What is that musty smell from my vents?
Air Filters
The air filters in your car help your car “breathe” better. Every day, your car is forced to plow through unbelievable amounts of dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, and all-around nastiness as you drive around Augusta.
How do I know if I need my air filters serviced?
The effects a dirty air filter has on your car aren’t very noticeable since the changes are so gradual. That’s why it’s just a good idea to change them regularly. (You may not notice your socks being smelly right away either…but change those anyway too. Please.)
If you’ve forgotten to replace your air filters for a while, you may notice:
- Decreased performance
- Sluggishness in acceleration
- Popping sounds while idling
- Gasoline smell when starting the car
- Poor air circulation through the air vents
- Musty smells in the cabin area (even after you finally remove those old socks)
How do air filters work?
The air filters in your car help your car “breathe” better. Every day, your car is forced to plow through unbelievable amounts of dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, and all-around nastiness as you drive around Augusta.
Generally speaking, engines do not like to be dirty (on the insides anyway). Like you and me, they perform best in fresh, clean air. (Try running a marathon in a dust storm or do jumping jacks while standing over a campfire. Let’s see how well you do.) And, like you and me, they get a little temperamental when dust and debris show up where they don’t belong. So it’s the job of your car’s air filters to catch all of that filth, slime, and putrescence before it can do any damage.
Your car has an air filter in the engine, and a cabin filter that helps keep the interior air clean. Filters are usually made up of rectangular paper folded like an accordion. The engine air filter housed in a special plastic box connected to the engine by ductwork. As air flows into the car’s air intake, it is forced through the filter to prevent everything except clean air from reaching the rest of the engine. The cabin filter is usually located somewhere under or behind the glovebox.
Over time, enough dirt and grime will build up on the surface of these filters that they will need to be replaced.
Two Air Filter tips.
Air and oil do go together.
Whenever you change the oil in your car go ahead and have your air filters checked. And it’s one less thing to have to remember. It’s an inexpensive part, and replacing it will save you $$ in the long run.
Quality matters.
While it may be tempting to save a couple of bucks by getting the cheaper “off-brand” air filter, your car will perform much better, longer if you spring for an OEM equivalent brand filter (such as NAPA) that will keep your car running for years to come!
Why should I get my air filters checked?
In theory, the air filter could get so dirty that the engine would stop working. However, it is more likely that your car’s performance and power will be affected most. A loss of performance is directly related to a loss of fuel economy and that will affect your wallet. As these tiny pieces of whatever you’re driving through chip away at the inside of your engine, they wear it down and create even more debris in the process. Eventually, if left unchecked, the filter could let excessive debris into the engine causing premature failure and that’s never good!
Also, the cabin filter, if left unchecked, can become stopped up with debris and cause poor air flow through the vents inside. This can cause excessive load on the blower motor and cause costly repairs (think of placing your hand over the intake of a hair dryer and cause it not to blow air). Not to mention it can become moldy, which can make your car stink or may even make you sick.
What do we do in a air filter service?
We change the air filter(s), of course. 🙂
And while we’re in there, we will visually inspect the filter housings for any damage or debris. We will either blow it clean with compressed air or vacuum it out. This will keep the new filter from filling up with debris from the air box.
If you report any of the problems mentioned above, we can also make sure there isn’t any damage further down the line because of anything getting past a dirty filter.
Changing your car’s air filters is a necessary maintenance item that can end up saving you money and extending the life of your car. And it can be easily included with any regular oil change.
Click here to set up an appointment. Or call one of our locations today:
atc Auto Center, Augusta – (706) 738-7812
atc Auto Center, Grovetown – (706) 303-3333
Air Filter Service Near Me
[atc] Auto Center is here to help with your vehicle repair and preventative maintenance needs. We’re the auto air filter service experts! Call or visit us today at one of our locations including Augusta, GA, and Grovetown, GA. You’ll discover why we’re the best auto shop in the CSRA!