Engine Air Filter

Gets inspected every 6-months with the oil change but, normally, replaced every 12-18 months unless we do a lot of driving on dirt roads or I notice our MPGs dropping for no reason. (New OEM filters are white.)

 

It must depend on locale. I'm on west coast of Canada, the "lower mainland", finally replaced both engine and cabin air filters (on our 3rd gen) at 88K kms (roughly 55K miles). Cabin filter looked worthy of replacement, engine filter very good looking still. I mostly thought might as well do it now, about halfway through the car's lifespan. But yeah, environment is a factor: dirt roads for example.

 

Visual inspection. For me, it has worked out to change every two years.

 

The engine air filter change interval totally depends on how much time the engine is running vs. electric operation and how dusty the air is. After a certain number of years it will physically start to fall apart, so take a look at it periodically even if you run near 100% electric.

The cabin air filter is in use all the time, and again depends on how dusty the air is.

A dirty air filter will not decrease gas mileage in any car with electronic engine controls, like every car since the 1980s. In olden days of carburetors a clogged air filter caused the engine to run rich (too little air allowed through in proportion to the gas burned), but that's history. A clogged air filter in modern cars acts like a throttle assembly that won't quite open all the way merely restricting maximum power.

 

Yep, regulated by the MAF sensor.

IMHO, a visual check isn't good enough. Shake the filter over a piece of white paper and see what falls out. The wild fires out here put a bunch of ash into my filters. I replace them every other oil change ~20k; it's cheap insurance in keeping your engine running @ peak efficiency.

 

i still have the oem. nothing comes out when i tap it. 83k, but less than 25 on the engine.

i've replaced the cabin filter once, but for no good reason