How to Change your Air Filter by Yourself

St James Used Car Service | New York Preowned Cars

Cars cost money. In addition to the actual expense of purchasing the vehicle, there's insurance costs, administrative costs, and maintenance expenses. Cars, especially modern ones, are also complex machines with finely-tuned interconnected parts that can seem mysterious to most people. The prospect of digging around inside a car is a daunting prospect for most people, but it doesn't have to be. Performing your own routine maintenance tasks is a great way to cut costs and become more comfortable with your vehicle's operation. Let's take a look at one of the tasks you can perform at home: Changing your Air Filter.

Your air filter is a simple cloth-like device that prevents airborne contaminants from getting pulled into your car's engine, something that could damage it in the long run. Over time, your air filter will become clogged with debris that will impede the air flow to the engine, something that can also damage it in the long run. You should change your filter every year or every 12,000 miles depending on how often you drive the vehicle.

The first thing you'll need to do is to purchase the actual filter and ensure there are no special installation requirements. Dust off your Owner's Manual and read up on the filter and then, assuming there are no special requirements, go to your local auto parts retailer. If you aren't sure of the exact filter you need, speak with the staff there and they can look up the part. Generally speaking, this should cost you under $20.

To get ready for the actual installation, ensure your vehicle is parked with the emergency brake and that the engine is turned off. Keep your Owner's Manual handy and consult it for the exact location of the filter. The filter will be secured in some fashion with a cover, you'll need a screwdriver or some kind of flat edge to get it loose.

After that, the rest is easy. The old filter should pop out of its slot easily. There will likely be some grime in the slot, go ahead and wipe that clean before inserting the new filter. Make sure the new filter is facing the proper direction before you replace the cover. Ensure the cover is fastened securely before you finish.

That's it! A quick trip to the store and five minutes under the hood and you'll have saved anywhere from $20-$80 in labor costs. Too easy.