How Often Do You Need To Change The Air Filter In Your Car?

An air filter is crucial to the efficient operation of your car. Its main purpose is to prevent dust, leaves, and other debris entering your vehicle’s engine and potentially causing damage. Changing your car’s air filter helps your vehicle to continue running at its best. Unsure when a replacement is required? Read on to learn more.

Locating your air filter

Before you arrange a replacement air filter, it helps to know exactly where it’s located. Your car’s air filter is situated in the engine bay. It’s quite different from your pollen filter, or cabin filter, which usually sits in your vehicle’s interior and prevents dirt, fumes and debris from entering the cabin’s airflow.

Benefits of an air filter change

It’s been proven that when your car has an air filter installed, dirt, dust and other contaminants won’t be able to enter the engine or the air conditioning system. As air filters are crucial to your car’s proper operation, they need to be changed regularly in order to keep doing their job. Dust and debris build up on filters over time, and if they’re not changed they can impact your car’s performance.

There are great benefits to organising regular filter changes with an experienced, professional mechanic. You’ll reduce fuel emissions and prolong the life of your engine. If you stay on top of filter changes, you’ll also prevent major faults or significant expenses that can arise as a result of not replacing your filter and allowing dust and debris to build up.

When to change your filter

So, you know it’s important to change your filter regularly – but how regularly? Each manufacturer specifies different time frames or kms that they recommend them changed.  Check with us and we can advise when your car’s filter should be replaced.  Where you drive your vehicle can also alter how often you need to change your filter.  For example if you are driving on lots of dirt roads, then your filter needs to be replaced more often. 

If you neglect replacing your filter, especially when it’s old or damaged, your vehicle will suffer increased wear and tear and potentially even engine damage. We know you want to avoid this at all costs, which is why staying on top of air filter changes with a professional mechanic is your best chance of keeping your vehicle performing at its best.

Signs a filter change is needed

One question our clients ask is, “how do I know when my filter needs to be changed?” While you might follow the kilometre or time indications above, there are particular signs you can look out for that might indicate a change is on the cards. These include:

– Visual inspection: Check the amount of dirt collected on the intake or interior side of your filter. If it looks particularly dirty or damaged, it will need a replacement.
– Decreased power: If you notice a lack of power when accelerating hard or travelling at speed, you may need to arrange a filter replacement with us.
– Reduced fuel economy: As a dirty or damaged air filter can prevent oxygen reaching the engine, your engine can work harder than needed and efficiency can decrease. This will often result in higher petrol expenses.
– Troublesome starts: If your engine’s misfiring or struggling to start, a dirty air filter could be to blame.
– Odd sounds and soot: Unusual sounds coming from your engine and black smoky soot emanating from your vehicle might be caused by an old or dirty filter.
– “Check engine” light: This light might be illuminated on your dashboard in an extreme case.

While all these issues can be caused by dirty or old air filters, they might also be the result of other, potentially significant issues or faults. It’s therefore always best you get in touch with a professional mechanic if you notice any problems with your vehicle.

Replacing your air filter

When you need an air filter replacement on the Gold Coast, choose Bruce Lyton BM Service. You know you’ll put your vehicle in the hands of experienced, knowledgeable technicians able to identify your air filter’s condition and organise a high-quality replacement. And if you’re unsure when your air filter was last replaced, our team can conduct an assessment during your vehicle service and save you the trouble of staying on top of changes.

With over 45 years of experience, the Bruce Lynton BM Service team is committed to the highest standards of customer and employee care. We deliver outstanding service at every step and work to create a positive, healthy environment for our valued staff. When you choose us for your vehicle needs, you know we’ll do our best to deliver a service that exceeds your expectations. We stand by the experience of our team, the high standard of our techniques and equipment, and the efforts we take to achieve quality solutions and maintain exceptional workmanship on every job. Contact us today on (07) 5676 7488 to speak to our friendly team, to learn more about our services, or to book an air filter inspection or replacement.