Your car’s air filter keeps dirt away from important components in your vehicle and ensures there is enough airflow to the engine. Normally, you should have an auto care professional change the filter once a year or every 10,000-15,000 miles. However, switch it out earlier if you drive in areas with a lot of dust or traffic or if you notice any of the signs below. 

When Do You Need a New Auto Air Filter? 

1. Poor Performance 

A clogged air filter affects your car’s performance. Your engine needs sufficient airflow to provide oxygen for combustion; if your filter is blocked, there won’t be enough air for the engine to work properly. This leads to problems such as reduced horsepower, slow acceleration, and jerking movements. 

2. Unusual Sounds

When your engine is on but the car is not moving—a phenomenon known as idling—the engine should give off a low, smooth hum. If you hear heavy vibrations or coughing noises, it could be because the air filter is clogged, which leads to too much fuel in the air-to-fuel ratio.

This can pollute and damage spark plugs. Rough idling may be caused by several factors so ask an auto care expert to identify the problem. 

3. Misfiring 

When there is not enough air getting to your engine due to a blocked air filter, unburnt fuel turns to soot on the spark plug. The spark plug then can’t deliver a sufficient spark for combustion, which causes your engine to misfire.

4. Check Engine Light Is On

Your check engine light is a warning system to let you know something is wrong. One problem that could trigger it is if your car’s system detects unusual carbon deposits. These are a byproduct of the combustion process and they accumulate when there is an inadequate air supply to your engine. 

5. Smoke From the Exhaust

When there is not enough air in the engine to ignite all of the fuel in a combustion cycle, the fuel ends up leaving your car through the exhaust pipe. Heat in the pipe could set the fuel alight and cause smoke or flames. If the excess fuel in the exhaust pipe doesn’t ignite, you might smell gasoline. 

If you need a highly skilled auto care professional to change your car’s air filter or diagnose a problem, contact Professional Automotive in Anchorage, AK. The hometown repair shop has been servicing vehicles for more than 25 years, and customers trust them to be truthful about what repairs are needed. They use computer diagnostics to identify issues quickly, which saves you time and money. For more information, call (907) 562-2471 or visit their website.