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Your car air filter is responsible for trapping dirt and debris in the air that flows into your engine. Your engine requires enormous quantities of air for efficient combustion, but it also has to be protected against contamination from the outside air. As the filter works, it starts to fill up with dirt. As your Chevy dealer in Lafayette, LA, we’d like you to know the signs you need a replacement filter.
A Strong Smell of Gas
For combustion to take place, you need fuel, air, and a spark. Air flows in through the radiator, fuel enters the chamber when you step on the gas, and the spark is provided by the spark plugs. Combustion requires clean air, and the perfect ratio of air to fuel is 14:1. Your air filter will clean the air flowing into the chamber, but this filter will block up which will dramatically reduce the airflow into your engine.
Without enough air, the combustion chamber becomes fuel-rich. An environment like this makes combustion difficult, and much of the fuel in the chamber won’t be burnt up. This wasted fuel is forced out of the chamber and exits through your exhaust. The presence of excess fuel in the chamber causes some of this fuel vapor to waft into your cabin. There will also be a strong smell of fuel from the exhaust from the excess fuel that’s been dumped.
Engine Misfires
As we’ve seen, the lack of air in the chamber due to a dirty air filter makes combustion difficult. The spark plugs require air to burn efficiently, but the fuel-rich environment causes a problem for the spark plugs. Much of the fuel in the chamber won’t burn, but some of it will turn to carbon. This sticky black substance will coat the spark plugs.
You may hear a strong coughing sound from your engine. This noise is caused by the spark plugs struggling to burn the fuel without enough air. In addition, the carbon coating on the plugs makes sparking more difficult. We can easily replace the air filter, and we will also need to replace the damaged sparkplugs. Once these repairs are completed, your engine will work perfectly again.
The Filter Is Dirty
The air filter is one of your car’s components that’s easy to check. If you look in your car’s manual, it shows the position of the air filter box. Pop the hood and find the air filter box. Once you open the box you’ll be able to see the condition of the filter.
An air filter should be white or cream, but it will get dirty over time. If the filter in the box is brown or black, it’s time to get a new air filter. Our technicians can easily replace it for you.
If you have any signs of a filter problem, call us right away at Service Chevrolet Cadillac. Our highly-trained technicians will fix the problem for you.
image via chevrolet.com
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