Your car air filter has the vital job of filtering the air before it enters your engine. Your engine needs vast amounts of air for effective combustion, but this air needs to be clean of dust, dirt, and other contaminants. Your filter traps these particles, keeping them from damaging your engine. The filter will eventually wear out, and when it does, your friendly Hyundai dealer can fit a new one for you.
Stong Fuel Smell
The clean air that enters your engine through the filter will mix with fuel in the combustion chamber, and the spark plugs ignite this mixture. Effective combustion requires a 14:1 mix of air to fuel, allowing your engine to perform just as it was designed to. Your filter will become blocked with dirt, and the more blocked the filter becomes, the less air will enter your engine.
Less available air means that your combustion will be fuel-rich, and the lack of air makes combustion more challenging. A large part of the fuel in the chamber won’t combust due to a lack of air. You’ll begin noticing a strong smell of gas when you accelerate, and a stronger fuel smell from the exhaust. This smell is caused by the excess fuel expelled from the exhaust.
Coughing Sounds From the Engine
If you hear strange coughing or hiccupping sounds from your engine, this means that the air-fuel mix in your engine is wrong. There are several possible causes for this, but the most likely is a blocked air filter. As we’ve seen, a lack of air due to a blocked filter alters the air-fuel mix and makes combustion more difficult. It can also cause damage to the spark plugs.
Excess fuel in the chamber that can’t burn causes a buildup of sticky black carbon on the spark plugs. This covering prevents the plugs from firing as they should. You may also notice misfiring as some of the plugs fire correctly and others don’t. The coughing sound is caused by your engine trying and failing to draw in the fresh air. These strange sounds will disappear when we replace the filter.
Dirty Filter
Your air filter is usually replaced every 3,000 miles, and at the same time that your oil filter is replaced. Depending on driving conditions, you may need to have your filter replaced sooner. If you think your filter may be clogged, you can check its condition. Your car manual will show you the filter box’s position, and you just need to pop the hood and find it.
A new filter is white or cream, but as the filter absorbs dirt and debris, it will become darker. If your filter looks brown or black, it’s time to replace it. Our technicians can quickly replace the filter while you enjoy a great cup of coffee in our offices.
If your filter shows signs of wear, call us right away at Crain Hyundai of Little Rock.
Image via Hyundai.
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