Do I Need Filter Cleaner To Clean A Dry Filter

Air Filter on top of a table

Keeping your motorcar clean on the outside protects the paintwork; keeping information technology clean on the inside makes information technology a nicer place to exist. Keeping it make clean under the bonnet can aid maintain its performance and save y'all coin.

If you're looking to take the next step in car cleanliness, have a recollect nigh cleaning your air filter. Filters prevent dust, dirt and droppings from being fatigued into the engine through the air intake pipe, and they need to be cleaned fairly regularly to maintain the performance and efficiency of the engine.

Here, we evidence you how to clean a machine air filter then you lot can save money and exercise it yourself. We've as well covered the essentials of air filter maintenance, so you know when and how to approach the task.

How to Make clean a Auto Air Filter
How Often Should You Clean a Car Air Filter?
What Are the Common Signs of a Muddy Auto Air Filter?

How to Clean a Motorcar Air Filter

Cleaning the air filter is easy if y'all have a adept idea of where everything is positioned under the bonnet of your car. You can employ a couple of different methods to get the job washed, and we show y'all how in our step-past-step guides below.

Locating the Air Filter:

Y'all'll find your car'south air filter on elevation of the engine where it's easy to accomplish. If y'all tin't detect it, take a look at your car'south manual, which should characterization all the different engine components.

Don't take the manual? Head online, equally there's likely to be a digital version or a YouTube video showing you where it is. Failing that, y'all should ask a mechanic to point it out next fourth dimension your automobile is in for a service.

Removing the Air Filter:

Air filters are normally found in a plastic or metal housing, which you'll demand to open up before y'all can remove the filter. In newer cars, they're normally just clipped down, making them piece of cake to remove, but yous might demand to unscrew or unbolt a section of the housing if your machine is older.

When you've opened the air filter housing, it should just be a case of pulling the air filter out.

Cleaning the Air Filter with a Vacuum Cleaner:

The easiest style to clean a car air filter is with a vacuum cleaner. Connect the hose attachment to your standard household vacuum, and you've got the perfect tool for getting into the ridges of the filter itself.

Vacuum both sides of the filter for well-nigh two minutes, making sure you've got all the visible dirt and debris. When you lot're washed, hold the filter upward to a bright light, as this volition bear witness any bits you lot might have missed. Become over the filter once more, then you're ready to replace it.

Cleaning the Air Filter with Water:

If your car'due south air filter is very dirty and y'all have a bit more time on your easily, you can clean it with water. Cleaning an air filter with h2o takes a lot longer, especially when you cistron in the drying time, but it will get yous neat results.

Get-go by filling a clean bucket with water and a small corporeality of laundry detergent. Submerge the filter in the water and swirl it around, using your hands to aggravate clay and dust out of the filter fabric. Then, remove it from the h2o and shake off any excess, before rinsing it under running water.

When it'south clean, place the filter on a clean towel and leave information technology to dry. Depending on where y'all dry it, the filter could take up to 24 hours to dry out completely, so brand sure you requite it enough time earlier you lot plan to employ your car once more.

Remember – the filter must be totally dry before you supersede information technology. If it'southward even slightly damp, information technology could crusade serious engine problems considering dust and particles will cling to it and block the airflow. Make sure information technology's bone-dry before replacing it.

How Oft Should You lot Clean a Machine Air Filter?

Aim to clean your car'southward air filter every 15,000 miles or so. Your auto'southward manual volition recommend a service schedule for the air filter, then you should stick to it. You may need to clean the air filter more than oftentimes if yous live in a rural area, where there's ordinarily more than dirt and dust on the road.

If y'all don't drive much, we'd still recommend cleaning the air filter at to the lowest degree once a year as part of a regular service, as this will guarantee the performance and efficiency of the engine. You should also replace the air filter every three years, equally they can become brittle and won't piece of work also over time.

What Are the Commons Signs of a Dirty Car Air Filter?

Air filters are often overlooked every bit part of regular maintenance, simply information technology's important they're kept make clean in line with the manufacturer's recommendations. If you bulldoze with a dirty air filter, you might find the following:

Reduced fuel economy
Unusual engine sounds
Reduced ability
Check Engine Light on
Black fume from the exhaust
Misfiring engine
Strong smell of petrol or diesel fuel when starting the car

If you experience whatever of the above and can't figure out what'due south wrong, don't forget to cheque the air filter. A thorough clean may instantly solve the problem, or you might demand to supercede information technology. Think, if it's very muddy, cleaning the filter with h2o does give better results than but vacuuming information technology – but make sure y'all leave it to dry thoroughly before replacing information technology.

For actress freshness after y'all've cleaned your air filter, use Simoniz Air Con Sanitiser to get rid of lingering odours and give you dorsum that new machine fragrance.

At Simoniz, we're passionate about making it easy for you to keep your automobile make clean, inside and out. For more tips on machine care, head to the Simoniz blog or visit our homepage to scan our consummate product range.