NAPA Know How: What Is an Engine Air Filter Made of?

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Engine air filters come in lots of different shapes and sizes, but they all do one job: They keep the inside of your engine free from harmful debris. Over the years, the design of engine air filters has changed, from their size to their material, so no one filter works best for all makes and models. Here’s a rundown of an engine air filter’s components.

A Little History

The first cars didn’t have engine air filters — automotive pioneers quickly figured out that debris was getting inside the engines, hurting performance and shortening engine life. Early on, the first solution was a water bath that trapped particles, which led to a second attempt: an oil bath, thicker and stickier, to trap still more impurities. Lastly, their third solution included air filters made of paper or fiber — a variation of which we’ve continued to use for more than half a century.

From Round to Flat

If you look under the hood of older cars with carburetors, you’ll find the engine air filter inside a round container that looks like a holiday cookie tin. The idea was to surround the carburetor with a filter.

As we’ve moved on from carburetors to fuel injection, a large, round air filter would take up important space needed for hoses and wires, including the engine itself. If you have a fuel-injected vehicle, your air filter is probably flat, rectangular and not visible when you first open the hood. Although, there are some nice aftermarket air filters that still get the job done and look good doing it, too.

Common Air Filter Materials

The earliest, simplest engine air filters were made of paper, and some still are, but you can also get filters made of premium cotton, synthetic foam and cotton soaked in oils that trap even more contaminants. Paper filters are produced with different features: Some are treated, others are pleated or embossed, which their manufacturers claim makes them more efficient at trapping impurities before they reach the engine. Other filters use a metal mesh to help with that.

Filter frames also come in a variety of material types. They’re usually made with either plastic or rubber, which are both designed for an airtight fit, eliminating the need for separate gaskets or seals.

Whatever material you choose, the main thing to remember is that you need to change your engine air filter regularly. Just pull the old frame out, put the new one in and you’re good to go for another 10,000 to 15,000 miles. Because they’re so easy to replace, engine air filters are a great maintenance item for a beginner DIYer. Once you add it to your routine maintenance list, your car will run better for longer.

Check out all the engine air filters available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on air filters, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

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NAPA Know How: Car Questions You’re Scared to AskNAPA Know How Blog

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In most aspects of life, knowledge is power; this is especially true when it comes to your car. Having insight into how your vehicle works plays a part in keeping you safe on the road, and it can help you handle any car troubles without breaking a sweat.

Asking the right car questions can provide you with some valuable automotive know-how. Still, many people new to owning or caring for a vehicle shy away from asking questions for fear of looking uninformed. If you’re one of those folks, you’re in luck! Here are the answers to four car questions you may have been scared to ask.

What happens if I use gas with a lower octane level than my car’s manufacturer recommends?

When it comes to your car’s fuel, there are two words to watch for in the owner’s manual: “required” and “recommended.” If a specific octane is “required,” always choose that octane when getting gas. Failure to do so could damage the engine.

However, if the manual “recommends” a specific octane, you have more wiggle room. Using a gas with a lower octane than the one recommended by the automaker every once in a while shouldn’t cause any problems. Still, don’t make this a regular practice. Octane ratings impact an engine’s performance and fuel economy. To get the best possible performance and gas mileage, stick with the octane recommended in the owner’s manual.

How often should I check the air in my tires?

Some experts recommend that you check your tire pressure every time you put gas in your car. Not everyone will have the time to do this, but it’s a good rule to follow. At the very least, check your tire pressure once a month. Keeping your tires properly inflated helps to optimize your car’s fuel economy and handling.

How often should I change my car’s timing belt?

Your car’s timing belt plays an important role in the way your vehicle runs. It controls and synchronizes the pistons and valves in a car’s combustion engine. Deterioration of the timing belt can happen suddenly, causing unsafe driving conditions if it happens while you’re behind the wheel. For this reason, it’s advisable to replace the belt according to recommendations given by your mechanic or your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Newer cars can go for up to 100,000 miles without needing a new timing belt, while older vehicles may need a replacement after about 60,000 miles.

How often should I change my car’s air filter?

The air filter keeps sand and other debris from entering your car’s engine. In doing so, it prevents engine damage and extends its life. Typically, it’s recommended that you replace the air filter every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. However, you may need to replace the filter more frequently if your car has a turbocharged engine or if you regularly drive on unpaved roads.

These tips will help you get up to speed on issues related to automotive care and maintenance. Having access to basic car knowledge and advice makes owning a car a lot less stressful.

Check out all the filters and related products available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more answers to common car questions, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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NAPA Know How: Do You Really Need To Change It?

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Chances are the automatic transmission filter in your vehicle is something you rarely think about. In fact, it’s most likely not even come up when discussing basic maintenance with your mechanic. This might seem strange, given that most of the other filters on your car or truck have specific service intervals that are important to keep track of.

What’s the deal with this transmission filter? Do you really need to change it? And if not, why not?

Sealed vs. Open

There’s a crucial difference between an automatic transmission filter and every other filter in your vehicle: It’s part of a completely closed system. Your car’s air filter, gas filter, and oil filter are all in place to prevent contamination from the outside world because your engine and fuel tank are open at all times to ingest dirt and other gunk via the intake or fuel tank. Even your cabin filter is exposed to the environment and is responsible for filtering out leaves, dust and pollen.

An automatic transmission, on the other hand, is a completely closed system. Yes, there’s a vent designed to release any pressure that might build up inside of it as it heats up, but it doesn’t suck in any air during that process. In short, it’s blocked off from the outside world.

Two Different Jobs

You might see where this is going. While other filters in your car are busy screening out particles that could damage your engine or make you sneeze, and thus need to be regularly changed, the automatic transmission filter doesn’t fill the same role.

Why, then, is there a filter in the first place? It’s mostly in place to catch any leftovers from the manufacturing process. On occasion, flaws (read: bits of metal) from the transmission’s construction might end up circulating in the hydraulic fluid, and the filter catches those items and keeps them from doing any harm. It’s a very, very small amount of material, which means the filter will never get clogged.

Back in the Day

A few of you might be saying, “Hey, we used to change these filters!” This is true — there was once a time when it wasn’t uncommon to swap out a transmission filter as part of regular fluid servicing. In that era, however, to drain and fill a transmission correctly it was necessary to drop the pan and replace the gaskets at the same time, and so with the gearbox apart, the filter replacement was an easy add-on task (and a bit of a money-maker for garages). Nowadays, it’s possible to drain and fill a transmission without disassembling it, which means the filter replacement is significant extra work for no real benefit.

 

NAPA Know How: Replacing an Oil Filter By Itself: Should I?

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Everyone knows frequent oil changes are a vital part of vehicle maintenance, but usually replacing an oil filter occurs at the same time as an oil change, assumed to be basically equal parts of the one procedure. And while this is generally the case, there may, on rare occasions, come a time when replacing an oil filter alone is desirable. But before deciding whether this is something you want to do, make sure you have a basic understanding of the roles both oil and filters play.

Smooth and Cool Runnings

Engine oil does more than lubricate and keep things moving. By flowing through and across hot surfaces, it disperses heat and helps cool the engine to keep heat-sensitive parts safe. Additionally, the additives in engine oil work as a detergent to clean internal components as oil flows over them. As the oil cycles through the system, it begins to carry tiny particles of metal and debris, which can potentially cause major damage in such close clearances. That’s where the engine’s oil filter comes in. The microscopic holes in the internal fibers allow proper flow volumes to pass while holding behind particulate matter. Eventually, this can become a liability if the filter becomes clogged and restricts oil flow, and this is why we change them.

Slick and Slide

The oil itself also breaks down over time and becomes less effective at its job, this is why both oil and filter are usually changed at once. However, there are rare circumstances where you might want to leave the oil and change only the filter. Presumably, this is because there is damage to the filter itself or you might have a situation where high-quality synthetic oil was used with a mid or low-quality filter and thus the life of the oil outlasts the usefulness of the filter. Generally speaking though, it is advised to do both at once — partly for simplicity’s sake and also because timely oil changes are just so darn important to keeping an engine running.

Filter Out

It is, in fact, possible to change the filter alone, with varying degrees of difficulty. The filter is usually installed above the level of the oil pan, so you don’t have to worry about all the oil pouring out, but do expect a little. If you let the car sit for a while before attempting the replacement, you can minimize this, but keep a drip pan and rags handy. You’ll also want to prime the filter — this means filling it with oil, letting it sit and soak in, topping it off, rubbing a little around the lip, and installing it. Some filters must be installed on their sides, so these you don’t want to fill all the way up or they will spill on installation. Always check the oil level after installing a new filter and top off as necessary.

Even though it is possible, changing an oil filter alone is a rarity and frankly, inadvisable. It is certainly not an alternative to a full oil change. Your engine is a precise machine that requires care and attention, and frequent oil and filter changes are the foundation of good maintenance.

Check out all the maintenance parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on why you should change your engine’s oil filter and oil at the same time, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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NAPA Know How: Can a Fuel Filter Stop a Car From Starting?

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Just like a good tailgate party, your engine requires three basic things to get cooking, fuel, oxygen and heat. In your engine — hold the bratwurst — oxygen is delivered by the intake, heat by spark or compression, and fuel by the fuel pump. Before fuel gets to the cylinder, though, it passes through tubes and fuel filters, maybe one or two fuel pumps, and finally to the fuel injectors. If you’re having trouble starting your engine, a failure in any one of these areas could be the culprit, but can a fuel filter stop a car from starting?

Can a Fuel Filter Stop a Car From Starting? Absolutely!

Unlike your car’s electrical system, which is a parallel system, the fuel system is a serial system. In other words, if the CIG fuse blows, it doesn’t affect the windshield wipers. In the fuel system though, any problems will affect the entire system. In general, the fuel is picked up in the fuel tank and delivered to the fuel injectors, more or less following this path:

  1. Fuel Screen: Captures larger contaminants, over 25 to 400 µm, like rust, scale or dirt.
  2. Rotary Fuel Pump: Pressurizes the system, up to 15 psi, for carburetors, or 70 psi for fuel injection systems.
  3. Fuel Filter: Captures finer particles, from 1 to 75 µm, such as dust, pollen and silt. Diesel filters might separate water, as well.
  4. Fuel Pressure Regulator: Maintains constant fuel pressure, bleeding off excess to the tank.
  5. Mechanical Fuel Pump: On gasoline direct injection and diesel engines, bumps fuel pressure up to 4,500 to 25,000 psi.
  6. Fuel Injectors: Delivers precise fuel pulses to each cylinder, controlled by the engine control module.

Seeing as the fuel can only take one path from the fuel tank to the fuel injectors — some components might vary, depending on year, make and model — it’s easy to see how a fuel filter problem can stop your engine from starting.

How Can a Fuel Filter Stop a Car From Starting?

Fuel filter clogging is the most common fault, caused by excessive contaminants in the fuel. This is usually because whatever fuel source hasn’t been taking care of their own filtering equipment. In high-mileage vehicles, this can simply be the buildup over years and years of operation — over 100,000 miles, a 30-mpg vehicle’s fuel filter will process at least 3,333 gallons of fuel.

At first, a clogged fuel filter might manifest itself as a fuel trim problem, hesitation or poor performance, but eventually could cause cylinder misfires or starve the engine of fuel, preventing it from starting in the first place. While a clogged fuel filter might sideline your car for a day, there’s a bright side to your engine stalling out: Your clogged fuel filter was doing its job, preventing damage to other parts of the fuel system. Install a new fuel filter and you’ll be back on the road.

Check out all the fuel & emission system parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how a bad fuel filter can stop your engine from starting, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

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NAPA Know How: NAPA Know How Blog

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Oil can pass through filter media. Bypass valve closed.

What happen when a spin-on filter is removed from service and upon inspection it is noted that the filter has collapsed in on itself. Why? What has caused this condition? What causes oil filter collapse? 

It Isn’t What You Think

The first thought might be that the filter has some type of manufacturing defect that has caused this problem. This is usually not the case. Lubrication systems are equipped with a bypass valve that is present in either the system or within the system’s oil filter. This bypass valve is not to be confused with the pressure regulating valve that controls system oil pressure. The pressure regulating valve opens to redirect oil flow back to the sump when system pressure begins to exceed the manufacturer’s specified ranges.

Oil Must Flow

Oil cannot pass through filter media. By-pass valve opens.

Oil cannot pass through filter media. Bypass valve opens.

The bypass valve opens to allow oil to go around the filter when conditions make it difficult or impossible for it to pass through the filter media. Cold start-ups or a filter that has not been properly serviced are two common instances during which time it will become necessary for the oil to circumnavigate the filter. The opening of the bypass valve is necessary to prevent oil starvation.

An open bypass valve resulting from a cold start is usually a short term condition because the oil temperature quickly rises as the engine heats up.

Under Pressure

If the by-pass valve fails to open, differential pressure may increase to the point of filter collapse.

If the bypass valve fails to open, differential pressure may
increase to the point of filter collapse.

When the filter is improperly serviced, and becomes plugged, the filtering process can be negated until such time as a new filter is put into service. During this plugged condition, the bypass valve will continually open and close to allow oil to flow around the filter. If this occurs, the oil will not be properly cleaned by the filter. If the bypass valve fails to open, differential pressure may
increase to the point of filter collapse.

The oil filter collapse is a clear indicator that the lubrication system is not functioning properly and that maintenance may be required.

Check out all the maintenance parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on oil filter collapse, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

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NAPA Know How: How Often Should You Change Your Oil Filter?

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Here’s a question: How often should you change your oil filter? If you’ve ever wondered just what’s in that little round canister called an oil filter, have a look. Those manila-envelope colored pieces you see are the outer edges of material that traps contaminants — things that can clog and damage the working parts of your vehicle’s engine.

If you look in your vehicle’s owner’s manual, you’ll probably see a recommendation that you change your oil at certain intervals based on months and miles, and you may find that the manufacturer recommends you change the filter every other oil change. You might have a relative, neighbor or friend who tells you that they go even longer between oil filters — maybe a year or more. It saves money, they’ll tell you.

It’s a safe bet none of them are mechanics or engine parts manufacturers.

Engine oil does its job best when it’s as pure and clean as possible. Grit, grime, sludge or — this can happen — metallic particles from the inside of your engine — add friction to what is supposed to be lubrication. Friction causes heat, and heat causes premature wear and tear on your engine.

And then there’s the material the oil filter is meant to trap. Bigger pieces can ultimately clog intakes. Think about a blood clot in your body. You could have a stroke, right? Replace your heart with your engine and you’ve got the picture. The longer you go between filter changes, the more contaminants that are already trapped inside the oil filter, the less efficient that filter becomes. It’s like your home furnace filter. If you go too long between changes, your HVAC system begins to strain. The clogged filter is starving it of clean air. It’s the same with your vehicle’s engine and the oil filter.

So, How Often Should You Change Your Oil Filter?

The cheapest insurance for your car’s engine is frequent oil changes — with a new filter at every oil change. That prevents contamination of your new, clean oil from anything that might pass out of your old filter and ensures that new oil is as efficient as it can be in its job of lubricating engine parts, reducing wear and tear, and keeping operating temperatures in a healthy range.

If you’re wondering how often you should change your oil filter, keep things simple by changing your oil filter every time you change your engine oil. Following this schedule might cost you more money, but it will save your engine from possibly getting clogged with grime, sludge or large metallic pieces.