When should you replace the air filter?
If we take into account the state of our road surfaces and the general environmental situation in many cities, one can only imagine what people breathe, not to mention cars.
This will certainly, sooner or later, lead to clogging of the air filter and its subsequent replacement will be required. However, the process of replacing the filter is not complicated, but there are a number of aspects to it.
A fairly main factor that determines the frequency of air filter replacement is the area where the vehicle is constantly used.
If you have a Volkswagen Passat B6, and you notice that the fuel consumption in the car has increased, and the traction has disappeared, the car has become worse, this means that it is time to urgently change the air filter.
For example, in rural areas, where there are practically no hard surface road surfaces, the filter becomes clogged much faster, which means that it needs to be replaced quite often. A similar situation applies to large cities, where huge road traffic causes smog.
In this environment, the filter also quickly becomes clogged and requires timely replacement. If the car is mostly used on a country road with a hard road surface, or in a small city or village, then it will become polluted much less frequently.
The time of year also has a big impact on filter contamination. In summer and autumn, the filter becomes more clogged than in winter.
Oil filter features
It is worth considering that in practice the oil filter is used by drivers twice, but only if its condition allows this.
It is important to take into account a number of factors that require thorough washing, namely:
- When the engine produces sudden vibrations during operation.
- If a significant overconsumption of hot components is detected.
- When there is a significant drop in machine power.
Determining whether an oil filter can be reused largely depends on its reaction to oil or gasoline. To ensure high-quality conditions for subsequent operation, it is necessary to separate the clean component of the assembly from the contaminated one by installing special plugs and plugs. In this case, the contaminated area should be rinsed as thoroughly as possible under water, and then dried and blown using ultrasound.
Only the cleaned oil filter is ready for the second practical use, but the driver himself must make a similar decision based on personal observations and considerations.
How to choose an air filter element?
Before replacing the filter element, you need to decide which filter best suits your car. Because today the automotive market offers not only standard, but various modifications of air filters for virtually any car model.
And each of them is good in its own way. Because of this, drivers have the main question, which is the best filter element to choose for their car?
Below is a video about cleaning the air filter:
You may also be interested: Chinese tires: the best tire manufacturers for cars
Why are filters needed in a car?
A car filter is a mechanism that is designed to clean air, engine and transmission oils.
All existing filters have very strict requirements. These include compactness, reliable operation, and optimal removal of harmful substances. Types of autofilters:
- oil filter;
- fuel;
- cabin filter;
- engine air filter;
An oil filter is a kind of cylinder with a cleaning element inside. The main function of the oil filter is to remove various blockages from the engine oil that appear during engine operation and heating of the lubricant. This cleaning element performs an important function in the operation of the car, so timely replacement of the oil filter is very important.
The fuel filter transfers fuel purified from impurities and microparticles to the car engine. Considering that our fuel quality wants to be better, the fuel filter must be replaced in a timely manner.
The car cabin filter cleans the air that enters the cabin. It traps and prevents harmful microparticles and unpleasant odors from penetrating. Replacing the cabin filter in a timely manner directly affects the health of the person in the car.
Air filter (paper)
The most popular model of air filter is a filter where the main filtering element is special corrugated paper.
Due to the fact that paper contains a lot of very fine fiber, air molecules penetrate through it unhindered, and all unnecessary harmful particles of dirt, water or dust remain and settle on this fiber.
This filter is designed for a service life of 10,000 to 15,000 thousand km. If the machine is rarely used, then this type of filter element needs to be changed once every two years.
How to replace the cabin filter
The degree of filter clogging can only be determined visually
Signs by which you can determine that the filter needs to be replaced:
- An odor appeared in the cabin when air entered from the car's heating system;
- Dust appears when the fan is turned on;
- The air flow force is insignificant;
- Glass fogs up very quickly.
You can only determine how clogged the filter is visually. In order to remove it, it is better to contact a specialist. But some car enthusiasts know the location of the cabin filter and remove it themselves. This is done with extreme caution so as not to damage the fastening clips and associated elements.
No one sets exact deadlines for replacing such consumables, and there are none at all. On average, it is customary to replace them once every fifteen thousand kilometers, or once a year. In special cases, when the car is actively used, or in harsh conditions of a metropolis, filters are changed much more often.
Air filter (liquid)
The next type of air filter is not far behind in popularity; a liquid (oil) filter element is offered on the market, it is also often called “wet”.
It also has a simple design and shape. This filter uses mineral oil as a filtering element, which is poured into a special housing when air passes through it and all small particles settle in the oil.
The degree of contamination of this filter can be determined by the color of the oil. A good quality filter is its reusable use.
After the filter element has served a certain service life, it needs to be washed and fresh oil poured into it. But it is worth noting that most of these filters have poor air purification parameters, so few people use them.
Below is a video about the consequences if you forget to change the air filter:
Car filters
Automotive filters are needed to remove contaminants from process fluids and air. This allows you to extend the life of these units and components. There are several types of filters in every machine. But they differ from each other, including in price. The leaders in the production of such products are MANN and Mahle (Knecht). They constantly hold seminars trying to debunk the main myths about their products.
You can buy a cheap filter, because the paper manufacturers are the same. It seems that paper costs the same everywhere, so why overpay? But the same manufacturer produces different types of products. One paper is suitable for a toilet, and the other is thick, like cardboard. So why should the situation be different in the case of filters? There are really a limited number of companies that make filter materials. But every big filter manufacturer has its own unique type of paper that it orders. The wood, the type and amount of synthetic fibers, the formulation of chemical resins, the temperature and drying time, and so on are also taken into account. It is usually agreed that the paper manufacturer may not supply the product to other competing filter manufacturers. Cheap filters are left with outdated basic types of paper that have to be used in all models. Such products are also offered for cars, where the initial requirements for filtration quality are increased.
It is better to purchase not German filters, but Polish, Korean or Chinese ones. There is an opinion that filters from the same company MANN-FILTER are unreasonably expensive. In other countries, labor is much cheaper than in Germany, which leads to lower cost with comparable quality. In Europe, salaries are indeed higher than in Asia. But the level of automation on MANN-FILTERS conveyors is also higher. Therefore, the cost of production is high not at all because of the salaries of employees. There are almost none of them in production. One of the largest MANN plants in Germany produces 520 thousand filters per day. But Korean production in Russia, producing 70 thousand units of products, has twice the staff. The salary level is clearly not 14 times higher. So the specific part of labor costs in the cost of a German filter is even less. And the high cost of the product is achieved only due to materials. In a MANN filter, more than 80% of the price comes from high-quality raw materials - steel, seals, filter paper. Cheaper products are obtained through the use of low-quality materials and old assembly technologies.
You should choose the highest quality oil filter, and the simplest air filter. There is an opinion that all air filters are not particularly different from each other and do not affect the operation of the car. The oil filter does play an important role, but the importance of the air filter has also grown over the past decades. Now it was he who became the main one in the car. Cars are becoming more powerful, while engine displacement is decreasing. The engine depends on the air that enters it. Air consumption also depends on engine power. Today, twice as much volume passes through the air filter as it did 15-20 years ago. And the engine compartment itself was oversaturated with new elements and became denser, which noticeably changed the location of the filter. Previously, it was located deep in the engine and a long pipeline led to it, which additionally filtered dust and moisture. In modern realities, the filter housing immediately absorbs the entire flow of contaminants without preliminary cleaning. This results in increased workload. And the technologies themselves have moved forward. Aluminum alloys and silicon deposition began to be actively used in the engine. If the air filters are not efficient enough, this will lead to abrasion of the surface layer of the cylinder mirror. Repairing a modern cylinder block is impossible - it is completely changed. All this speaks volumes about the importance of using a quality air filter.
There is no point in purchasing an expensive air filter if the car is purchased for a year. In this case, purchasing a cheap filter brings illusory profits. The mass fuel flow sensor, among others, is responsible for optimal fuel combustion. It is designed initially to use a high-quality air filter, which will ensure the cleanliness of the device. A cheap analogue will allow dirt particles to pass through, which will be deposited on all elements of the air system. The heat transfer will be different, and the control unit will receive incorrect signals about the amount of air supplied. Experimental data suggests that fuel consumption will increase by 3-7%. If we take the average mileage of a car per year as 20 thousand kilometers and fuel consumption as 10 liters per 100 kilometers, then taking into account a deviation of only 3%, the excess consumption will be 60 liters. Wouldn't buying a high-quality filter for 300-500 rubles be more profitable?
It is not necessary to change the air filter during maintenance. Many car enthusiasts prefer to blow the filter with compressed air using a compressor, believing that this way the product’s characteristics are restored. But with such blowing, only large particles will be removed from the surface itself. Modern products provide depth filtration. In other words, most of the dirt ends up deep in the filter. There it is bound with special resins, and no compressor can blow them out. Blowing the filter may result in only visible cleanliness, but the throughput will be low. This will affect engine efficiency and fuel consumption.
The cabin filter can simply be cleaned with a brush or washed. Similar savings ideas apply to the cabin filter. A modern car is a closed space with a constant temperature inside. Thanks to the air conditioner, moisture collects in the same place - the best environment for the development of microorganisms. So a modern cabin filter does not just clean the air from dust that gets inside. This device provides the highest degree of filtration; particles with a size of 0.5 microns are retained here, which is 140 times thinner than a hair. This allows you to retain viruses and plant pollen. To achieve this level of filtration, electrostatics are used. Cabin filters also contain antibacterial impregnation, which prevents mold from appearing. The cabin filter is made exclusively of synthetics so as not to absorb moisture and cause fogging. Over time, the cabin filter loses its protective properties, so it is worth changing this element once a year, regardless of how long the car has traveled. Cheap products usually lack impregnation and electrostatics, which determines their price. And washing a good filter removes its advantages. Then first the device itself, and then the interior, will become covered with fungi, mold and microorganisms. A musty smell when the ventilation is turned on is an eloquent signal that the system is completely dirty and needs to be cleaned completely with special chemical compounds.
A good effect can be achieved by frequently replacing cheap filters. This is only partly true. You need to be sure that a cheap filter immediately works as well as an expensive one, but it simply loses its properties faster. Usually, the economical option initially does its job less efficiently. Such filters can allow large particles to pass through, which leads to rapid wear of equipment or is harmful to health. In other words, if you change a domestic car every month, it will not become a foreign car.
Reliable operation of the air filter is achieved by impregnating it with oil. There are manufacturers of original filters that use “wet” technologies. But does this make sense if technology already achieves improved filtration? Impregnation will help surface filtration. Even the smallest particles will stick to the surface of the filter. A continuous crust will form on it, and there will be nothing in the depths. Such filters work effectively under certain conditions. And the “dry” filters themselves use resins deep in the layers to bind the smallest particles. So oil impregnation is just another technology, definitely not the best.
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The best paper cabin filters
Such models are characterized by low cost and simple structure. They protect the interior from the penetration of insects and dust. To improve the quality of filtration and extend the service life, they can be treated with special compounds.
PIAA AIRY-C AC-102E
4.9
★★★★★
editorial assessment
97%
buyers recommend this product
The filter material is impregnated with ascorbic acid. Thanks to this, the air passing through the paper is saturated with vitamin C, which enters the cabin and the body of passengers and the driver in a molecular state. This helps improve immunity and has a beneficial effect on skin condition.
The presence of electret fibers in the cleaner ensures the retention of fine dust on its surface. The filter does not lose its characteristics for a long time, which allows you to travel more than 10,000 kilometers without replacing it.
Advantages:
- treatment with vitamin C;
- fine air purification;
- relative durability;
- convenient installation.
Flaws:
- high price.
PIAA AIRY-C AC-102E is worth purchasing for use in a metropolis, especially during the season of colds and viral infections.
VIC AC-406E
4.9
★★★★★
editorial assessment
95%
buyers recommend this product
Protrusions on the frame help secure the cassette after installation. The filter absorbs and stops dust and large particles of debris not only in the depths of its structure, but also on the surface.
With dimensions of 250x102 mm, the thickness is 17 mm. The ability to quickly remove the paper element allows you to replace it if necessary or clean it of settled contaminants to extend its service life.
Advantages:
- durability;
- removable filter element;
- tight fit;
- low price.
Flaws:
- long installation.
VIC AC-406E is designed to absorb sand dust in off-road conditions.
Bosch 1987435002
4.8
★★★★★
editorial assessment
91%
buyers recommend this product
Special grip tabs make it easy to install the Bosch filter into the seat. The rigid frame is not subject to bending, which eliminates the possibility of incorrect installation of the model and the occurrence of cracks.
The filter dimensions are 258x224 mm, thickness 35.5 mm. High-density paper is not afraid of powerful air currents and is tear-resistant. This extends the service life of the purifier under difficult operating conditions.
Advantages:
- high strength;
- rigid frame;
- tight fit;
- ease of installation;
- durability.
Flaws:
- high aerodynamic resistance.
The Bosch filter will be useful when driving in any conditions. A reliable choice for owners of Skoda, Audi, SEAT, Volkswagen cars.
Sakura CA11380
4.6
★★★★★
editorial assessment
85%
buyers recommend this product
The model has a rigid frame that prevents deformation of the filter material and ensures a tight fit to the seat. This eliminates the possibility of cracks forming and dust passing through.
The filter dimensions are 214x185 mm, thickness - 29 millimeters. The wave-like structure with a narrow pitch stops large particles, lint, fluff and other contaminants before they enter the filter.
Advantages:
- rigid frame;
- quick installation;
- tight fit;
- fine filtration;
- low price.
Flaws:
- fragile material.
Sakura CA11380 is recommended for active vehicle use in the city. This is an inexpensive filter for Lexus, Toyota, Daihatsu models.
