Changing your vehicles air filter may be the easiest maintenance you can do, and can provide great benefits to the environment and your pocketbook.

For your engine to run at its optimum efficiency it has to have air with which to burn fuel. That air has to be clean in order to prevent wear and damage to the engine. That's where the air filter comes in. The air filter cleans the air going into your engine blocking dust from the air from entering the cylinders where it could scratch the walls and cause other damage. When the air filter catches enough of the dust in the air it becomes clogged and will not flow enough air to allow the engine to operate properly.

Replacing the air filter is a scheduled maintenance item that should be performed at the manufacturer's recommended interval. Your owner's manual will have the recommendations for when you should perform regular maintenance of this sort. You should replace the air filter more regularly if you commonly drive on dirt roads or in other situations when the air might have more dirt and dust than normal. There are also some symptoms of problems with the air filter you might watch for. Hesitation on acceleration, lack of power or reduced gas mileage could indicate a clogged air filter.

Since it is so easy and inexpensive to replace the air filter it should be one of the first steps taken when you experience any symptoms of reduced performance. Especially if it has been a while since you've installed a new filter and even before performing more extensive diagnostics.

To replace the filter you need to locate the filter housing, or breather, on your engine. This will either be on top of the engine or to one side. If it is on top of the engine it will likely be right above the throttle body with large hoses leading to air intakes at the front of the vehicle to one side or the other of the radiator. If the breather is to the side it might be up front without separate hoses or further back with hoses by the radiator. Filter housings on the side of the engine will also have a large hose or tube leading to the throttle body.

There are various methods of holding the filter housing closed. The most common are either spring clips on the sides holding the cover on or nuts on the top of the cover. To get to the filter just remove those clips or nuts and lift the cover off. Remove the old filter and replace it with a new filter.

While you have the filter out it would be a good idea to use a damp cloth or vacuum to clean up anything inside the filter housing, especially anything on the engine side of the filter. Any debris that is left in a location that can go to the cylinders could cause damage to the engine. Replace the clips or nuts and you're done.

It's amazing how a few minutes of work and a filter that usually costs under $20 can make such a difference in your engine performance. At today's fuel prices this work, if you do it yourself, could pay for itself in the first week or two after you've replaced your air filter.

Learn more about this author, Keith Hamburger.
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