When considering car maintenance for your Nissan, it’s easy to forget about your filters. The oil filter, fuel filter, engine air filter, and cabin air filter are crucial parts of your Nissan that help make sure everything else inside runs smoothly. To keep you and your passengers safe and get the most out of your Nissan, you’ll want to keep track of these filters and change them regularly. Here is all you need to know about the frequency and importance of these filter changes for your Nissan:

• Oil filter: A well-functioning oil filter will make a huge difference as far as the performance of your vehicle goes. There are many different models of oil filters, and a car care professional can tell you which filter will work best for your make and model. Regardless, metal shavings can build up in your oil filter, causing wear and tear in your vehicle. For this reason, you’ll want to change your oil filter every time you change your oil, which should happen every 6 months or every 5,000 miles—whichever comes first.

• Fuel filter: The function of your fuel filter depends on the type of fuel you’re using—either petroleum or diesel. Most Nissans, aside from the Titan XD, take petroleum, which means the fuel filter works to remove impurities from the gasoline you put into your car. Replacement of your fuel filter is a less regular car maintenance task, and usually is only necessary if it’s causing a problem in your car, like hard starting or a loss of engine power. To be safe, we recommend you change the fuel filter on your Nissan every 40,000 to 80,000 miles.

• Engine air filter: The engine air filter has the important job of keeping dirt, debris, and dust from entering the engine’s cylinders. Keeping it clean with periodic replacements is an important step toward optimal performance for your Nissan. If you think your engine is losing some power, bring your car in for maintenance and a professional will be able to quickly tell if your engine air filter needs to be replaced. Driving on gravel or country roads can cause more dirt to get into the filter, which means you’ll probably want to change the filter every 15,000 miles. If you drive on expressways or in cities more often, every 30,000 miles should be a reasonable amount of time between replacements.

• Cabin air filter: A cabin air filter keeps the air that comes into the interior of your Nissan clean. Getting pesky airborne particles out of your car can have a huge impact on your driving experience, particularly if you have respiratory problems. The frequency with which you need to replace this filter varies by model, but most Nissans should have their cabin air filter replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles, though you may want to consult your owner’s manual or a car care professional first before trying to replace it yourself.

Filters are the automotive unsung heroes that keep your driving experience optimal. Contact the experts at LexService and they can answer any question you might have about filter replacements for your Nissan or other Japanese vehicle in Torrance and Artesia. They also offer service, maintenance, and repairs on all Japanese car models, in case you do think it’s time for a filter replacement. Don’t just drive safe — drive smart!