Here at our Harrisonburg VA car dealership, our service department stays busy maintaining vehicles and correcting potential problems that could cause greater problems on the road.
As part of maintenance and prevention, certified Chevrolet technicians regularly check air filters. It used to be that for good air filter maintenance, filters needed to be changed every 3,000 miles.
Today, however, modern air filters have a longer life, lasting between 1-2 years. Still, the practice of checking air filters periodically is key. A change in driving habits and weather conditions can cause more dirt and debris to accumulate.
That’s why our technicians recommend routinely checking both your cabin and engine filters about every 6,000 miles.
What’s important to remember with any air filter maintenance is to replace a dirty filter with a clean one. Never manually clean and re-install an air filter. It’s pointless because dirt remains in the filter, compromising performance.
Here’s a look at the two air filters that are critical to keeping you safe on the road.
Air Filter Maintenance: Cabin Air Filter
Rich White, executive director for the non-profit organization, Car Care Council, says, “Checking the cabin air filter is a simple preventative maintenance step that goes a long way toward protecting passengers, as well as the vehicle’s HVAC system.”
We couldn’t agree more! Much like a construction worker who wears a mask on a job site, your cabin air filter eliminates particulates and allergens before they have a chance to enter your lungs.
Made of pleated paper, this filter is essential to maintaining a healthy environment in your vehicle. When it becomes dirty, good air flow is reduced and air quality becomes compromised.
What’s more, a dirty cabin air filter can damage your air conditioning system and stop your heater from working properly. That’s why it pays to routinely check it.
Air Filter Maintenance: Engine Air Intake Filter
A dirty engine air intake filter can cause engine problems. By simply replacing it, you can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.
Considering that your vehicle can use as much as 10,000 gallons of air for every gallon of fuel burned, a clean filter is critical to your vehicle’s performance.
Just as the cabin filter protects your lungs, the engine filter’s job is to protect the engine from pollutants and allergens. But it is also designed to keep debris and waste from building up in your engine.
Water, dirt, grime, and insects are all enemies to your engine. That’s why the engine air intake filter is so crucial.
When waste enters your engine, sticky substances adhere to moving parts causing carbon deposits to bake onto the components. Intake valves also clog.
Because driving habits vary depending on the time of year and driving conditions, it’s important to routinely take a quick look at your engine filter. Safe driving depends upon it!
Prevention is Key for Safe Driving
Air filter maintenance is key for safe driving. That’s why the Chevy certified technicians at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza can, with your permission, perform a visual check of your filters every 6,000 miles.
This simple step is the key to lifelong good—and safe—performance of your vehicle.
For quality service that you can trust, turn to the service pros at our Harrisonburg dealership.
