The engine needs air for the combustions happening in the combustion chambers, propelling your vehicle. An air filter is a crucial component of the engine as it keeps harmful pollutants away from delicate components. They are meant to eventually clog up and be replaced.
As the air filter does its job, blocking and trapping pollutants, it becomes harder for the engine to suck in enough air to function as designed. The blocked filter material increases the resistance with which the air flows into the manifold, being injected into the combustion chamber. The only practical way is to measure this restriction level is by using a restriction indicator or gauge. All combustion engines are designed to operate with some restriction. For instance, naturally, the air filter itself restricts the air flow. The manufacturer will specify the maximum acceptable level for their engine. This is the point at which you should change your filter.
Driving in dusty environments will cause the air filter to clog up. A visual inspection may offer clues to the status the filter is in as one may find that the filter material is entirely covered with a layer of dust, pollutants and particles. Some people swear by cleaning the filter for a prolonged use. This is typically done using pressured air, blowing onto the filter. Chances are that one, mistakenly, makes matters worse by applying the pressured air, blowing onto the filter, in a way to brush off the pollutants from the outside.
However, as this would be the same direction the air would flow, pollutants would be pressed deeper into the filter material, thus making matters worse. Should one really want to clean an air filter, the air pressure should be applied from inside the filter, blowing outside, pressuring the pollutants away from the filter, not into it.
One way of telling that the air filter may need replacing is when the performance of the car drops. Higher fuel consumption, slower acceleration, misfiring and black smoke can be indications that the filter has taken on too many particles and does no longer let sufficient air pass for the engine to combust the fuel / air mix properly.
What is important to note is that the filter has to be the right one, as per the car manufacturers specifications. German Motors notes that there are some vendors offering cheaper alternatives, which could be counterfeit or fake products. Oftentimes, these do not use the right filter material or are a loose fit as they are outside the tolerances. This can potentially harm your engine, and it is best to stay away from such offerings.
It may sound like the air filter of your car may need a lot of attention. However, from German Motors’ experience, it is best to check on the filters every now and then, just to be sure, and to change them at the intervals the manufacturer recommends. German Motors will have the correct parts on hand when you want to change the filter.
