The air filter is one of the parts and components of your car that you do need to change regularly. After all, it is one of those parts that really do a messy kind of work. Remember that one of its main functions is to actually prevent particulate matter from entering important parts of your engine.

What is important is that you should be able to keep in mind that air filters need to be changed regularly. Automobile experts suggest that you should at least replace an air filter annually. However, there are exemptions to this rule and these exemptions depend on the kind of performance that your car has along with its frequency of use. If air filters are new, they actually increase your car's efficiency. So it means that if you have old or dirty air filters, you would have higher chances of receiving a lowered efficiency.

Replacing your air filters need not be expensive on your part as owner of a car. There is no need to go to a mechanic or auto service center. You actually can do it yourself. The whole activity is quite simple if you do know what you are doing.

You should first open the hood of your car. The air filter is usually mounted on top of your engine. However, for cars with carburetors, you would see that its air filter is located inside a round piece of metal. This metal would look like a medium-sized pizza. On the other hand, for fuel-injected cars, the air filters would be enclosed in a square or a rectangular housing which could be mounted somewhere on the side of your car's engine and not on top of it.

When you have located your car's air filter, unscrew or unclamp the top of the housing. You should be able to take the air filter out. You would know that it is indeed the air filter for it would be either round or rectangular in shape and it would be made out of paper or plastic and it would have a rubber rim.

When you have removed the air filter, you should first clean the area where you would be putting the new air filter. Try using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the dust or if you are planning on using rags, remember to seal the top of the carburetor first to keep any dirt and debris away. Upon finishing cleaning, put in the new air filter and then close the hood.