What does your Air Filter do?

A clean air filter guarantees improved mileage, better acceleration, increased engine life and overall improved engine performance. Not only does it provide clean air for the engine, but it also prevents fragments from entering the engine. These fragments are capable of wearing out the engine. If the air filter becomes dirty, it reduces the volume of clean air that enters the engine. Each gallon of fuel that the engine burns requires 10,000 gallons of pure air, making the air filter quite an important component in a car.

• One of the foremost symptoms of a dirty air filter would be an evident decrease in mileage. Reduced passage of pure air makes the engine work harder and in turn, it uses more fuel to run effectively. 
• Ignition problems could occur due to a fouled spark plug. Insufficient pure air affects emissions control systems, reducing the air flow and concentrating the air mixture resulting in tainted spark plugs. This can affect engine performance considerably. 

There is a simple light test that can be performed to determine if the air filters are dirty:
Take the air filter out and hold it up to the sun or a strong light; if the light streams in brightly, then you’re good to go, otherwise your air filters needs replacement.

A clean air filter will improve mileage by as much as 14% and may increase acceleration up to 11% depending on the make and model of car. It is recommended to replace air filters every year, possibly during the yearly car service. The frequency of change can be increased, if the car travels through dusty roads.