TECH TALK: How Often to Change the Air Filter in Your Car and Why

In this episode of Tech Talk, Jon Hansen talks about air filter maintenance. Watch the video or read the transcript below!

Hey guys, it’s Jon Hansen with Tech Talk. Today we’re going to talk about air filters and air filter maintenance.

A lot of people don’t understand what an air filter does for your engine. It’s basically like the lungs. If you’re breathing clean and clear, you’re going to be happy and healthy. If your lungs are dirty, it’s going to restrict everything you’re doing. 

Same thing goes with your air filter.

If your air filter is clean, it’s going to bring in clean air. It’s going to give you good performance, good mileage, everything like that.

If it’s dirty, it’s going to do the opposite. It will restrict airflow and make your engine have a harder time going down the road. 

Most engine bays are going to look similar to this. Luckily for me, this one’s a pretty easy one to do. You might run into an air filter box that’s harder to change and if that’s the case, feel free to take it to your nearest shop. They’ll be able to do it for you. This one, I lucked out.

It’s going to have two little clips right here. You’re going to open those clips and pull the box towards you and it’s going to give you access to your air filter. 

As you can see, this air filter is clean which is great. It means this car is going to be breathing healthy and moving down the road with the best performance it can ask for. 

To put this back in, you’re just going to repeat the same steps, backward. Take your air filter, put it back in the box, and just put that hood back into place with a little shove. Reclip it and you’re good to go. 

As far as replacing air filters, usually every second or third oil change is when it’s going to be dirty enough that you’ll want to consider it.

Now that you know about the lungs of your car, keep your air filter clean and keep yourself moving down the road. 

Until next time, stay safe and protect your investment. 


Jon Hansen, Central Kansas Territory Manager, Kansas BGBy Jon Hansen
Central Kansas Territory Manager, Kansas BG

Jon works with dealerships as well as independent garages of all types and sizes. He has almost 13 years of technician experience before starting his BG career. In addition to BG, Jon does freelance writing and photography for multiple magazines on newsstands including Street Trucks Magazine, C10 Builders Magazine, and Tread Magazine.


Find a BG shop today

Explore our Shop Locator