When your fuel filter is clogged, you’ll feel it in your car’s performance. Delaying a replacement can lead to low fuel pressure that stops your engine in its tracks. It could be time to replace your fuel filter if you notice:

Sluggish engine performance (sputtering horsepower, dragging)

It takes longer to start your car, or your car won’t start at all

Engine stalling

Drop in MPG’s

Misfiring

While checking your fuel filter at home is possible for most external fuel filters, dealing with gasoline requires an abundance of caution. If you think something’s wrong with your fuel filter, we recommend bringing your vehicle in to be inspected by a professional.

Because the cabin air filter helps clean the air that enters your cabin, you’ll likely notice when something is off. Some signs your cabin air filter is due for replacement include:

Weak airflow from the vents when using heating or A/C

Strange odor coming from the vents

Reduced air quality in the cabin

Unusual noise or whistling sound when using vents

Heating or A/C system don’t work as well as they used to

Like the engine air filter, you can visually inspect your cabin air filter to gauge how dirty it is. For vehicles that one, they are often located behind the glove box. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to access the filter.

Clogged engine air filters can reduce engine power, decrease throttle response, weaken acceleration, and increase engine wear. And in very old engines, they can also cause poor gas mileage. If you’re worried about your filter, keep an eye out for:

An engine air filter that looks dirty

Problems accelerating

Engine idling difficulty

An engine that sounds like it has trouble sucking in air

Black, sooty smoke leaving the exhaust

Illuminated check engine light

You can also visually inspect your engine air filter. The filter box is typically located under your hood (check your owner’s manual for the exact location) and can usually be opened by releasing the latches or removing the screws. A clean filter is generally white, off-white, yellow, or red, and it may become darker as it collects more dirt. If you live in a dusty or sandy area, you may also need to replace your filter more often.

Note: When inspecting your engine air filter, look for an accumulation of debris. This build-up can overwhelm the filter. In which case, to minimize any chance of debris falling in, avoid removing the filter from the housing.

Any filter — home, auto, or otherwise — will eventually age and become clogged with pollutants and debris. When that happens, it becomes harder for the air or fuel to continue traveling through the filter, which can cause issues. Eventually the filter media may break, allowing contaminants to reach parts the filter is meant to protect.

When your air filter is clogged and heavily restricts airflow, it may lead to incomplete combustion, and ultimately reduced engine power. In turn, a clogged cabin air filter can lead to under-performance of the A/C system, causing weak airflow from the cabin vents. It can also lead to unwanted, unfiltered air in the cabin.

As for a clogged fuel filter, that can cause a reduction in engine power, low fuel pressure to the injectors, poor acceleration, and lousy fuel economy — not to mention a potential breakdown.

If you’ve ever used a furnace or air conditioning system at home, you’ve likely replaced a filter at some point. The filters in your car are no exception. To keep them working their best, it’s generally recommended that you get your filters replaced every 12 months or 12,000 miles.

Check your scheduled maintenance interval online or reference your owner’s manual for more details on how often to replace your filters, as well as timeframes for other recommended services.

WHAT HAPPENS TO ENGINE AIR, FUEL, AND CABIN AIR FILTERS AS THEY GET OLDER?

Any filter — home, auto, or otherwise — will eventually age and become clogged with pollutants and debris. When that happens, it becomes harder for the air or fuel to continue traveling through the filter, which can cause issues. Eventually the filter media may break, allowing contaminants to reach parts the filter is meant to protect.

When your air filter is clogged and heavily restricts airflow, it may lead to incomplete combustion, and ultimately reduced engine power. In turn, a clogged cabin air filter can lead to under-performance of the A/C system, causing weak airflow from the cabin vents. It can also lead to unwanted, unfiltered air in the cabin.

As for a clogged fuel filter, that can cause a reduction in engine power, low fuel pressure to the injectors, poor acceleration, and lousy fuel economy — not to mention a potential breakdown.

Fuel is generally “clean” when it leaves the refinery, but when it’s transferred to a truck or sits in a storage tank at a gas station, it can become contaminated with debris. This debris can be transferred into your fuel tank when you fill up your vehicle. The fuel filter helps to prevent these contaminants from clogging your fuel injectors, thus helping to maintain fuel economy and performance. If a fuel filter becomes clogged, it can cause fuel pressure to drop. You may also experience issues with starting your vehicle or have a hard time keeping it running.

Cabin air filters help prevent dust, pollen, dirt, and other pollutants from entering the cabin through your A/C and heat vents. If you have allergies or a sensitive respiratory system, the cabin air filter is essential for creating a more comfortable driving environment.

The engine air filter helps to keep harmful contaminants from entering your engine, ensuring that only clean air, without debris, reaches this vital component. When this filter becomes clogged, you may experience a long number of issues with regard to your vehicle’s engine.

Filters are designed to catch potentially harmful debris before they enter an area where they should not, including the combustion chamber, fuel injectors, your vehicle’s cabin, and more. Once a filter is no longer working properly, it can lead to decreased performance of that system. And, if left untreated too long, it could damage components within that particular system