How to change an Air Filter

Changing your car's filters on a regular basis can have a significant impact on engine life and performance. To change an air filter follow these easy steps. Park your car in the shade and open the hood and let the car cool for a few minutes. Now all you need are new air filter, rags, two medium-sized screwdrivers, one standard and one Phillips for this procedure. The air filter is typically enclosed in a black plastic casing near the center-top of the. Most of them are held together by a couple of large metal clips on the side. Slide the flat-headed screwdriver between the casing and the clip and pry the casing open. Occasionally you'll find one held together with several long screws, in which case you'll have to unscrew it to get at the filter. (Many of the older cars use a cylinder air cleaner held inside a circular black case.) Open it and you'll find the air filter inside. It's usually bright yellow or orange or red, the better to see the collected dirt. Pull it out. It's typically flat, elongated, usually about a foot long by six inches wide by two inches high. It's made of paper filament, with rubber edges along the bottom to seal it against the casing. All you have to do is replace it.