{"id":184792,"date":"2025-10-20T19:14:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?p=184792"},"modified":"2025-10-20T19:14:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:14:43","slug":"what-does-an-air-filter-look-like-on-a-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-an-air-filter-look-like-on-a-car\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does an Air Filter Look Like on a Car?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"summary-widget\">\n    <h3>Summary<\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"summary-grid\">\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        Engine air intake filters sit in a black plastic box beside the engine and come in flat, boxy, or conical shapes. Cabin air filters are smaller, thinner, and resemble home A\/C filters.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        Most engine filters use pleated paper, cotton, foam, or synthetics and look accordion-like, typically white or off-white that darken with use. Performance filters use oiled metal mesh and can be various colors.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        Engine air intake filters block debris before it reaches internal components and prevent costly damage. Both engine and cabin filters are generally easy to access, sometimes needing only a screwdriver or no tools.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q: What Does an Air Filter Look Like?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A:<\/strong> <strong>It depends on whether it&rsquo;s an engine air intake filter or a cabin air filter. Engine air intake filters are usually inside a black plastic box beside the engine. The filter comes in a flat, boxy, or conical form. Cabin air filters look similar but are smaller and thinner.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dirty-cabin-air-filter-and-dirty-engine-air-filter-1024x549.jpg\" alt=\"dirty cabin air filter and dirty engine air filter\" class=\"wp-image-184793\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dirty cabin air filter and dirty engine air filter | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most vehicle engine air filters use pleated paper, cotton, foam, or other synthetic materials to capture pollutants. When installed, these types of engine air filters will look like an accordion. They&rsquo;re typically white or off-white and tend to get dirty and darken over time. When engine air filters get dirty, they can negatively affect your engine&rsquo;s performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Performance-oriented air filters use metal mesh that&rsquo;s covered in oil. These performance air filters can come in various colors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cabin air filters clean the air circulating inside your cabin using pleated paper or synthetic fiber. Cabin air filters look very similar to the air filters you&rsquo;ll find in your home air-conditioning units and can be white, gray, blue, or black.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"article-search-widget\">\n\t<div class=\"cp-search\">\n\t\t<div class=\"cp-logo-search\" align=\"center\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accessing both types of filters is relatively simple. Some vehicles will require a screwdriver, but some air filters can be replaced with no tools at all since they just use a screw.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engine air intake filters remove any debris or large particles in the air before it enters the engine. Without an air filter, the engine&rsquo;s internal components can get damaged from dirt, dust, or debris, which can cause a range of issues and will be expensive to repair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Filtration Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Engine Air Filters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Standard paper filter <\/strong>~20&ndash;40 microns Captures most dust and debris<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High-efficiency filter<\/strong> ~5&ndash;10 microns Better filtration, may reduce airflow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Performance filters<\/strong> ~50+ microns Prioritize airflow over fine filtration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Human hair is about 70 microns in diameter. Pollen ranges from 10&ndash;100 microns. Dust particles can be as small as 2 microns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cabin Air Filters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Standard particulate filter (~5&ndash;100 microns): Blocks dust, pollen, mold spores<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HEPA cabin filter (down to 0.3 microns): Captures 99.97% of fine particles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Premium filters (~0.3&ndash;3 microns): Can trap virus aerosols and exhaust particulates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Microns Reference:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pollen: 10&ndash;100 microns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mold spores: 3&ndash;80 microns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bacteria: 0.5&ndash;10 microns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virus aerosols: ~3 microns (not individual viruses, which are smaller)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exhaust particulates: 2&ndash;10 microns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Odors &amp; gases: ~0.0001&ndash;0.0005 microns (absorbed by activated carbon layers)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Some filters also include activated carbon or electrostatic layers to trap odors and ultra-fine particles.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Q: What Does an Air Filter Look Like?&nbsp; A: It depends on whether it&rsquo;s an engine air intake filter or&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-an-air-filter-look-like-on-a-car\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":87134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1034,52,3747],"tags":[1276,1277],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":["post-184792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-auto-repair","category-diy","category-engine","tag-air-filter-2","tag-cabin-air-filter-2","entry"],"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does an Air Filter Look Like on a Car? 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Richard has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others (published every year since May 2000). He has developed training courses and written or edited training material for companies in the U.S. Canada, and the Netherlands, and even Bulgaria. He maintained an \u201cask a mechanic\u201d website for 10 years answering questions emailed to him from all over the world.\r\n\r\nRichard has an instructional automotive YouTube channel \u201cMcCuistian\u201d with 13,500 subscribers and over 1,300 videos. Much of his professional work requires photography and videography in shop environments, but Richard also enjoys taking pictures of landscapes, skyscapes, old barns and houses, small towns. He has produced a coffee table book of digital watercolors called \u201cMemories of South Alabama\u201d created from his personal photos, along with a dozen Christian fiction short original novels and a collection of short stories, all available in Kindle or softcover format. Richard has written a 2,500-word Bible study every week for the past 20 years and uses it to teach a small group at his church every Sunday morning.\r\n\r\n<strong>Credentials:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"author-list\">\r\n<li><p>ASE Certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Professional Mechanic\/Technician for 25 years with experience on diesel and gasoline engines, vehicles and equipment (including hydraulics).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Spent 5 years in fleet maintenance, 20 years in independent shops and dealerships (VW, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln), specializing in driveability and electronics for the last 14 years of his career at the same dealership.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Senior Contributing Editor at Motor Age Magazine, first published in Motor Age in May of 2000 and every year since. He has won two International Automotive Media Awards for technical articles published in trade magazines.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has attended hundreds of hours of automotive training from OEMs including GM, Volkswagen, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Chrysler, as well as additional training at events like KC Vision and MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems Association).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Taught college level auto mechanics for 19 years.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has written for automotive training companies (including course development work for training companies in Canada and the Netherlands) and has been hired to teach professional trade show technician courses at multiple training events in Texas and Alabama.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>While still teaching at the college level, Richard launched a new automotive program in Geneva, Alabama, setting up a dual enrollment department in a new building, organizing the shop and classroom, teaching morning classes to high school students for 2 years while still teaching at the college in the afternoon.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Richard\u2019s college program at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College worked at professional shop speed during his tenure to prepare graduates for production level work in the real world.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184792"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=184792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}