Hondas are some of the most reliable cars on the planet. But, that’s only if you know how to take care of them. Leave them with a dirty air filter for too long, and you’re probably not going to be hitting 200,000 miles. You need a clean Honda air filter.
What’s the best air filter for a Honda?
The OEM genuine Honda air filter, of course. Whatever model you’re driving, whatever the year, you can usually find a genuine Honda filter on Honda Parts Now for about $21. Aftermarket is an option, but you’re only saving about five bucks for a possibly subpar replacement.
When Do I Need to Replace My Honda Air Filter?
Read your owner’s manual. It will probably tell you to replace your air filter anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 miles. Many drivers like to go with 10,000 miles just to be safe, or once a year, whichever comes first.
It’s a good idea to give your filter a visual check any time your engine is running a little rough, or if you already have the hood open to top your fluids off or replace a spark plug.
A new filter should last about 10k miles, even in extreme conditions. Still, it could be damaged, it could be knocked out of place, or maybe it’s suffered premature wear and tear from all that off-roading you were doing. You never know.
It’s an easy job to do on your own. Pop the hood, find the housing assembly for the filter (a black box behind the battery), open it, and swap the filter out. Your Honda might have screws or latches on the box, but it’s basically the same routine either way.
They’ll charge you at least $100 for that at the shop, or you can do it at home in about five minutes.
Can’t I Just Clean My Air Filter?
Once your air filter passes 10,000 miles, you can go ahead and clean it if you want to, and then when you’re done cleaning it you should throw it away.
Air filters don’t need to be replaced just because they get dirty. Their job is to catch all that debris and dust flying at your intake. When a thin screen spends all day getting hit with dirt and gravel, it’s going to break down over time.
You may not notice the wear and tear at a glance, but you will if you hold it next to a fresh one.
The high-intensity work of an engine air filter means that cleaning it isn’t going to do much good. Once it’s put in a good 10,000+ miles, you might as well put a fishnet over your intake for all the good it’ll do you.
