Your Kia's engine needs a steady supply of fresh oxygen, just like you do. As air is drawn into the engine, dust and other airborne contaminants are filtered out by your car air filter. If this filter begins to clog up, then your engine will struggle to breathe and begin to malfunction. Here are five signs that you might need to visit your local Kia dealer for a replacement filter.
Does Your Kia Need a New Car Air Filter?
It's Been 15,000 to 30,000 Miles
Kia drivers are recommended to get a new filter once every 15,000 to 30,000 miles, or once a year, whichever comes first. If you make it a habit to have your filter replaced once a year, then you're less likely to ever forget and run into consequent engine trouble.
How Dusty Are Your Driving Conditions?
Some drivers need to have their filters replaced more often than others. If you're frequently driving in very dusty or sandy environments, such as offroad driving, unpaved roads, or very hot climates, then your filter has more airborne debris to contend with. As a result, it will wear out faster. This also goes for driving in heavy traffic, where the air is also filled with airborne pollutants, a lot of which need to be filtered out.
Your Engine's Sputtering
An engine that sputters noisily while you're idling is usually an engine that's struggling to breathe. If your air filter gets clogged up, then the fuel-air mixture in your combustion chambers has less oxygen and excess fuel. This excess fuel doesn't burn properly and often coats the spark plugs in a sooty residue. These soot-coated spark plugs then struggle to ignite, causing the engine to sputter and cough while idling, and sometimes even stall altogether.
Your Engine's Misfiring
This same spark plug issue in an air-starved engine leads to misfiring. You'll sense this when your engine loses power while driving, or your acceleration becomes sluggish. Your gas mileage will fall as the engine becomes less fuel-efficient, and your engine might start to vibrate and jerk unpredictably.
Your Tailpipe's Emitting Smoke
Black smoke from your exhaust is a surefire sign that you have excess, unburned fuel in your combustion chambers due to insufficient oxygen. This excess fuel escapes in the form of smoke, and sometimes even flames. If you see this in your rearview mirror, there's no need to panic. Head to your local technician to have your air filter checked out as soon as you can.
Your Filter's Clearly Clogged Up
If you detect any of the above problems, you can easily inspect your filter with your own eyes. Pop your hood, take the filter out of its box, and examine it for darkened, clearly clogged-up patches. You'll need to look right in between the pleats. A little dirt and discoloration are normal, but if you see a real buildup of thick grime, it's time for a new one.
Use Your Annual Kia Dealer Checkup
The simplest way to deal with your air filter is simply to have it replaced every time you go in for your annual checkup. While you're having your oil, lights, tires, exhaust, brakes, steering, fluids, suspension, bodywork, and battery checked, throw your air filter onto that list as well.
For a new air filter or any other servicing requirement you might have, visit Crain Kia of Fort Smith. We're the go-to dealer of the Fort Smith region for Kia drivers, new and old.
Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.