Can the air filter element be replaced?

The car owner went for maintenance and found that the air filter had always been very clean.

It's not dirty. Why change it?
At first glance, it might not be true. The air filter is dirty, and sometimes it is impossible to tell with the naked eye. In fact, the engine has long been playing the dust game every day.

Be careful of the car owner. The air filter may not seem dirty, but its service life may have reached the limit.

Improper maintenance of the air filter element can cause great harm

Because it doesn't look dirty, it is often overlooked by the owner during the maintenance process, resulting in the use of incorrect maintenance methods.

Misleading 1: Continuing to use the air filter after blowing it clean with an air gun

Most automotive air filter elements are dry filter elements, composed of multiple layers of fibers, which are used to filter impurities in the air. However, after long-term use, impurities in the air will firmly embed into the fiber sheets. Coupled with the increasingly serious environmental pollution, there are more and more impurities in the air, which also leads to a shortened service life of the air filter element.

When replacing the air filter element, I found that only some dust and other impurities were adhering to the surface. Many car owners must think that if they could save money, they could. They should be able to blow it clean with an air gun, but they don't know that many small impurities invisible to the naked eye have firmly embedded in the fibers. And after blowing, the air filter cannot be reinstalled because basically, the filtering structure of the filter paper has been damaged by the strong airflow and can no longer filter fine particles well.

Misleading 2: Do not replace the air filter throughout the year

As mentioned earlier, the function of an air filter is to filter out impurities and particles, including both large and small ones. It is very easy to shake out a lot of dirty particles on the surface of the filter paper because some small particles on the filter paper are not easy to shake out.

The severe sludge in the engine system is also related to the failure to replace the air filter on time. When the engine intake contains particles, the ash after combustion accelerates the clogging of the three-way catalytic converter, seeps into the engine oil, increases the sludge in the engine oil, and increases the wear of the engine.

When the blockage is obvious, due to poor air intake, the computer cannot provide high-quality combustion regulation, and phenomena such as weak acceleration and engine operation shaking may occur. The above-mentioned consequences are far beyond the cost of several or even hundreds of air filters.

Suggestions for air filter element replacement and selection
The recommended replacement cycle for the air filter element is every 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers or once a year, and it must be replaced regularly.

Nowadays, there are many brands of air filter elements on the market. When making a purchase, car owners can learn in detail about the product's reputation and quality evaluation. Don't buy randomly just for the low price.

Air filters with unclear uses or even counterfeit and shoddy products, insufficient air intake, have a significant impact on many systems of the vehicle, leading to the continuous maintenance and replacement of other components. It's not about saving a small amount of money but spending a large one. It's best to purchase high-quality air filters from genuine large manufacturers, which have better filtering effects and a longer service life.

Of course, the environment in which the vehicle is frequently driven is also an important reference for replacing the air filter. If you often go to places with a lot of dust, try to replace the air filter as often as possible.