Have you ever looked down at your mechanic bill and wondered what half of the charges were for? With the advancements in automotive technology, it’s becoming harder and harder for everyday motorists to understand just how their car works. However, as evolved as cars are, there are solid basics that remain; two of which are detailed below. Your air filter and your oil filter.

Air Filter

Why Is Air Important?

The best place to start talking about your air filter is with a quick run-down of why air is important. The process used to keep your pistons firing and your engine running is called combustion. It is when the calculated amount of fuel and air are combined and ignited. The better the calculation of each amount and the quality of air being introduced, the better an engine can perform.

The Air Filter

Before air gets to your engine it passes through your air filter. If you open the hood of your car and can see a medium sized rectangle container with a clamped lid, you are likely looking at your air filter. Inside the box are fibers, made either from foam or paper. Air is pushed through at high speed and the fibers inside trap any debris and contaminants.

What Happens When It Gets Clogged?

As is the nature of a filter - it’s going to get full. When an air filter becomes too clogged to function it restricts the flow of air to your engine. This can directly impact the performance of your engine, including how fuel efficient your engine runs.

Is It Something I Can Change Myself?

Even if you have minimal knowledge of how your car works, you can change your air filter. To get started, speak with Synthetic Solutions at (919) 600-2749 and get the right replacement filter to match your vehicle. If you would like to see the range of AMSOIL air filters, their online store has additional information.

How to Change Your Air Filter

1. Before you get started, make sure that your car has secured with all brakes engaged and blocks in front of the wheels.
2. Open the hood of your car and look for a rectangle shaped plastic container. It will have a lid that is being clamped or locked on top.
3. Open the mechanisms and remove the filter that’s inside.
4. Place the old air filter to one side. You will dispose of this later.
5. With a clean cloth, wipe out the casing to remove any dust that may have built up.
6. Take your new air filter and lock it into place inside the casing.
7. Take the lid and seal it back up. Make sure that all locking mechanisms are secured.

Oil Filter

With your air filter taken care of, next is your oil filter. Just as with the air filter, first a quick explanation of why oil is important to your engine. More so, clean oil. If you were to consider the inner workings of your engine it would essentially be metal parts grinding against each other to create the propulsion for your car. As you can likely imagine, metal grinding against metal will cause a lot of friction and become very hot. When either of these happen, it makes it harder for each part to move, leading it eventually seize. To stop this from happening, engine oil provides a protective coating around each part which not only protects it, but facilitates smooth operation.

What Does Your Oil Filter Do?

The oil inside your engine flows through your engine as it protects and encourages smooth engine part interaction. While it works, high pressures and extreme temperatures can begin to cause it to break down. When this happens, small impurities can separate from the oil and interfere with your engine performance. When this happens, these impurities flow to and through your oil filter. Similar to your air filter, the oil filter also has fibers inside which trap any contaminants flowing through your oil supply. Once the oil filter has trapped these, it releases cleaned oil back through your engine where it can continue to work.

What Happens When the Oil Filter Gets Clogged?

When your oil filter becomes too full, it stops filtering and allows unfiltered oil to return to your engine and continue to cycle. If left too long, this can lead to engine wear and preventable damage.

Where to Get a High Quality Oil Filter

If you are looking to replace your car’s oil filter, speak with Synthetic Solutions at (919) 600-2749 about the make and model of your car. If you would prefer to read more information, their online store can help. Changing your oil filter is the perfect time to give your car a synthetic oil change. Completed together, your engine gets a fresh coat of protection with a fresh filter to keep it going as long as possible.