By Benjamin Jerew / Originally Published September 21, 2016 / National Automotive Parts Association / If your vehicle gets 36 mpg, you’ll burn one gallon of fuel on…{"id":9352,"date":"2016-12-01T09:52:23","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T17:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=9352"},"modified":"2016-11-29T09:58:19","modified_gmt":"2016-11-29T17:58:19","slug":"dirty-air-filter-how-to-check-and-when-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/01\/dirty-air-filter-how-to-check-and-when-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Dirty Air Filter: How to Check and When to Change"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Benjamin Jerew\u00a0\/ Originally Published September 21, 2016\u00a0\/\u00a0National Automotive Parts Association \/<\/h5>\n

If your vehicle gets 36 mpg, you\u2019ll burn one gallon of fuel on the average daily drive of an American, along with some 9,000 gallons of air, enough to fill a 12 x 20-foot pool to five feet. That air isn\u2019t just air, however. There\u2019s dust, pollen, insects, sand, dirt and even bits of rubber. The<\/span> engine air filter<\/a><\/strong> keeps this stuff from damaging the engine, and a dirty air filter is a sign it\u2019s actually doing its job.<\/span><\/p>\n

How M<\/strong>uch<\/strong> D<\/strong>irt<\/strong> Is Too M<\/strong>uch?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With regular scheduled maintenance, most manufacturers recommend changing the engine air filter every 10,000 to 20,000 miles, mostly as a preventative step. Really, the idea is to change a dirty air filter before it\u2019s too far gone. On carbureted engines, a dirty air filter can impact performance and fuel economy, foul spark plugs and eventually cause misfires. On fuel-injected engines, it can impact performance, but efficiency is usually unaffected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Either way, a degraded<\/span> air filter<\/a><\/strong> may allow unfiltered air into the engine.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Check for a Dirty Air Filter<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fortunately, checking the air filter on most cars is fairly easy. You\u2019ll need is a screwdriver, and you may also have to disconnect an electrical connector or two. Check your owner\u2019s manual for the location and removal procedure. Basically, you open the air box, remove the air filter and look at it. There is no real testing procedure, just a purely visual inspection.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new air filter may be white, off-white, yellow or another color, but you should expect to see at least mild discoloration of a used air filter.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, you should replace your air filter if any of the following conditions exist:<\/span><\/p>\n