What is an Engine Air Filter?

When you turn your engine on, it pulls air in from the outside world to ensure a proper fuel-to-air mixture and keep everything cool. The problem is, this air can bring a lot of contaminants into your engine, especially if you live in an area where the roads are dusty and dirty. Your Volkswagen engine air filter is designed to remove those contaminants from the air that your engine intakes, which means your Volkswagen can run like a top without dirtying up the engine.

Do Engine Air Filters Need to Be Replaced?

The thing you have to remember about your engine air filter is that it needs to be replaced regularly to ensure the best performance. As your air filter gets dirty, it begins to restrict airflow and doesn’t do as good of a job of cleaning the air that comes into your engine. Not only can this dirty up the important parts of your engine, but it also restricts airflow, which can cause a serious drop in performance.

How Often Should You Replace Engine Air Filters?

Replacing your engine air filter doesn’t do you much good if you’re not doing it often enough. The truth is, most drivers need to replace their air filters far more often than they do. If you want to keep your Volkswagen in the best condition for as long as possible, you should replace your engine air filter with a new one at least once every 20,000 miles, but you can do it even more often than that if you want to promote the best performance. At Volkswagen Lee’s Summit, we recommend you have your engine air filter replaced at least once every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.