Do you know which filters are in your European car? Knowing a little bit more about how these filters work helps you to prioritize maintenance a little bit better for your car. Here’s what Motor City European Repair wants you to know about filters.
Air Filter
Your European car needs air in order to mix with fuel and keep the engine running. The problem is that just pulling in a ton of air isn’t as helpful as it sounds. The air your car pulls in is full of dust, debris, and tiny particles that have no business being in your car’s engine. That’s why the car needs an air filter keeping all that junk out of the engine completely. Changing the air filter when it’s dirty helps to keep air flowing.
Fuel Filter
Air and fuel are equally important to keep your European car’s engine running and just like air, fuel isn’t always as clean as it might look. There is sediment and other impurities in the tank and in the fuel, so as the fuel is pumped up out of the gas tank, it runs through a filter before heading to the engine. A clogged fuel filter is going to reduce the amount of gas that makes it to the engine, which eventually creates engine performance problems.
Oil Filter
The oil filter is probably the filter that gets changed most often in your European car, because you swap that out at every oil change. Engine oil works hard picking up anything that shouldn’t be in the car’s engine and taking it out of there, which means it needs filtering before it recirculates through the engine. If the filter is full or clogged before your next oil change, you might spot dirtier than usual oil when you check the oil yourself. Or you might start seeing oil leaking under the car.
Cabin Air Filter
One filter you might not have heard about before is the cabin air filter. This is a secondary air filter that ensures the air that gets into the passenger cabin is as free of dust, dirt, and debris as possible. If your car smells musty or you’re having more issues with allergies than usual, it’s possible that you need to swap out your car’s cabin air filter. Typically these filters should be changed once a year.
The maintenance schedule for all of these filters is available in your car’s owner’s manual. But if they need to be swapped out earlier than that, Motor City European Repair in Farmington, MI can help. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to set up an appointment for you.
