What phenomena will occur if a wet air filter continues to be used?
2 Answers
It may cause the engine to fail to start, and attempting to start the engine could result in poor acceleration, sluggish performance, and insufficient fuel supply. If the moisture in the wet air filter enters the cylinders severely, it may lead to engine hydrolock, causing engine damage and ultimately destroying the engine. Detailed introduction to the car air filter: 1. Impact of unfiltered air: When the engine is running, it needs to intake a large amount of air. If the air is not filtered, the dust suspended 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, which is particularly serious in dry and sandy working environments. 2. Function of the air filter: The air filter 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.
Never push your luck with a wet air filter—it's essentially the engine's face mask. When soaked, it completely blocks the air intake. I've been there before—my car drove like it had asthma, with the engine shuddering and RPMs refusing to rise even at full throttle. The mechanic found the filter caked in mud; turns out I didn’t slow down while crossing a puddle in the rain, and the sucked-in water turned the filter into a sponge. Worse, water droplets got drawn into the cylinders, rusting the spark plug electrodes with white spots. Now after every long drive in heavy rain, I snap a photo of the filter and share it in my auto repair group for a pro check. Running a wet filter long-term wrecks piston rings the most, and the engine oil emulsifies into a milky tea color. One repair bill could buy thirty Mann filters.
