This ensures each part serves a purpose and works in tandem with other parts. Changing the air filter alone can disrupt the way a car's engine works with the gearbox and transmission.
Clogged Air Filters
Air filters gradually accumulate dirt and debris, restricting airflow and potentially causing jerking during acceleration. Cleaning and replacing the air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles ensures more efficient air intake.
A clogged filter can cause the transmission to struggle, leading to unusual noises such as whining, humming, or clunking. These noises are often accompanied by rough gear changes.
Dirty air filter chokes the engine for clean air. It destroys gas mileage. It robs the engine of power. Incomplete gas combustion decreases, robbing the engine of fuel power produced. These incompletely burned hydrocarbons go right out the tailpipe. It is like throwing dollar bills out your window every mile you drive.
In this Maintenance Minute, Andrew Markel talks about how and why rough transmission shifts can be caused by the air filter and what some of the likely culprits are.
When your car is idling or stationary, you should feel and hear the smooth vibrations of an efficient engine. If you notice unusual noises, in particular a coughing, popping or spitting noise, it suggests that the engine isn't getting enough airflow, which means your air filter needs to be replaced.
Clucky gearshifts – If you're having trouble shifting gears, it could be because your transmission filter is no longer doing its job.
Automatic trans jerking is usually caused by clutch packs slipping and chittering. They are either worn out friction discs or the hydraulic pressure is too low to keep them properly fully engaged. Occasionally there may be a hydraulic seal leaking and bleeding off the needed pressure to keep the clutch pack engaged.
If it feels like your car is not responding quickly or is sluggish when you press the accelerator, this could mean that dirty air is getting to the engine. Your engine does not work well with contaminated air. The engine does not put out enough power or performance when it is dirty.
There are a range of reasons why your car is juddering at speed. Your vehicle could have dirty fuel injectors, a damaged fuel pump, a blocked catalytic converter, a faulty mass airflow sensor, broken spark plugs, or even an accumulation of moisture.
Engine misfires and violent vibrations can be caused by an air filter that is dirty and clogged.
A manual transmission will make very abrupt grinding noises when you change gears if it's faulty. An automatic transmission, on the other hand, will make a whining, humming, or buzzing sound. If you hear any of these noises, it is best to have your vehicle's transmission inspected as soon as possible.
If your gears are slipping, it's a clear sign your car's running low on transmission fluid. When experiencing sudden up and down shifts, high RPMs right before shifting, or erratic shifting, seek assistance from your local service center to prevent your transmission from overheating or becoming damaged.
A clogged transmission filter can hinder the transmission's ability to deliver power efficiently, resulting in sluggish acceleration. You may notice a lack of responsiveness when pressing the accelerator pedal or a significant delay before the vehicle starts to accelerate.
It's been said that a transmission flush is more effective than a change because: With a flush, all the old fluid is removed by a flush machine and replaced with new fluid, allowing for optimal transmission performance.
The common symptoms of an obstructed transmission filter include abnormal shifting, noises from the transmission pump, and contaminated transmission fluid. The PCM will also illuminate the check engine light and record a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) if it detects a transmission issue caused by low fluid pressure.
A clogged or dirty engine air filter can restrict airflow to the engine, resulting in reduced engine performance. You may notice a decrease in power, sluggish acceleration, or a general lack of responsiveness from your vehicle. Most vehicles require 14.7 parts of air to 1 part of fuel.
Poor Air Quality
If the filter is too dirty to do its job, those unwanted particles can collect in your ductwork and cling to the internal components of your HVAC system, ultimately diminishing air quality throughout your house.