3 Signs It's Time for a New Car Air Filter

October 31, 2022 · 3 min read

Car air filter on display near Orangeburg, SC.

Your car’s air filter is vital for keeping your engine running smoothly. This small component makes the difference between efficient and inefficient combustion. The filter traps dirt and other debris, which prevents damage to your engine. In time the filter will become clogged, and you'll need a replacement. Your friendly Kia dealer in Orangeburg, SC can install a new one for you. These are signs it's time to change the filter.

Strange Engine Noises

Air enters your car through the radiator grille and then passes into the air filter. This filter traps dust, so only clean air enters your engine. This is important, as dirt and debris in the air can damage sensitive engine components. Once the air passes through the filter, it arrives in the intake manifold. Fuel mixes with the air and is then injected into the cylinders so combustion can start.

A clogged filter prevents enough air from entering the manifold. Combustion requires a 14:1 ratio of air to fuel. Without air, your engine will become fuel rich. The heady, fuel-filled atmosphere makes combustion more difficult. The lack of air hinders effective compression in the cylinders, and your spark plugs will struggle to fire. This causes strange noises like coughing and slurping to come from your engine.

The Filter Is Dirty

An air filter is one of your car's components that's easy to check without special tools or skills. The air filter is housed in the filter box behind the radiator grille. Its position is listed in your car's manual. If you want to check the condition of the filter yourself, check its position in the manual and then pop the hood.

Once you open the filter box, you'll see the filter nestled inside. A good filter is white or cream. As it fills up with dirt, the filter's color will change. If you have a brown or black filter, your engine is suffering. Call our service department, and one of our Kia-trained technicians will replace the filter for you. A new, clean filter will dramatically increase your engine performance.

Strong Fuel Smell

As we saw above, your engine requires far more air than fuel for combustion. Combustion will become very inefficient when the filter is blocked and your engine doesn't have enough air. The spark plugs can't easily ignite in a fuel-rich environment, which means much of the fuel that enters the manifold won't burn.

The high fuel concentration in the manifold allows some of the vapors to leak out. This is the strong fuel smell that will waft through your car window.

A new filter provides numerous benefits for your car. Call us at Burns Kia today to schedule a service check-in.

Image courtesy of JarkkoManty via Pixabay

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