Automotive filters each have their own job, and dirty filters can really wreak havoc underneath the hood. There are four filters in the engine that should be replaced regularly along with the transmission filter. The transmission filter is a different beast, however, and does not need to be changed often, so we aren’t going to talk about it in this blog post. Rather, let’s talk about the auto filters in your car that we here at Eddie’s Body Shop need to change regularly.
Air
Starting with the air filter, your vehicle is a gasoline-powered engine that uses combustion to generate power. How your car’s engine creates combustion is it ignites air and fuel by using sparks from the spark plugs. Your automobile draws air from the outside. As you can imagine, this air is filled with dirt and debris that can easily get caught up in the engine. The air filter prevents the contaminants from getting through, and you should change the air filter every 15,000 miles or sooner.
Cabin
The same holds true for your vehicle’s cabin filter. It cleans the air that blows through your vents and into the interior of your automobile. This helps prevent dirt, grime, and pollen from irritating you, and it also helps to ensure you don’t end up with dangerous exhaust fumes flowing into the cabin. The exhaust system is the primary handler of engine exhaust. The cabin filter does not need to be changed as often as the air filter does; every 30,000 miles will keep the air fresh in your cabin.
Fuel
Even if you put supreme gasoline in your tank each time you fill it up, the gas has sediment in it. You can’t avoid sediment in gasoline nor can you avoid rust, dirt, or even grit. As this debris makes its way out of the gas tank, it would clog the fuel pump and injectors and damage your engine if it weren’t for the fuel filter. This filter catches the debris swimming in the gasoline and prevents it from flowing into the engine. Change the fuel filter every 20,000 miles to 30,000 miles.
Oil
You might think the oil filter prevents sludge from making its way into the motor oil but it actually cleans sludge out of it. As the oil circulates through your engine, it lubricates parts and absorbs heat and grunge. This grunge is then filtered out of the oil as it passes through the oil filter to clean the oil and help keep it viscous. A dirty oil filter will not clean the oil, and dirty motor oil will thicken and deposit sludge on your engine parts. The oil filter gets replaced at every oil change.
Schedule an auto service appointment with Eddie’s Body Shop in Kingston, TN, for a vehicle inspection and filter changes. We are your one-stop-auto-service-shop.