It's one of the simplest parts on your cars engine but it is often the most overlooked. Your engines air filter serves an important function. It filters out dust, soil and other debris before it can get inside your engine. When this filter gets clogged however it begins to seriously effect your cars performance. A dirt filter will make you use more gas, will cost you power and can cause increased wear on your engine. But how do you tell if it is dirty? Its easy.

First you need to locate your air filter box and remove your air filter. On older carbureted cars it will be a circular container in the center of the engine. To open it you will remove one wing nut in the center of the container. If you have a newer car your filter box will be rectangular or square and will be located on one side of your engine compartment. Find the box and then remove the lid by unclipping the quick release clips on the side of the box. If you cannot find your air filter box, consult your manual. After you have removed the lid, pull the air filter out.

Now that you have your filter out, it is time to examine it to see if it is clogged. Hold the filter up to a light source and try to look through it. If you can easily see through it, it is still good. You can place the filter back into the box. If you cannot see through it, you need to replace it. You should either put a new one in or put the old one back in until you can buy a replacement. never run your engine with out a filter. You can do quite a bit of permanent damage if you run it without the filter.

That is all there is to it. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to check your filter. Its time well spent and can save you hundreds of dollars in fuel bills. So get out there and check your filter. Your engine will thank you.