How often should the air filter be replaced and is it necessary?

[StZoe]

Replacing the air filter is necessary. According to the vehicle's maintenance manual, it is generally recommended to replace it every 20,000 to 60,000 kilometers. If the driving distance is less, it is suggested to replace it every 12 months. The location of the car's air filter element varies depending on the intake form and the engine's structure. There are two types of air filters in cars: dry and wet. The dry type is made of paper or organic materials, while the wet type is made of metal wire mesh. The function of the air filter: to filter out particulate impurities in the air, ensuring that sufficient clean air enters the cylinders, and preventing floating dust in the air from being sucked into the engine, which would accelerate the wear of the piston group and cylinders. Air filter: It is a type of filter, also known as an air filter cartridge, air cleaner, or style. It is mainly used in engineering vehicles, cars, agricultural vehicles, laboratories, sterile operating rooms, and various precision operating rooms for air filtration. During operation, the engine needs to inhale a large amount of air. If the air is not filtered, the suspended dust in the air will be sucked into the cylinders, accelerating the wear of the piston group and cylinders. Larger particles entering between the piston and cylinder can cause severe cylinder scoring, especially in dry and sandy working environments. The air cleaner is installed in front of the carburetor or intake pipe to filter out dust and sand particles from the air, ensuring that sufficient and clean air enters the cylinders. A dirty air cleaner: Using an excessively dirty air cleaner while driving can cause insufficient engine intake, incomplete fuel combustion, leading to unstable engine operation, reduced power, and increased fuel consumption. Therefore, the car must keep the air cleaner clean. The car air cleaner is a device that removes particulate impurities from the air, consisting of one or several components that clean the air. Its main function is to filter out harmful impurities in the air that are about to enter the cylinders, reducing early wear of the cylinders, pistons, piston rings, valves, and valve seats. Therefore, before air enters the cylinders, it must first pass through the fine filtration of the air cleaner. A dirty air cleaner can cause poor engine performance, excessive fuel consumption, and engine damage. When inspecting the air cleaner, if it is found to have little dust and minor blockage, it can be cleaned by blowing high-pressure air from the inside out and continue to be used. Excessively dirty air cleaners should be replaced promptly.