What are the consequences of a clogged air filter?
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Your car's air filter is essential to ensure the quality of the air supplied to the engine cylinders. Since it traps dust and particles, it can clog up more or less quickly. Clogging it up will have serious consequences for the proper functioning of your vehicle, both in terms of fuel consumption and engine power!
💨 How do you know if the air filter is dirty?
When you are in sweeping your car, you will quickly realize that your car's air filter is clogged. First, if you visually check the condition of the air filter, Il will be loaded with impurities and residues... Secondly, your car will run into serious malfunctions and you will have the following symptoms:
- Fuel consumption increases : If the filter can no longer filter the air correctly, the quantity and quality of the air received will not be optimal. In response, the engine will consume more fuel to compensate;
- The engine runs worse : The engine will lose power and it will be more difficult for it to reach high rpm. This will be especially felt when accelerating;
- Engine misfire while traveling : Holes can appear during the acceleration phases. In addition, the engine will have problems with proper operation and more and more severe misfires will occur.
As soon as any of these signs appear, there is no question that your air filter is clogged and needs to be replaced quickly.
⛽ What is the fuel consumption with a dirty air filter?
Clogged air filter will causesignificant impact on fuel consumption... This applies regardless of your vehicle's engine, i.e. gasoline or diesel.
Depending on the characteristics of your vehicle and the fuel used, the increase in consumption may be 10% and 25%.
As you can see, overconsumption of fuel is very important and will greatly affect your budget. Indeed, fuel remains a significant part of your vehicle budget.
It should be noted that this increase is due not only to the worn out air filter, but also to the fact that it can cause its wear. Consequently, wear air filter causes clogging of the engine and system exhaust... This plays an important role in increasing the consumption of gasoline or diesel fuel.
To save on fuel costs, it is highly recommended to replace the air filter. every 20 kilometers... In addition, it will save you money on the maintenance of your vehicle, as the wear of the air filter will lead to premature wear of engine parts and require descaling or changing one of them.
🚘 How to measure the power loss due to a clogged air filter?
The loss of engine power is hard to count on your car. Since it depends on several criteria, it cannot be measured with precision. For example, if the air filter is very dirty, you takes longer to reach high engine rpm and in some cases you may not be able to achieve the speed you want.
In the case of a slightly worn filter, the power loss will be very small and you will not feel it right away. However, as soon as the air filter wears out more, you will gradually feel a decrease in power install. If holes in acceleration and engine misfires It looks like the air filter is badly damaged.
⚠️ What is the danger of a dirty air filter?
If you continue to drive regularly despite the worn out air filter, you will ruin your vehicle and continue to suffer from combustion problems. Thus, you face two main risks, namely:
- Engine contamination : poor air filtration as well as increased fuel consumption cause engine clogging, contributing to the appearance of calamine... Indeed, unburned deposits will be deposited on many parts such as injectors, EGR valve or butterfly body;
- Exhaust contamination : When the engine system is clogged with carbon, the exhaust system will follow. Indeed, since it is located after the engine, it will also filter impurities and fuel deposits poorly.
Contamination of the air filter should not be taken lightly, as it has a direct effect on the combustion of air and the fuel mixture in the engine cylinders. To preserve engine parts and maintain good engine performance, you should replace the air filter as soon as it appears to be damaged.
