Back to all

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires Engine Air Filter Replacement

October 21, 2015

When your experienced TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires service advisor technician changes your oil, he will also inspect your air filter. You shouldn’t need a new filter at every oil change, but you will need to change it regularly. Heed your technician’s auto advice if they tell you to change your filter. It’s not expensive, and it makes a big difference to your SUV.

An air filter does what its name implies: it filters stuff out of the air. Air is drawn into your engine through the filter because your engine needs air to burn fuel. If the filter weren’t there, a lot of dust and debris would come into the SUV engine with the air. That dust and debris would get hot, burn, and produce all kinds of ash and gumminess that would eventually clog up your engine.

Drop in an air filter and voilá! Problem solved.

But air filters themselves get clogged up with all the junk they clean out of the Royal Oak air. This doesn’t allow the junk into the SUV engine, but it does block up the airflow. A blocked airflow will reduce engine efficiency.

An engine needs about 12,000 gallons of air to burn just one gallon of gasoline. Think of a runner. If he is breathing well, he can run well. But if he has a lung condition, he won’t be able to generate the oxygen necessary to keep his cells powered up. He won’t be able to run at peak efficiency.

Or consider a vacuum cleaner. Even without the light, you can tell when the vacuum bag is full because the machine just doesn’t clean anymore. Change the bag and its efficiency immediately improves.

So keep your SUV breathing well by keeping its air filter clean. That’s good car care.

Royal Oak car owners who get a charge out of the feeling of power in their engine might consider upgrading their air filter. Talk to your friendly TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires service specialist. Premium air filters have been proven to increase horsepower and torque. So with the cost of a premium air filter, you can increase the horsepower in your engine — there’s no cheaper way to do that!

It’s also one of the least expensive and simplest elements of critical routine preventive maintenance – and protects against damage to expensive SUV electronic systems. No Royal Oak resident should have an excuse to drive around Royal Oak roads and freeways with a dirty air filter.

Need Service?

More articles from TLC Auto Care

Slippery When Wet (Driving on Wet Leaves)

March 2, 2025

When the leaves fall, you might take a sightseeing trip to see them at peak color. Or you may simply live in a spot where there are a lot of trees. When those leaves get wet, you'd be surprised to learn just how slippery they can be. We all know ice is slippery to drive on. What causes tires ... More

Lubricate Driveshaft

February 23, 2025

See if any of these are happening to your vehicle. You feel it vibrating excessively underneath when its running, or you hear strange clunking, grating, or grinding sounds coming from beneath. Maybe its hard to turn your vehicle, or you can hear squeaking when youre going slow. Perhaps you fee... More

When Your Air Bag Light Comes On (Illuminated Air Bag Light)

February 16, 2025

There are some dashboard lights you should pay more attention to than others. One is the air bag light. If it's on and your vehicle is in an accident, your air bags probably won't do their job. Automakers began installing air bags in the late 1990's since they were mandatory in the United State... More