5 years ago
Welcome!
A lot of people after buying their first car start to constantly ask questions like: “How does it work?” “Why is this thing even needed here?” etc. Today we will try, especially for such people, that is, for you, to reveal the whole essence of “Why do we need an air filter for a car!” and we will try to make it as simple as possible, so that later you will not have any questions in the future.
Note!
If, nevertheless, something remains unclear to you, then in this case, ask your questions in the comments and we will be happy to answer them!
Summary:
What is an air filter for?
The air filter helps to clean the air that enters the cylinders from dust, from exhaust gases that are in the air, as well as from other small particles that can adversely affect engine performance.
It also contributes to a slight increase in power, as well as a slight decrease in fuel consumption, but this is all due only to the fact that thanks to the filter, dust and exhaust gases do not enter the engine due to which the car engine loses its power and eventually collapses.
To make you feel more about the importance of the air filter in the system, we will answer one frequently asked question: “What would happen if the car was operated with a heavily contaminated air filter?”. And the answer is: “The car will drive much worse, especially if the filter is very dirty. And it will also negatively affect the fuel consumption of the car, in connection with which it will increase.
And most importantly, with a heavily contaminated filter, the dust that enters the cylinders from the air will greatly erase the mirror part of these cylinders, and therefore the engine life can be greatly reduced.
When should the air filter be changed?
The air filter needs to be changed depending on the area in which you are. For example, to make it more clear to you, let's take two cities: "Moscow" and "Ulyanovsk".
At the moment, "Ulyanovsk" is considered not so polluted city, unlike "Moscow" it is influenced by a lot of factors ranging from various factories to the population of the country.
The state of the modern environment cannot be called ideal. All around is polluted air, full of dust, foreign solid microparticles, harmful substances and other natural "surprises". And in such conditions, drivers should drive their cars.
What happens if solid microscopic elements contained in the air get inside the motor? Of course, it can fail very soon. The situation can be saved by installing an air filter, which protects the engine from various microscopic objects in the air. But this part is a consumable, that is, it must be changed periodically.
Often, manufacturers indicate the frequency of changing the air filter in the user's car manual. But such information is only suitable for motorists living in ideal climatic conditions. Most of us live in conditions with moderate or even increased environmental pollution. Therefore, the filter must be changed 2 (in most cases) or even 3 times more often (for conditions with increased environmental pollution). Replacing the filter is a simple task that any motorist can perform. And the cost of a new filter is less than the restoration of a damaged motor.
What is an air filter
The main task of this consumable is to protect the motor from foreign microscopic bodies contained in the air. The appearance of the filter is made in the form of an accordion made of a special material, the main property of which is the ability to prevent the movement of various solid microparticles. Every day the number of such foreign objects increases, which is the result of poor air flow inside the power unit. Around the accordion, the placement of seals is provided, the purpose of which is to block the passage of air into the engine bypassing the filter.
In general, ignoring the need to replace the filter or its untimely installation is fraught with an increase in the rate of wear of engine parts and serious damage to the motor in the near future.
When replacing filters, the design of the vehicle must be taken into account. After all, not every car will fit, say, a filter of a different shape. In addition, the filters differ from each other in the way of air purification (filters of cyclone, inertia-oil, direct-flow filtration). To use the purifier in climates with a moderate degree of pollution, you can use a conventional filter, with a high degree of pollution, a heavy purifier.
Most motorists, when installing a filter, prefer analogues with. Such parts are used during sports competitions, when cars need to move on tracks with a high degree of dustiness.
But, despite the good performance of filters with zero resistance in racing, the use of such devices on conventional cars will not give the desired effect. They are expensive, and when installing them, it is necessary to carry out additional expensive tuning work, otherwise the efficiency of the zero-resistance filter will simply be zero.
When to replace the filter
Any driver can ask the question: “How often should air filters be changed?” No one will give an exact answer to this question. After all, each manufacturer has a different replacement rate for this part. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the degree of environmental pollution in a particular region.
If some motorists prefer to replace the filter within a certain pattern, then when replacing it after driving every 10 thousand kilometers, he will definitely be able to protect his car from premature wear of engine elements. It is also necessary to replace the part when the following symptoms appear in the operation of the machine:
- Increased fuel consumption in the car.
- Significant reduction in engine power.
- An increase in the amount of CO2 in the exhaust.
If these signs are identified, it is necessary to pick up the instructions and find there a description of the sequence for replacing the air filter.
How to change air filters
When starting to replace the filter element, it is necessary to take into account the design features of the car. Each manufacturer attaches and arranges the cleaner in its own way.
In general, the filter replacement algorithm in cars of different brands and models differs little. First, the driver opens the hood, then finds the air filter, then studies its fastening (in most cases it is fastened with simple latches). After that, the cleaner is removed and its condition is assessed.
Note that the filters are disposable and reusable. Disposable cleaners are replaced immediately. Reusable can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. True, this method of car care cannot be called effective (the dirt accumulated on the cleaner is not completely removed). But still, after these manipulations, the cleaner can still perform its functions for some time. After that, a new (or cleaned) filter is fixed again.
What the experts say
According to experienced motorists, changing the engine air filter should be combined with the procedure for replacing engine oil. This is done after 10-15 thousand km of travel. Thus, maintenance of the entire engine will be performed in order to ensure its long and reliable operation.
To quickly complete the procedure, you need to read the user manual to understand the structure of the motor and obtain information about the design of the filter used. New air filters are purchased only taking into account the make of the machine. If there are new modern devices in the car shop, it is necessary to consult with specialists regarding the suitability of the cleaner for a particular car.
Other Features of Air Filter Replacement
When replacing the air filter, it is necessary to determine if the motor is new. In cars with new engines that were not used under increased load, the oil change is carried out more often than the cleaner. The filter is replaced every other time when filling the lubricant.
In cars with diesel turbocharged engines, the conditions of use of the cleaner require its replacement at each oil change at the time of maintenance.
Conclusion
Experienced drivers recommend not saving on a cleaner, the quality of which affects the operation of the entire power unit. Otherwise, the need to restore it (fraught with large monetary costs) can very soon "please" the owner of the car.
Repairing or buying a new engine is very expensive. So do not forget about the timely replacement of the air filter and regular car service. The price of performing these procedures is much less than the work performed when the car engine fails.
Video
Air is required to run any internal combustion engine. Without it, the fuel will not be able to ignite. Also, with insufficient air in the engine, oxygen starvation occurs, which naturally affects the power and efficiency of the motor. At this point, the engine will be under heavy load to provide enough traction to drive. In addition, the air that enters the engine must be clean. Otherwise, dust and other dirty particles may contaminate the engine. This will not only reduce the performance of the power unit, but also shorten its service life due to increased wear on the metal components of the motor. In the place where oxygen enters the car, it is usually installed, which plays the main role in cleaning the air entering the engine.
That is, from the moment the engine is started until the moment it is turned off, the air filter in your car is always working, passing huge air flows through itself, cleaning it from various dirty particles that can harm the engine. However, even the best and most expensive air filter cannot do its job for very long. Sooner or later it must be replaced with a new one. But how often does it need to be changed? Indeed, in modern cars there is no one that would report that the time has come to replace the air filter.
Firstly, you can find out about this in the automaker's documentation, where, as a rule, the frequency of mandatory replacement of all filters is indicated. Including air. True, this does not mean that you should strictly adhere to this manufacturer's recommendation. After all, these recommendations are general. In fact, it all depends on what region you use the car in, what climate, on what roads (city, highway, village, etc.), what driving style you prefer, etc.
For example, if you most often use your car on country dusty roads, then of course you should change the air filter much more often than the automaker recommends in the maintenance schedule. But if you operate the car most of the time on the clean streets of the city, without moving off the asphalt, then the filter can be changed at the frequency recommended by the automaker. And if you tighten a little in the planned replacement of the filter, nothing terrible will happen.
In principle, ideally, you should change the air filter with every engine oil change. So not only more convenient and practical. After all, if you change the air filter along with the oil, you are unlikely to forget about it.
If you do not want to change the air filter every oil change (for example, if the roads on which the machine is operated are mostly clean and the air is not filled with small dirty particles), then in any case, at each oil change, you should check the condition of the filter.
Agree, pulling out the air filter and conducting a visual inspection does not cost anything. But in fact, this is very important, since regularly checking the condition of the filter and replacing it in a timely manner will help you avoid costly engine repairs in the future.
Regardless of the automaker's recommendations, our advice above, and given that air filters can wear at different rates, you should be aware of the symptoms that indicate a dirty air filter and it's time to replace it with a new one.
Here are the main signs that the air filter in the car has become unusable:
- Significant
- Problems with, slow engine start or start failure
- Misfires
- The indicator on the dashboard is on
- Rough engine idling
If your car has the above symptoms, then first of all, be sure to check the condition of the air filter, which may be very dirty. We draw your attention to the fact that, even if you have just recently bought a car, if you find these symptoms, also be sure to check the filter, since any air filter in the car can become dirty in a short time. As we said, it depends on many factors.
For example, during the African heat wave in the summer of 2010 in Moscow, when the capital was enveloped in the smoke of burning peat bogs, all car owners in the Moscow region faced the problem of rapid contamination of the air filters in their cars.
Moreover, even owners of new cars whose mileage has not yet exceeded 2000-3000 km have encountered this.
The fact is that during that hot period, due to fires in peat bogs, the Moscow region was covered with smoke. As a result, the air in the city was filled with small dirty particles, which were formed due to smoldering and burning of peat bogs. As a result, in all cars that were operated under these conditions, air filters began to become dirty very quickly.
So keep in mind that the interval for changing the air filter depends on many things. Therefore, set the frequency of filter replacement for yourself.
The main thing is not to operate the car with a dirty filter, as this is fraught with engine problems in the long run.
The air filter is an important consumable element of a modern car. Its task is to filter the flow of air drawn from outside into the combustion chamber of the engine. The filter element requires regular replacement.
How often do you need to replace?
If you look into the service book of the vehicle, then it is recommended to replace the air filter every 20-30 thousand kilometers. Motorists say to change more often, every 8-10 thousand. Their recommendations are based on practical knowledge, and the car enthusiast knows what kind of roads we have. Russian highways are 5 times more dusty than in Europe. Such operating conditions of the car are called extreme.
Irregular replacement of the filter element leads to clogging of the engine combustion chamber and subsequent breakdown of the power unit. If the owner forgot to change the air filter during the next maintenance, then soon the car itself will remind you of this.
Signs of the need to replace the filter are as follows:
- increase in gasoline consumption;
- the appearance of failures during sharp acceleration;
- frequent clogging of the throttle;
- an increase in the level of toxicity in exhaust gases.
Types of air filters
There are three types of filters used in cars. The main criterion is the operating conditions of the vehicle. For trucks, a dry-type inertial filter is used. The second type is an oil-inertial filter. They are found only on older cars. Today, passenger vehicles are equipped with a porous paper air filter.
Car air filters come in different shapes and sizes.
Outwardly, the paper filter resembles an "accordion". The paper is impregnated with resin. It protects the filter from moisture. The interweaving of porous paper fibers traps dust as small as 1 micron.
Three types are distinguished by shape: cylindrical, panel, frameless. Some air filters are equipped with a pre-cleaner. It protects the filter from coarse dust and fumes. The pre-cleaner increases the service life of the filter element by 30-40%.
Interesting fact. According to ISO standards, automotive air filters are tested using desert sand in Arizona. Filter element manufacturers are forced to import it from the United States.
Buy or Clean?
There is an erroneous opinion from craftsmen that the air filter can be blown, washed and put back. Water or a strong stream of air will not clean out the pores of the filter paper. Such dubious savings lead to disruption of the normal operation of the engine. If the filter is clogged, it must be changed..
Do not impregnate the filter element with additional oil - this will not improve filtration. The oil will clog the pores of the paper web and increase the air intake resistance. The mixture in the combustion chamber of the engine will become richer, fuel consumption will increase.
When buying an air filter for your car, look at the packaging. On the box, the manufacturer of a high-quality filter must indicate the barcode, make and model of the car.. The original consumable is preferable, but a licensed auto part will do just as well. When choosing, be guided by the criterion of "price-quality".
Replacing the filter on the example of Ford Focus 2
Each car has design features. The filter element in the engine compartment is located in the housing. The replacement procedure itself is simple. Doing it yourself is not difficult. As proof, below is a step-by-step instruction for replacing the air filter in a second-generation Ford Focus car.
Timely replacement of the air filter is an indispensable condition for the correct operation of the car.
- a decrease in compression in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine due to dust entering the combustion zone and the formation of scoring;
- premature valve wear;
- pollution and failure of the mass air flow sensor;
- throttle control sticking;
- reducing the torque of the internal combustion engine;
- the appearance of problems with starting, especially in the cold season.
During the operation of the car, it is important to replace the device in a timely and competent manner, to know the main signs of its contamination.
Types of air filters
During the development of the automotive industry, air filters for cars had the following varieties:
1. Inertial. The dust was deposited on the bottom of the bulk case ( in the common people "pans") under the action of inertial forces. Such a device was reusable.
2. Inertial oil. The difference from the previous design was the placement of engine oil at the bottom of the "pan", which contributed to the absorption of smaller particles. Varieties of inertial devices in passenger cars are not currently used.
3. Paper. The most common at present. The filter material for air filters of this type is made of a microporous paper structure.
The fibrous structure of the paper filter is impregnated with a special resin, which strengthens its surface and prevents destruction.
Absorption of dust microparticles ( up to 1 micron) occurs on the entire surface of the device.
In order to increase the filtration area, and hence the filter performance, the paper structure is made in the form of an accordion. The paper filter is maintenance-free, as it becomes dirty or destroyed, it must be replaced.
4. With zero resistance. They are used to increase the inlet air flow in powerful engines, forcing the air supply. As a working element, cotton fabric or foam rubber of a special microstructure is used.
In some cases, it is allowed to clean such products with special shampoos. After cleaning, mandatory impregnation with strengthening compounds is required.
Structurally, paper filters are usually made:
- panel;
- cylindrical;
- ring.
They can have frame and frameless ( except for the roundabout) design. Special rubber or foam seals are installed along the edges of the structure to prevent air from penetrating the filter zone.
Which air filter is best? Definitely native. Designers carefully calculate the device based on the required performance, degree of purification, and design features.
If, for example, a device with zero resistance is placed in place of a conventional paper filter, the idle speed of the engine will increase, fuel consumption will increase.
Air filter location
Usually the filter is located in the engine compartment of the car in an easily accessible place. The device belongs to the group of "consumables" when servicing a vehicle, so its location usually does not cause problems for self- or unskilled replacement.
You can find the exact position of the filter by visually moving from the air intake. The air intake in most passenger cars is located in the front bonnet area outside the space of the engine cooling radiator.
The structure in which the air filter is placed is usually made of plastic or composite material.
In some vehicles, the filter housing is made of metal. The advantage of the metal structure is that it can be installed directly above the engine, which slightly frees up the engine compartment area.
The disadvantage of this arrangement: overheating of the device, which helps to reduce its resource.
You can determine exactly where the air filter is located by referring to the vehicle operating instructions. It also indicates the frequency of replacing the air filter.
The instructions indicate the mandatory replacement period. This value in the direction of decrease is influenced by the features of the operation of the car.
What you need to know when replacing the Opel engine air filter? Video:
Signs that an Air Filter Needs to be Replaced
The frequency of replacement of the device largely depends on the conditions of its operation. The life of a paper filter can be significantly reduced if:
country trips are often made, especially on a dusty road;
in the engine compartment there is no pallet protection;
there is a strong wear of the piston and gas distribution system of the car;
the car is operated in a seaside area with high humidity;
the machine is located in a metropolis with severe pollution by exhaust gases and other chemically active substances;
force majeure circumstances, such as flooding.
The most significant factor in reducing the service life is poorly adjusted gas equipment ( especially the first generations) car.
In this case, the filter may become unusable within a couple of weeks. Therefore, if you find that your filter has worn out very quickly and gas equipment is installed in the car, you should immediately contact the specialists for its adjustment.
Signs of possible wear and contamination are:
- reduction of idle engine speed;
- decrease in vehicle acceleration;
- problems with starting the engine;
- "Flooding" of the engine when the accelerator pedal is pressed sharply;
- engine tripping, the appearance of misfires in the cylinders.
Indirectly check ( without removing the filter cover a) the presence of problems can be artificially covered by the engine air intake, even with the palm of your hand.
If at the same time the nature of the engine has not changed much, then there are problems with the air intake, possibly due to a dirty filter.
Computer diagnostics can show the contamination of the device with an error message of the mass fuel flow sensor ( flow meter). Also, but less likely, there may be an error message about the exhaust gas recirculation system ( EGR).
The most accurate control of the air filter's performance can be made only by removing it from the car. In this case, it is necessary:
- Carry out an external inspection for contamination, paper color changes. A noticeable change in color raises the question of an early replacement.
- Determine the presence of oil stains on the work surface, indicating engine wear. If there is noticeable oiling, the filter must be changed.
- Visually examine the absence of possible areas of breakthrough or destruction of the paper structure (especially for cars with gas equipment). The presence of the slightest violation of integrity is the reason for immediate replacement.
- Tap with a small object on the filter frame. If there is an intense separation of dust, it should be replaced.
Air filter replacement interval
The sources provide various information on how much to change the air filter.
It is believed that replacement must be made after 10-12 thousand kilometers.
If the car is operated in rural areas, this mileage should be reduced to 7-8 thousand, especially in the summer. The presence of other unfavorable factors reduces the resource by approximately 10-20%.
As a result, the operating mileage before replacement may be reduced to 5 thousand kilometers.
It is recommended to replace the air filter at the end of the summer and winter seasons of vehicle operation. This is due to the different seasonal nature of pollution, which, when combined, can lead to increased wear.
How often to change the engine air filter if the annual mileage of the car is insignificant, less than 5000 kilometers? In this case, it is rational to replace at the end of the summer season, since the greatest dust pollution occurs during this period.
Air filter replacement sequence
In most vehicles, filter replacement is not a problem. Before changing the air filter, it is necessary to examine the old filter for nature of pollution.
If they are not pronounced, the service life meets the technical requirements, then the old filter can be disposed of.
If there are oily stains, integrity violations, strong color changes on the previous device, it is necessary to establish their causes, it is possible to repair the car systems, only after that proceed with the replacement.
How to replace the air filter during routine maintenance? Sequencing:
A bad air filter can cause a lot of trouble to your car.
There are cases when a non-standard filter housing of an unknown manufacturer is installed in the car. This is often seen on vehicles recovered from frontal crashes.
In this case, it is necessary to select the air filter by size. The seating areas, including the sealing area, must be accurately measured. The Internet can facilitate the search for a filter that matches the geometric dimensions.
It is easier if it has a cylindrical or annular design. If it was not possible to select exactly the appropriate design, you can install a slightly smaller filter, be sure to fill the free zones with additional foam pads.
They must prevent the passage of air flow, bypassing the work area.
Timely and high-quality replacement of the air filter is one of the necessary conditions for the operation of the car.
