Car Maintenance in Elgin: How Much Do You Know About Filters?

It may sound strange, but filters matter. They keep the bad stuff out. 

Anyone who owns a vehicle knows the woes of a bad filter: the check engine light and black smoke. 

You step on the gas, only to find your car doesn’t cooperate. It vibrates or refuses to turn over. It’s more than annoying; it’s time out of your day. You were headed to the lake; now you’re headed nowhere. 

Even though filters are easy to replace, we all know the inconvenience of waiting at the service station until the mechanic finally gets to our car. What, you’ve been there an hour? Two? Balderdash! It should take about 25 minutes at most. So why have you been sitting there when you could be catching a big fish at the lake? You should have brought your car to KS Autocare in Elgin . 

Well, that changes today. We are here; we have the tools and expertise to perform your car maintenance and keep your filters fully functioning.

But as long as we’re talking filters, how much do you know? Could you pass a filter quiz?

Don’t feel bad if you can’t; many of us can’t. It helps to understand which filters are in your car and what their specific functions are. 

Your car wants clean fuel, and your fuel filter keeps the debris from contaminating the fuel injector. 

So what happens if you don’t get the fuel filter changed every two years or at least every 30,000 miles? Your car starts letting you know it’s time. You’ll notice some signs:

The thing is, if you know some of the signs of a filter in need of changing, that keeps the panic at bay. Just bring it to us at KS Autocare. We’ll pinpoint the problem and fix it right up.

For a vehicle to run, it needs oil to lubricate the many engine components.

Oil stops an engine from overheating and prevents parts from wearing out prematurely.

An oil filter prevents debris from entering the oil while the engine is running. Fuel economy, engine longevity, and smooth operation of your car depend on a properly functioning oil filter.

Oil filters should be changed when you change the oil. Hopefully, you know the signs of a dirty oil filter, but if not, here are a few tip-offs:

Ah, the air filter. It’s necessary if you don’t want your car’s grille to look like it has bugs in its teeth. The air that enters the engine needs to be as clean as possible, so the air filter keeps out impurities like debris, grime, pollen, and even water. 

Your check engine light warns you that your air filter is dirty and needs changing; you’ll likely see black smoke blowing from the engine, or it may sputter. 

Don’t you hate to be stuck in a room without ventilation? Your car is no exception; it can get stuffy fast. It can also get contaminated if there’s nothing to purify the air. That’s the cabin filter’s job; it pushes the pollutants out of the air you breathe. You don’t want to breathe exhaust fumes, dust, or pollen, do you? 

If you neglect your cabin filter, you may invite all those impurities into your car while driving.

Each of these filters has its marching orders for protecting your car and keeping it running in tip-top shape. You can check and change some of these filters if you’re good at working on cars. Others may be harder to get to or could require tools you don’t have.

Hopefully, you can recognize some signs that indicate your filters need attention. 

Taking your vehicle to a trusted auto care location is a great way to show it some love. After all, you take care of the things you value. When you value your vehicle, you make sure it gets the best of care, and that includes maintenance. At the very least, you should have your filters checked regularly. 

But don’t take your car just anywhere. KS Autocare in Elgin has seasoned mechanics and everything needed to check your filters and replace them when necessary. 

Don’t let someone accuse you of having no filter! Take your car to the best. Call us at KS Autocare , and schedule your routine maintenance today.