What happens if I use wrong air filter? The short answer is that it will affect the performance of the car.
The engine begins to malfunction as if the new filter is clogged, the engine will struggle to suck in air.
The day my wife wrongly fixed our lawn mower air filter, she could mow because the lawn mower was not working well.
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What will happen if you make such an error? Read below.
What Happens If You Use Wrong Air Filter
The cabin air filter helps maintain your air conditioning system and provides clean air inside the passenger compartment. It does not affect your engine or its performance.
The engine air filter helps prevent debris from entering the combustion chamber and provides a vital role in maintaining the life of your engine
Your engine air filter is designed for your vehicle
There is no generic air filter that fits all cars. If you drive a Chevrolet Tahoe, you must get the filter matching your model and engine combination.
When installed correctly, it only allows filtered air through the engine. If debris gets through the wrong filter, it can jam and scratch your cylinders, which reduces power and can lead down the road to block overheating, cracking, or even seizing.
The air filter designed for your Taurus is probably not the same as the one the Ford Fiesta will need.
Similarly, the filter designed for a Silverado 2500 HD won’t necessarily work for the F250. Check each vehicle’s owner’s manual for the correct part number and description, or check with your supplier.
The wrong air filter will not protect your engine. Your frame will not mate with your engine mounting points, leaving gaps where dirt and dust can slip through.
When dirt enters your engine, it mixes with the oil and can be deposited on the piston, cylinder walls, and other surfaces.
Then you can scratch the surface of the engine, which will reduce power, cause blow and shorten the engine’s life.
Ultimately, it’s a cheap part that provides important protection to the heart of your car.
When it’s time to change it, spend a few minutes locating the correct part. It won’t cost more and will save you big bucks on serious engine repairs.
Can You Put Any Air Filter In A Car
The answer is no. You have to look for an exact filter for replacement. There are numbers on the body of the filter, and you are to follow the number to buy another one.
Allow these two factors to guide you in choosing your next filter.
1. The filter material: You need to know the old filter materials and try to replace them with the same material as much as possible. The materials can be; paper, foam, or cotton.
2. The filter measurements: length and breadth should be exalted. That is compulsory due to the filter housing.
The measurements are not equal to the old filter, and the new one may be too big or too small for the air filter housing.
Does Air Filter Quality Matter
Your air filter is your engine’s lungs, so give your engine better lungs to breathe well.
Below I will tell you why you should buy a quality air filter.
1. Clean air for the engine: A high-quality air filter ensures your engine has a clean air filter to breathe. It thoroughly filters the dirt from the air so that the engine takes cleaner air in
2. Durability: A high-quality filter serves you better before it clogs; when it is clogged, it can be cleaned and reused. In other words, it saves you some dollars for frequent replacement.
These are two advantages of buying a quality filter over a cheap one
Are Cheap Air Filter Okay
The word was cheap signifies low quality. The truth is that it is not the best, but If you don’t have enough money, you can buy a cheap air filter.
However, you should know that sooner than later, you have to replace the filter as soon as possible with a better one; if not, your engine is at risk of air starvation.
It would be best if you did not try to reuse the air filter again. As soon as it clogs, replace it with a new filter.
Whenever you have enough money, buy a better air filter.
How Long Do Cheap Air Filter Last
Remove it as soon as you drain the next oil. I mean your next servicing date.
I usually referred to them as use and dump air filters. The next time you replace your oil or fuel filter, you should also replace your cheap air filter.
As mentioned above, it doesn’t offer you durabilities. A quality air filter will last you between 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
So you should expect something lesser for the low-quality air filter.
What Happens If Air Filter Is Not Installed Correctly
The wrong installation of an air filter is bad for your car. The signs below will tell you if your air filter is improperly installed.
1. Black smoke: You will notice black smoke from the exhaust tailpipe due to incomplete combustion.
Though you may have installed a new filter, it may starve the engine air to breathe in because it is wrongly installed.
2. Poor performance: when you notice the continuity of poor performance after replacing the air filter, you should know that the filter is wrongly fixed.
3. When the engine works without an air filter: If the engine runs better without an air filter, it is a sign that the air filter is wrongly fixed.
4. increase fuel consumption: When there is a shortage of air in the combustion chamber, the engine compensates for that with more fuel. So, when your engine consumes more fuel, check your air filter.
What Happens If You Put Air Filter In Backwards In Cars
The engine will still run but struggle to get needed air.
Following the arrow on the filter is far better to avoid these costly mistakes.
You may notice little black smoke as a sign of insufficient air to combust the fuel. But the smoke will not be too much.
A slight drop in performance can also be a good symptom for you.
Final Thought
You must have learned the consequences of using the wrong air filter from the above explanation.
You have also learned what will happen if you use the wrong air filter. Don’t forget that you can’t use any filter for your engine.
In the post, I also answer the question; what happens if you put the air filter in backward in cars.
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