Replacing the air filter (VF) is part of the technical regulation, which is carried out with each vehicle with a certain frequency. In a motor vehicle, filters are used to clean the air entering the engine and the passenger compartment ventilation system. The task of the product is to delay mechanical, biological and chemical impurities to ensure the correct operation of the power plant and create a comfortable atmosphere in the cabin. Products have a certain resource and need regular replacement. Its duration is determined by the model of the part and its operating conditions.
Types of pollution
Street air is a mixture saturated with solid impurities of organic and mineral origin. Upon contact with metal, they cause a friction process, which leads to rapid wear of the equipment and its breakdown. As for the diesel, microscopic-sized foreign objects quickly clog the nozzles and the engine stalls. The motor needs a lot of air to form a combustible mixture of the desired consistency. For every liter of fuel it is consumed up to 150 liters.
The composition contains the following types of pollution:
- Large (30-100 microns). This sand, stone chips flying off the road, pieces of soot, insects and organic fragments that are present everywhere.
- Dust (3-30 microns). The most dangerous substance for machines that can penetrate the smallest openings. There is a lot of dust on dirt roads, where it rises with the wind and the wheels of the car. Therefore, in rural areas it is necessary to replace the filter more often.
- Particles PM2.5 (0.3-2.5 microns). Suspension, which is dangerous for both technology and human health, consists of solid microparticles and liquid molecules that are more toxic. By source of origin, the finely divided mixture is divided into primary and secondary, artificial and natural.
- Pollen, spores, mold (5-15 microns). Organic impurities that saturate the atmosphere in the city and beyond. Even the smallest disputes pose a danger to the fuel system, as they change the composition of the fuel, clog the pipelines and scratch the metal.
Regular change of the air filter allows the car to work better, while creating comfortable conditions in the cabin.
The need to replace the air filter
There were no air filters on the first production cars, but very soon this part became a must-have accessory for any engine compartment.
Mechanical damage
If you do not change the filter on time, during prolonged use the internal filling of the product breaks, solid particles, dust, insects, soot begin to flow into the combustion chambers. This is fraught with abrasion of the cylinder walls and clogging of the fuel lines.
Clogging
Inside the filter is material on which contaminants that have fallen into the air intake settle. Accumulating on the honeycombs, they gradually overlap the gaps.
To understand the need for regular replacement of the WF, you should understand what happens under the hood if this event is ignored:
- The fuel injection system will not receive enough air and will automatically compensate for it with fuel. The consequence is its increased consumption.
- Fuel does not burn completely. Because of this, carbon deposits appear in the cylinders, the catalyst, the flame arrester are clogged, scuffing is formed on the walls of the block of the combustion chamber.
- The load on all engine elements increases, the parts overheat, the risk of jamming increases.
In order not to bring the situation to such a state, the WF should change as often as possible.
Varieties of air filters
To achieve high-quality cleaning of the mixture entering the engine, designs of various shapes, sizes and internal filling are used.
According to the degree of purification, WF are divided into the following categories:
- Rough cleaning. Collect large particles, insects, organic and mechanical suspensions larger than 50 microns. They are made in the form of a grid or a cyclone chamber.
- Fine cleaning. The smallest suspension is retained, including flour and cement dust, PM2.5 particles, plant spores and fungus. Made from dense matter with high throughput properties.
The form is as follows:
- roundabout;
- panel;
- cylindrical.
WFs differ in filling options. The property of the material determines how well it will retain contamination and the life of the product.
The following materials are inserted inside the product body:
- Water-impregnated paper. To increase efficiency, the paper is folded into many layers.
- Non-woven porous synthetic fabric. The price of the product is higher, but the quality of its work is better. The fabric is stronger and traps more debris.
- Fibers of polymer plastic. Pressing is used, as a result of which a dense composite with microscopic pores is obtained.
The degree of purification is 99.5% for paper, 99.9% for fabrics and polymer.
Advantages and disadvantages
Before replacing the air filter, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each product category.
Products with paper inside effectively trap almost all types of pollution, are inexpensive, do not need to be disposed of. The downside is that under pressure the membrane can break and all collected and new debris will fall into the engine.
Fabric wfs are more efficient and reliable. They are durable and water resistant, the specified manufacturing parameters provide a fixed pore size. The only disadvantage is the high cost and the need for disposal.
Polymer fillers are resistant to all types of exposure, but their scope is limited to rough cleaning. In addition, plastic must be recycled, since it practically does not decompose.
Air Filter Update
The time interval for the replacement of the VF is registered in the service book of the car and is determined in months or mileage. Standard regulation prescribes changing this part 2 times a year or every 10,000 km of run. A more frequent replacement will be required when operating the machine on dirt roads or in a gas-polluted metropolis. Reduces the life of the air filter moisture. Even one trip in the rain can completely disable a paper-filled product.
To change the air filter there is no need to go to the service station. This is a fairly simple procedure, which even a novice motorist will cope with. The VF casing is usually located above the engine in an accessible place. You need to remove the cover from it, get the old one and install a new filter in the seat. It remains to fix the cover in place and check the correctness of its fastening.
