lifestyle auto car

by Marjorie, Social Media Manager

As per usual, today's post stems from one of my own (many) misadventures in automotive maintenance. My tiny little Ford Focus often bucks around on the freeway when heavy winds are present, simply because it's a very light vehicle (32 miles to the gallon!!). Lately, however, I've noticed uneven acceleration and bucking even off the freeway. When I noticed weird, asthmatic idling at multiple traffic lights, it occurred to me that something was wrong (duh!).

While it's likely that MANY maintenance issues need to be addressed with my Focus (at my next visit to the shop), these are common symptoms of a particular maintenance problem which is painfully easy - and inexpensive - to fix. As with all car maintenance issues, the cost of not fixing the problem is astronomically higher than the alternative - letting a mechanic pop the hood.

The problem is that the air filter hasn't been changed since...I can't remember when (not good). Air filters are extremely simple yet extremely important components in every vehicle. They filter the air which is taken into the engine's combustion chamber. It's important that this filter stay clean so that the engine can get plenty of clean oxygen with which to power your car - or to "breathe deeply", in other words. A dirty, clogged filter means your car's engine will have trouble breathing. Picture an asthmatic trying to run a marathon. That's my car trying to run on a dirty air filter.

It's a good idea to have your air filter checked routinely. However, if you've left it unchanged too long, here are a few symptoms you can expect:

- Rough or uneven idling
- Engine misses
- Start problems
- Decreased gas mileage

Yes, dirty air filters decrease your car's gas mileage - sometimes quite dramatically. Don't believe me? Have the Cars for Keeps crew swap your filthy air filter for a new one and notice the extra days between fill-ups.

Safe driving!