What does an air filter do?

If you examine your car’s grill, you may notice a buildup of dirt, sand, leaves or other contaminants. Your vehicle’s air filter is responsible for cleaning air as it enters the engine as well as stopping these debris from entering.  A clean air filter will allow your engine to “breath” by letting air smoothly enter and exit your engine system.

 

Why is a clean air filter important?

Your vehicle’s engine combines fuel and air in its combustion chamber to generate power. Over time, contaminants will block the air filter, reducing the amount of air that enters your vehicle. Since air is an important factor in the engine’s combustion process, your engine will not be able to run as effectively on a limited amount.

To ensure that your engine is able to generate power efficiently, we recommend that you have your vehicle’s air filter changed with every service, or once every 12 months.

 

What are the signs of a dirty air filter?

Engine misfires:

You may experience an increase in misfires if your air filter becomes dirty. This is because of unburnt fuel exiting your engine. In a petrol engine this unburnt fuel can affect the performance of your ignition system and spark plugs affecting their ability to successfully ignite the fuel in your engine.

 

Check Engine Light (CEL) appearing:

dashboard warnings

Your vehicle has sensors that measure the ratio of air to fuel in your engine. One of these sensors is called the Mass Air Flow Meter (MAF). If the Mass Air Flow (MAF) meter sensor detect that there is not enough air flow into the engine at different revs per minute (RPM), then your Check Engine Light (CEL) can come on the dash.

In this case the vehicle will store self diagnostic fault codes, in the non volatile memory (EEPROM) of your cars Engine Management computer (ECU). In order to correctly read and diagnose the cause for the Check Engine Light coming on you need to have the plug into the car with a vehicle scan tool.

For the best diagnostics the scan tool needs to be able to read both fault codes and live data. The live data is important as it helps an experienced automotive technician to confirm the fault code, and the repair.

At Grimmer Motors we have the latest in scan tool technology and qualified, experienced, trust worthy mechanics who can quickly diagnose if you air filter is dirty and causing problems in your engine. We can then recommend cleaning or replacing your air filter. Call us now on 855 2037 to book in.

 

Reduced fuel economy:

To make up for the lower amounts of oxygen entering your vehicle, your engine may consume more fuel. If you notice an increase in fuel consumption, check your air filter, replacing it if necessary.

 

What does a dirty air filter look like?

air filter

A new air filter should be white or light grey in colour, with little to no contaminants. Over time, the air filter will become darker in colour. This is due to dirt and dust becoming stuck in the filter. Dirty air filters will often have leaves caught inside them. Extend the life of your filter by removing leaves and other contaminants as you see them.


 

If you are looking for reliable vehicle air filter replacement in Hamilton, contact Grimmer Motors. We can replace and clean your air filter, improving the health of your car.

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