Most drivers put off auto care and maintenance because it can be inconvenient and pricey. Unfortunately, the inconvenience and cost associated with maintenance is much lower than the time, stress, and money associated with extravagant repairs as a result of lack of preventive care. While it is critical that all parts of your vehicle are routinely cared for and maintained, it helps to know a little bit about what the parts do and why maintaining them will be overall more beneficial—this might help you be diligent about auto care. For instance, your car’s air filter is a small, yet crucial component of your vehicle. It is a relatively inexpensive piece to replace, and yet it is often overlooked by many drivers as an area of concern. Here is some background information on the importance of your car’s air filter and how maintaining it will benefit you in the long run.
Engine Basics
Your engine needs air to function well. In order to properly combust, the engine requires an exactly correct fuel to oxygen ratio. When air flows through your engine, it passes through the air filter first. The air filter is put in place to keep the quality of air that reaches your engine in the best condition possible. In other words, the air filter is responsible for eliminating dirt and debris that could potentially cause damage to your engine. Unfortunately, the quality of the air as it exists is not optimal for your engine’s performance—it contains dust, pollen, dirt, and other contaminants. Keeping your engine free of these particles can greatly improve your vehicle’s performance, and it can significantly extend the longevity of your engine.
Improve Fuel Economy
One of the greatest side effects of ongoing maintenance and care, such as diligently replacing your car’s air filter when needed, is that it can save you money in gas. That’s right, just by replacing the air filter you can improve your vehicle’s fuel economy! Here’s how it works: when your engine is able to receive the proper ratio of clean oxygen to fuel, it doesn’t have to work as hard to begin the combustion process. When your air filter is dirty, you essentially burn more gas because your engine has to struggle to perform. Simply replacing the air filter will create a noticeable difference in gas usage.
Increase Longevity
Dirty air filters can seriously take years off of your engine. The reason for this is because when dust and debris gets into the engine, it adds stress to the various internal parts. When stress is added to multiple engine parts at once, it becomes unlikely to be able to find and replace every part affected. Unfortunately, this is how automobiles go down in performance as well as value. With ongoing care, you can increase the longevity of your engine, which ultimately saves you a great deal of cash in the grand scheme of things.
Prevent Damage to Engine
This might go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway because it’s that important. Your car’s air filter “filters” out all the bad stuff in the air, providing your engine with clean air to breathe. One way that dirty air filters can cause problems is by eventually contaminating the engine oil. As the engine oil is responsible for engine lubrication, when the oil becomes contaminated it can significantly damage the various working parts it comes into contact with. This can make the wear process go a lot faster, and can cause lasting damage to your engine.
How Dell’s Can Help
At Dell’s Service Center, located in Green Bay, WI, we have been serving the surrounding areas for years. As European auto repair specialists, we believe that upholding the luxury of such brands as Audi, Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar begins with preventive auto care. Keeping our clients’ vehicles performing their best at all times isn’t always realistic, so it is our mission to make automotive repair quick, convenient, and affordable. Our certified, professional technicians are skilled at diagnosing and repairing common issues associated with air filter problems, but it is our goal to prevent such issues from occurring in the first place through ongoing maintenance. To learn more about the benefits of a clean air filter, or if you would like to have your air filter inspected or replaced, please contact us to speak to a professional. We look forward to helping you enjoy your vehicle for years to come.