One of the easiest routine maintenance tasks you can perform on your car is changing the engine air filter. The air filter’s job is to clean the air (removing particles and debris) before the air in introduced into the engine. Over time, the air cleaner will collect dirt, and it will become more difficult to draw air in, limiting the amount of air that the engine gets. When your car is starved for air, you’ll end up with poor performance and degraded fuel economy, costing you money – all because of a sub-$20 part. First, go to the auto parts store to pick up their filter for your vehicle. There will be plenty. If you are uncertain about the part that you need make sure you bring in the old air filter and they will be able to help you get the right one. You can find that these air filters can cost anywhere from $10.00 all way up to $35.00 depending on the style you get and the model of your vehicle. Make sure that you do not drive a vehicle to the auto parts store if you have removed the air filter, as your engine will pull in an amazing amount of dirt and pollen in a relatively short time, playing havoc with it’s tight tolerances. Take another vehicle if it presents itself otherwise make sure that you get the air filter before you tear the air breather if apart. The air filter is located underneath the hood of your vehicle, in the engine bay. You need to lift the lid and look for the breather box. Your air filter will be located inside of the air box. You might need a couple of screwdrivers (normally standard) in order to remove the cover to reveal your air filter. Some models might have bolts instead of quick locking screws to hold everything in place. You should reference your vehicle’s owner’s manual before you start. Simply disconnect the mounting screws that hold the top of the box in place. You’ll then see the air filter which is normally made out of folded pieces of paper (in an accordion fashion). Usually the air filter has a rubber frame around it so that it can make a good seal when it goes back into the box. Make sure that you vacuum out any debris that are trapped in the bottom of the box before you install the new air filter. This will allow your air filter to have a longer life while it is in the vehicle. Once you have removed the old air filter is time to reassemble the air box with the new filter in place. Simply insert the...

Replacing the cabin air filter in your car is a normal, and required part of your vehicle’s maintenance. The cabin air filter’s duty is to keep pollen, dust, mold, small dust particles, and other debris from entering the cabin of your vehicle and blowing out the vents of your AC or heater. A dirty or clogged cabin air filter will prevent your car from getting proper air flow every time the air conditioning or heater is turned on your vehicle (essentially limiting the effectiveness of your AC / Heater). Since cabin air filters are a fairly inexpensive component to replace (normally under $30), and don’t require any special tools (in most cases) to preform the replacement, there’s no reason not to do it yourself. The first step in replacing your cabin air filter it to locate it in your vehicle. Every vehicle is different, and the location of the cabin air filter can be anywhere from inside the engine compartment to behind the glove box. You may need to look online, talk to a dealership or look an owner’s manual to find the specific location of yours. It’s likely that your owner’s manual will have an illustration or picture of its location. [rssless] Most of the time is located underneath the dash, encased in a plastic box. What you need to do is remove a couple of the clips that hold it in place and the filter slides right out. This is normally an easy process to do when you’re trying to maintain your vehicle. Make sure that you remove the filter, as well as any debris that may be in the cabin air filter box. You want to use a vacuum to suck out anything that could be left in the box before you install the new filter. In order to improve the air quality in your vehicle it is recommended that you change the cabin air filter every 15,000 miles (this is a generic figure, so consult your manual). If you are on very dusty roads or in the country is better to change it very regularly so that you do not let harmful particles into the cab of your vehicle. It is also recommended that you change are regularly if you have pets riding in your vehicle....