Importance of Keeping Your Filter Clean

In today’s world, where gas is $5.00 per gallon, one of the smartest ways to ensure you get the most miles per gallon out of your vehicle is to make sure your engine air filter is clean. Typically, air filters should be changed every 30,000 – 40,000 miles. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for exact specifications for your vehicle. However, with high gas prices some may find it advantageous to change the filter a little sooner.

Why is this important?

When an automobiles engine is running, we all know that you are burning gas. But did you know that for every gallon of gasoline your engine burns, you consume roughly 14.7 gallons of air! That means your engine is consuming 14.7 times more air than gasoline. And every bit of that needs to be filtered to ensure your engine does not get damaged by bits of dirt and sand. The air filter is there to filter such debris and keep the engine running for years to come. When the filter becomes clogged or even just restricted the engine has to work even harder to consume the air it needs. The result is poor fuel economy and poor engine performance. Checking this filter regularly is an easy and inexpensive way to make sure your vehicle is performing its best.