| When it comes to air filters for your car, including | | | | filters favored by race car drivers. Performance |
| your BMW 3-Series or other fine model, are you | | | | air filters are reusable as paper isn't a key |
| inclined to use paper (throwaway) filters? If your | | | | ingredient, rather washable materials such as |
| BMW is younger than four years old or has under | | | | cotton and plastic resins are included. In addition, |
| 50,000 miles on it, you may not know what type | | | | these types of air filters can go as long as 50,000 |
| of air filter is being used, given that BMW | | | | miles before needing to be cleaned, which is four |
| performs all of your maintenance during that time. | | | | times the length of the average air filter. Cleaning |
| However, if your car is older and you do some of | | | | is a simple and a quick step, one where the filter |
| the maintenance yourself, there is one part that | | | | receives a special cleanser before it is rinsed off |
| should be replaced once and never again – | | | | and dried. |
| your engine's air filter. | | | | Helping Your BMW Breathe |
| Your engine's standard air filter is typically a paper | | | | An important benefit of a performance air filter is |
| product unless the manufacturer opts to use | | | | that is does a better job of working with your |
| what is called a performance air filter. Others call | | | | BMW's engine, allowing it to “breathe” |
| them recyclable air filters while still others like to | | | | freely. A freely breathing engine runs better which |
| use the appellation “green air filter” when | | | | means that more power can be freed up while |
| describing these types of devices. | | | | less gas is used. Though performance air filters |
| What Your Air Filter Does | | | | cost about 3-5 times the price of a throwaway |
| In any case, an air filter helps to trap pollutants | | | | air filter, they usually are the last air filter a car |
| which can enter your engine and damage it. Paper | | | | buyer needs to purchase. |
| filters do this job for about 7-15000 miles before | | | | And what could be the best reason for buying a |
| needing to be replaced, toward the lower end of | | | | performance air filter for your BMW? An |
| the scale if drivers operate their cars on dusty | | | | environmental benefit – you'll be replacing your |
| roads. Over the course of a vehicle's lifetime, say | | | | throwaway air filter with one that never needs |
| 200,000 miles before traded in, drivers can easily | | | | replacing which means that less trash will needed |
| go through a dozen or more air filters which are | | | | to be sent to our overcrowded landfills. Sounds |
| thrown and forgotten. | | | | like a multiple win proposition to me! |
| Another option is to use the same kind of air | | | | |