Have you noticed that your Land Rover engine has started acting up? Maybe it’s taking you more than one try to get it started? Or perhaps you hear strange noises coming out of it? Not to forget all the extra trips you’ve started making to the gas station. Well, it all points to a small yet very important problem. You have a bad air filter.
The air filter in your Land Rover plays an essential role in protecting the engine and the car overall. So, if you have been ignoring it up till now, it would be best for you to get it changed immediately. What’s more, with our step-by-step guide, you can easily do it all on your own, without spending all that extra cash at the mechanic.
What Does an Air Filter Do?
Before we actually get to learn about the air filter, it is essential to understand some of the underlying mechanisms of how a car works. So, basically, your Land Rover has an engine which consists of a combustion chamber. To put it simply, this chamber is where the fuel and air are compressed together to create pressure which moves the pistons and pipes and ultimately creates power which runs the car.
So now you know exactly why your car won’t run with an empty fuel tank. Similarly, your car also needs an adequate supply of clean air to work properly. This is where the air filter comes in. The air filter acts as a barrier and protects against dust, debris, and other small particles which can prove to be harmful inside the combustion chamber. It ‘filters’ the air coming in.
What Happens if you Don’t Change the Air Filter in your Land Rover?
The air filter catches these particles and lets only clean air through so that the engine runs properly. But over time, as all these particles start accumulating, the air filter becomes clogged with these obstructions. Because of this, even the clean air is not able to pass through. As a result, the combustion chamber and the engine won’t function properly.
Moreover, the engine will have to work harder to pull in the same amount of air, and this can increase the rate of wear and tear within the engine. Also, since the engine will be trying to pull air through a clogged air filter, it can lead to a vacuum-like effect, which can cause bigger and harmful particles to enter the engine.
Once these particles have entered, it can result in internal damage which is much harder and costlier to repair. Moreover, this is also why you might hear strange noises coming from your engine sometimes. You can read this article about some other common engine problems and the ways to solve them.
Besides that, even if you’re not bothered by all these things, we’re sure you will be bothered when this dirty air filter starts costing you more money. Because of the lack of clean air supply, the combustion chamber will start using more fuel for the same amount of power required to move the car. This means that you will need more fuel now for the same amount of distance.
How to Change the Air Filter in your Land Rover – Step-by-Step Guide
With all that in mind, we’re sure you agree that simply changing the air filter is the best option. And once you’re done reading this short and easy step-by-step guide, you’ll wonder why you never bothered to do it yourself. The only tools you need for this quick job are:
- - Screwdriver
- - A new air filter
You don’t even need to go to the hardware shop. You can just get these tools from here. Although you should consider these things before buying Land Rover parts. Once you’ve got the tools, here is what you need to do.
- 1. Open the hood of your car
- 2. Locate the air filter box
- 3. Unscrew the cover of the box and remove it partially
- 4. Take out the old air filter and insert the new one
- 5. Replace and screw tight the cover
And that’s it! With those five simple steps, you’ve changed your air filter all by yourself. It hardly takes more than five minutes, almost no effort at all, and you end up saving tons of money. Although, when you’re changing it, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
- - Be careful in screwing and unscrewing the box cover so as to not accidentally damage other parts, such as the airflow sensor which is not as easy to change.
- - When you’re inserting the air filter, press down and make sure all the rubber sides are properly in place and fit in the box.
- - If you can’t find the air filter box, don’t remove parts randomly. Ask a mechanic to point it out for you.
How Often should you Change the Air Filter in your Land Rover?
There isn’t any fixed rule on when you need to change your air filter. It depends on many factors. If you’re driving in a very dry and dusty climate, your air filter is exposed to more particles. Therefore, it’ll get clogged sooner, and you will need more frequent changes. On the other hand, if you drive occasionally and in a relatively cleaner environment, you can get by with fewer changes.
Generally, it is recommended that you change it every 15,000 miles traveled. Then, according to your own driving habits and environment, you can decide how often you should change it. Furthermore, if you’re still unsure, you can watch out for these signs which will indicate that your air filter has become dirty and need to be changed.
- - Slow Start
Your Land Rover is slow in starting after you turn the ignition. The lack of air makes it hard for the combustion chamber to create the necessary amount of energy to start the car. This could also be due to faulty spark plugs in your car. Read this article to learn to tune-up and replace these yourself.
- - Decline in Fuel Efficiency
Your gas mileage has decreased, and your Land Rover drinks up more fuel now.
- - Weaker Acceleration
The Land Rover has a weaker throttle response and is slow to accelerate.
- - Noisy Engine
The engine emits strange noises due to the restricted air flow and the extra work that the engine has to do to pull air. Although if you think there might be some other damage, you can inspect it and get the parts from here.
Final Words
Even if you still don’t think changing the air filter is important, or you’re willing to put up with all the problems associated with it, you should still do it. It’s cheap, easy, and quick. Although you might not see a big difference right away, if you keep doing it regularly, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your Land Rover’s performance and life.
Moreover, it’s not a good idea to risk damaging your car’s engine over something as small and easy to maintain as the air filter. For the best results, consider doing a full checkup and maintenance of your Land Rover. You can find all the necessary parts here.
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