5 Symptoms of a Bad Car Air Filter
It goes without saying that the air filter is a part of your vehicle. As you probably know, an internal combustion engine can only function if there is an adequate amount of air and fuel present.
This is where the air filter comes in, as it prevents harmful airborne debris from entering the engine. If your air filter isn’t doing its job of blocking these harmful air pollutants, it means your engine’s performance will suffer.
The 5 Most Important Signs That Your Air Filter Is Dirty or Clogged
If you regularly get your vehicle serviced and oil changed at a dealership, oil change shop, or independent repair shop, the repair technician may automatically check your air filter to determine if it needs replacing. Replacing your engine air filter is one of the most commonly performed “repairs” on your car.
Here are 5 things that indicate your air filter is dirty. If you think this might be the case, visually inspect your filter or take it to your local car service right away.
1) Poor Fuel Economy
To function, your engine needs the correct ratio of air to fuel for an ideal combustion process to occur. This maximizes your vehicle’s fuel efficiency and gives you the most fuel economy possible. This disrupts the combustion process, causing the engine to burn more fuel to compensate.
2) Reduced Engine Performance
Your engine relies on an adequate supply of clean air for the combustion process to meet your acceleration needs. In other words, if you have a bad air filter, don’t be surprised if you have difficulty accelerating when you press the gas pedal.
Your engine doesn’t respond well to dirty air in the cabin. This means it has a hard time generating enough power to accelerate your vehicle to the desired speed, especially when under load.
3) Abnormal engine noises
If your air filter is dirty or clogged, you will hear some engine noises. They are coughing sounds that you normally don’t hear. These noises mostly happen when you step on the brake pedal to stop. If you hear a coughing sound when your car is idling, it means that the engine is not getting enough air.
4) Faulty spark plugs
If your air filter is dirty, your spark plugs may also become fouled and not work properly. This limits the performance of the spark plug in igniting the mixture in the combustion chamber.
Engine performance issues are most likely related to this. If a visual inspection reveals that the air filter is dirty, check to see if the spark plugs are also dirty. If this is the case, replace the spark plugs and air filter together.
5) Idle speed is too low or too high
When you start the engine and simply let it idle, the speed will be in the 600-800 rpm range (although some older cars may have a slightly higher idle speed). This is based on the exact amount of air and fuel mixed in the combustion chamber.
Can a bad air filter cause a rough idle? A bad, clogged air filter can cause a rough idle. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to check the air filter on most vehicles for dirt. Remove the air filter and see if it’s dirty.
A dirty air filter can clog the mass air flow (MAF) sensor. A bad MAF sensor can cause a rough idle. Can I drive with a dirty air filter? In most cases, it’s perfectly fine to drive with a dirty air filter.
How often should I change my air filter? The answer to this question varies greatly. Do you drive on dusty dirt roads? Do you often run your engine at high speeds (which pulls more air into the engine)?
Manufacturers typically recommend changing your engine air filter every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. If any of the above conditions apply to you, change your engine air filter more frequently.
