Since I posted a blog yesterday about more and more Americans doing their own car maintenance, I figured it would be a good service to give you some tips on how to do that. In addition to saving money by doing it yourself, you can also increase your gas mileage and feel a sense of accomplishment. So today’s installment includes some tips about changing your air filter.
• Changing your air filter is one of the simplest maintenance jobs you can do on your car. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but you can save 20 or 30 bucks just by doing it yourself.
• If your car was made in the last couple decades, your air filter is located in a black plastic case with metal clips holding it on (under the hood, of course). You’ll even see a black plastic tube going into the case on some cars.
• If there is a nut on the top of the casing holding the unit on, unscrew it. Put it in a safe place so you don’t lose it.
• Undo the clips. Most of the time, you can simply do this with your fingers. Other times, you may need to pry them apart with a screwdriver. Afterwards, the top of the casing should pop off.
• Remove the filter from inside. Depending on the type of car, the filter will either be round or rectangular. Regardless of its shape, it has many pieces of folded paper surround by rubber.
• Put the new filter in its place the same exact way the old one was sitting. Replace the casing and don’t forget to put the nut back on the top if there was one. If the casing won’t fit when you replace it, you’ve likely put the filter in wrong. Keep trying until it fits.
With this and other DIY tips, you can get a vehicle from your local Pontiac dealer and do much of the maintenance yourself. You’d be surprised how much money you can save and how good you’ll feel about yourself, too!
