The air filter for your Hyundai Elantra’s engine needs to stay clean to provide the optimal amount of airflow. Otherwise, the car won’t run right. Thankfully, all you have to do is change the filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations — and it’s easy to do with the right part on hand.
What’s the best air filter for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra?
You can get an OEM air filter for your 2013 Elantra for about $15 from HyundaiOEMPartsDirect.com. If you want to go the aftermarket route, Amazon has K&N filters for under $60 each.
Are OEM or aftermarket air filters best? How often should you change the air filter in your 2013 Elantra? Is it hard to do? We’re going to answer all those questions and more in this informative article. So, stick around and learn all you need to know.
How Often to Change the Air Filter in Your 2013 Elantra
In normal driving conditions, Hyundai recommends that you change the air filter in your Elantra every 30,000 miles. You can decrease the service interval to 10,000 to 15,000 miles if you often drive through dust, pollen, and other contaminants.
They also suggest checking your filter every 7,500 miles, so it’s best to do that during every oil change. Your auto tech can look at the element and see if it’s dirty enough to warrant a replacement.
If you like to maintain your own car, you can do the inspection and filter change yourself by:
- Releasing all the clips around the outer edge of the airbox
- Lifting up the lid, pulling the old filter out, and discarding it
- Inserting the new filter after aligning the angled edge
Once that’s done, you can simply put the lid back on and secure all the clips. Then, take your car for a spin around the block to check that it’s running right. If not, inspect the airbox to make sure the filter, airbox clips, and intake tubes are all correctly installed.
Aftermarket vs. OEM: Which is Better for the Elantra?
With an OEM filter, you know that it will perfectly fit in the airbox and send the proper amount of airflow to your engine. Since they are disposable, these filters are easy to change, too.
Aftermarket filters, like the ones from K&N, provide even more airflow, but they are much more difficult to service. Instead of tossing them out, you need to thoroughly clean the filter element, and then reoil all the pleats.
During that process, you have to wait for the filter to fully dry, and then wait again as the oil soaks into its element. Otherwise, you could send moisture through the air intake and damage your engine.
Since it takes a whole lot longer to service K&N filters, you can expect to be without your car for hours or pay more for labor at the shop. Despite that, for an initial $60 investment, these reusable filters are well worth it since they could end up saving you money in the long run.
They come with a 10-year or 1-million mile warranty, which means you only have to buy one for the life of your vehicle. With OEM, you have to buy a $15 air filter at every service interval, adding up to hundreds of dollars over time.
As you weigh these factors, you’ll easily determine whether OEM or aftermarket air filters will work best for your 2013 Elantra. In the end, as long as you always use quality parts for your car, you can keep it in fantastic shape mile after mile.
