You don’t want to breathe dirty or polluted air, and neither does your car – which is why it’s so important to regularly change your vehicle's air filters. This quick fix can be a real breath of fresh air for you and your vehicle!
You actually have two types of air filters in your car: one that cleans the air for you and one that cleans the air for your engine.
The cabin air filter cleans all kinds of bad stuff — bacteria, pollen and dust — out of the air that comes into the cabin through the heating and air conditioning system. That’s right: the air you breathe. So you can see why that’s important.
Your engine’s air filter does the same for the engine: It filters out dust, bugs and other particles from the air your engine uses in the combustion process. Clean engine air can help your car perform better, improve gas mileage and make your car’s exhaust emissions cleaner, too.
Signs your cabin air filter needs replacing include:
Dirty, musty or smelly air in your car’s cabin
Visible dirty particles in the air
Heating and air conditioning seem less effective
If your engine air filter is bad, you’ll likely experience:
Reduced gas mileage
Reduced power
Engine misfires
Strange engine noises
Check engine light might come on
As with most things car-related, the answer varies. But a good rule of thumb is to change your cabin air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or once a year. Your engine air filter should be changed every 30,000 miles. The good thing about air filters is you can actually see them, which makes it fairly easy to determine how dirty they are and if they need replacing. If you think it’s time to replace your air filters, the team at your local Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers location will be happy to inspect your filters and determine if it’s time for new ones.
During the complimentary 20-point courtesy inspection that comes with every oil change, our automotive experts will check both your cabin and engine air filters. If your filters do need replacing, they'll offer to perform this quick service right there in the bay. We'll have you and your car breathing easy in no time!