How To Replace Air Filter

By: LeRoy Coffie

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Need to know how to replace the air filter in your car? Replacing the air filter in your car is an important part of maintaining it. It will only take a few moments of your time and your car will run better. Changing your air filter is a form of preventative maintenance and will help your car last longer. You should replace your air filter about every fifteen thousand miles.

To replace an air filter, you will need:

A new air filter
A Philips screwdriver and/or a flat-head screwdriver
The owner’s manual for your vehicle
A small vacuum cleaner

Look in your car’s owner’s manual to get the specifications for the air filter needed for your car. You can also get this information from an auto parts store. Go to the auto parts store and buy your new air filter.
Park your vehicle in your driveway. Secure the emergency brake on your car. Open up the hood of your car. The button to open up your hood is usually below your steering wheel and to the left. You will usually see a hood insignia on the release button. Open your car’s hood and secure it with the pop rod. The pop rod is on the passenger side of your car and goes into a hole in the same side of the hood. Do not touch the engine until the car is cooled down.
Find the air filter unit. This unit is on the engine of older cars. You will need to use a screwdriver to open the unit on older cars. Newer cars usually have clips that easily disengage. If you have an older car, unscrew the screws and pull the lid off your air filter unit. If you have a newer car, disengage the clips and open up the air filter unit. Remove the old air filter and replace it with the new air filter.
Clean any excess dirt or sand out of the air filter unit. You can do this with a small vacuum cleaner. Change the air filter and vacuum out the air filter unit to keep dirt out of the engine of your car.
Put the air filter unit back together. If you have an older car, screw the screws back in their places. If you have a newer car, reengage the clips.
You are finished replacing the air filter on your car. Put your car hood back down and throw away the old air filter. You will only have to change your air filter once a year, unless you drive more than fifteen thousand miles a year.