your vehicle’s passenger cabin. This filter generally lasts about 30,000 miles before it needs to be changed. If you feel sluggish when you are driving your vehicle, you have an increase in your allergies, you get a headache, or you feel generally sick, it’s possible that you have a clogged cabin filter and you are inhaling dirt, dust, pollens, and possibly even exhaust.
Fuel Filter
The fuel filter needs to be changed every 30,000 miles or two years at a maximum. This filter is responsible for ensuring that all of the contaminants and sediment are removed from the fuel before it makes its way into your vehicle’s engine. A clogged fuel filter can cause similar signs as a clogged air filter with the exception of the black exhaust. You will notice a significant difference in your vehicle’s engine’s performance if your fuel filter is clogged.
Oil Filter
Your vehicle’s oil filter gets changed when we change the oil. This filter is unique in that it cleans the oil after it has circulated through the high-performance engine rather than before. As the oil flows through the engine, it collects dirt from the moving engine parts and the oil filter removes this dirt from the oil. This ensures that your vehicle always has clean motor oil circulating through the engine.
Choisser Automotive in Davidsonville MD would be happy to inspect your vehicle’s filters to see if any of them need to be changed. If they do, we’ve got you covered.