Car Filters: Use and Maintenance

Car maintenance is vital for our safety and for optimal vehicle performance. There are things that we are clear about, but others could make us have doubts, such as how often do you have to change the filter of a car.

It is important to know this, because filters are an important part of the correct operation of the engine. To find them, there are companies like rexbo.co.uk site, which sell filters for all types of car models.

There are many myths and ‘tips’ running around on the time it takes to change them. However, as we told you once, everything is relative.

So that you forget these myths and legends, and take a good maintenance of your vehicle to avoid greater evils, we reveal the keys on this subject. When you finish reading this article, you will no longer have any doubts.

First of all, it is good to know what are the filters for. Every engine requires three essential elements for its operation: fuel, air and oil. Each of them must be free of dirt and particles that could damage the engine and prevent the vehicle from operating properly.

For each of them there are three filters available in a motor that correspond to each of the mentioned elements. Well, the good maintenance of each one of them will make the life of the engine more or less durable and its performance will be greater or less.

So, filters will take care of conserving the engine, reducing consumption and not damaging the environment by an engine that runs in poor condition.

Then, can they be cleaned or better changed? For answer this question, we are going to explain which is the best option in each of the filters:

1. Fuel filter

This is a controversial question, but there is one very clear thing: it is not recommended to clean the fuel filter, but it will have to be changed whenever it is saturated. This is because scale cannot be completely removed and cleaning it will not notice noticeable results. The change of this filter must be done every 40,000 kilometres if we are talking about a diesel model; in gasoline they last twice as long.
In any case, for each specific model the manufacturer’s manual will indicate the change interval, with which you will ensure a long life and good performance of the injectors, circuits and pressure pumps.

2. Air filter

Although it is not recommended, if it does not look in very bad condition, it is possible to clean an air filter with a pressurized air hose. However, most drivers decide to change it, since it only has to be done once every 15,000 or 20,000 kilometres and the cost of it is very low.

3. Oil filter

The oil filter should not be cleaned, but replaced. Normally it will last about 15,000 or 20,000 kilometres, but it is recommended that it be changed whenever the same is done with the oil. In this way, the new lubricant will pass through a clean filter, so the oil will be less contaminated, the engine will be better preserved and the consumption will be lower.

Changing this is not expensive either, so the best thing is that every time you change the oil you choose a complete pack in your trusted workshop for the lubricant and the air and oil filter.

At last, do not forget to ask your workshop for a card with the date you have made the changes, and do not allow more than a year to do so if you have not reached the kilometres supposedly indicated.