You change your furnace filter every 30, 60, or 90 days, but when do the filters in your automobile need to be changed? CAR FIX Cookeville explains that automobile filters do not have monthly milestones. Rather, once you’ve driven a certain number of miles, the filter will become clogged and needs to be replaced. Let’s talk about the automotive filters in your car, crossover, SUV, or truck, their primary job, and the best mileage milestone at which to change them.
Air
The air filter is the second most frequently changed filter. This filter removes contaminants from the air that blows into your engine to ensure the air is as clean as possible once it is routed into the combustion chamber. Most air filters are dirty by the time you’ve driven 12,000 miles. You may need to change the filter sooner if you do a lot of driving on dirt roads or around construction zones. A clean air filter boosts your engine’s performance and increases your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Cabin Air
Just like your home’s heater filter, the cabin air filter purifies the air in your passenger cabin. This helps prevent you from getting sick while you’re driving your car. Not only do debris and dirt blow through the vents if you have a dirty cabin filter, but you may also end up with exhaust fumes and excess pollen. Those who suffer from allergies or respiratory illnesses should make sure they always have a clean cabin filter. Generally, this filter lasts 30,000 miles.
Fuel
The fuel filter is unique in that it filters contaminants out of diesel fuel or gasoline two times rather than just one time. Fuel runs through the fuel filter before it is pumped by the fuel pump into the engine. It also runs through the fuel filter as it exits the fuel pump. Contaminants in your gasoline can cause serious engine damage that is expensive to repair because the gas is burned in the cylinders. As with the cabin air filter, changing the fuel filter is usually required every 30,000 miles.
Oil
Finally, the oil filter is the filter that is changed the most in your automobile. It is changed with every oil change whether you get your oil changed every 3,000 miles or every 7,500 miles. A clean oil filter is crucial. The oil filter has the primary and difficult job of making sure your motor oil is clean as a whistle every time it flows through the engine. Dirty motor oil cannot lubricate the moving parts effectively, draw heat away from the engine, or remove grime.
CAR FIX Cookeville is a full-service auto shop in Cookeville, TN. We can inspect your vehicle’s filters to see which ones need to be replaced. If any are dirty, we will change them out.
