Dirty Air Filter Doesn't Hurt Gas Mileage

[06SRT10]

Read an article today that said dirty air filers doesn't hurt gas mileage. It said the engines in older vehicles pulled air straight through the air filter into the carburetor, so a clogged filter could affect gas mileage to some degree. But today's advanced engines have a computerized engine control module (ECM) to precisely regulate the air-to-fuel ratio in a modern vehicle, air goes through the filter & then through a mass airflow sensor that lets the ECM gauge the airflow & adjust the fuel accordingly, less airflow means less fuel is sent to the engine. While gas mileage may not be affected, dirty air filters can lead to sluggish acceleration. What's your thought's.

 

[hwmech]

still takes a certain amount of power to move a certain amount of weight so it may not affect it as much but it still will just spend $25 on routine maintenance

 

[phxpoolguy]

Read an article today that said dirty air filers doesn't hurt gas mileage. It said the engines in older vehicles pulled air straight through the air filter into the carburetor, so a clogged filter could affect gas mileage to some degree. But today's advanced engines have a computerized engine control module (ECM) to precisely regulate the air-to-fuel ratio in a modern vehicle, air goes through the filter & then through a mass airflow sensor that lets the ECM gauge the airflow & adjust the fuel accordingly, less airflow means less fuel is sent to the engine. While gas mileage may not be affected, dirty air filters can lead to sluggish acceleration. What's your thought's.

More air equals more power in my opinion Jim, clogged air or not. Theory is sound but not on our trucks.

 

[Psycho1122]

Dirty K&N's still flow better than new paper filters.


Just Sayin'

 

[JAYSSRT]

I spray mine off with the air hose twice a month. But thats good to know about the dirty air filter.

 

[NSDQ]

CAI on our trucks doesn't do anything anyways except look nice and add cool sound, so I doubt that the filter being a little dirty does much negatively.

 

[VenomTruck]

Yall run air filters?? Thats so cute. Keep up the good work

 

[Brat]

Yall run air filters?? Thats so cute. Keep up the good work

That's funny right there.

 

[trussman]

If ya wanna save money skip the filter and use your old wife beater shirts. Cut em in half and you have to filter refills!

 

[06SRT10]

I have the K&N drop in & clean it once a month. Just habit.

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

Problem there is our trucks and many engines don't use Mass Air Flow to measure air, that's more a Fird/GM thing really. Ours uses the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor to calculate air pressure.

 

[Psycho1122]

Problem there is our trucks and many engines don't use Mass Air Flow to measure air, that's more a Fird/GM thing really. Ours uses the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor to calculate air pressure.

Hmmmm, funny thing... so do "Ram Air" assisted motorcycles.

Now why did they do that I wonder

 

[Mopar Steve]

Epic fail. While less airflow will cause for less fuel consumption, this creates less power. With the loss in performance more throttle input is required. Less efficient = less mileage.

Same reason free flowing exhaust will increase mileage, choked intake will cost mileage.

 

[VenomTruck]

Dont hurt em now!

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

Epic fail. While less airflow will cause for less fuel consumption, this creates less power. With the loss in performance more throttle input is required. Less efficient = less mileage.

Same reason free flowing exhaust will increase mileage, choked intake will cost mileage.

Actually that true to a point as well. A certain amount of back pressure will increase efficiency over a totally free flow exhaust as well as some low end Torque added

 

[Itsmekylep]

I used to have a 6.0L silverado and it didnt matter if I had a clean filter, dirty filter towing a trailer WOT it always got 12MPG