Lack of acceleration and black smoke from the exhaust are symptoms of combustion problems. Therefore, these are the first warning signs which indicate the need to perform maintenance on the engine air filter.
The working environment for trucks is, indeed, rather harsh – both for those used for logistics, which do high mileages, and for those working in the construction or earth-moving sector, which operate in very dusty areas. The air filter gets dirty more quickly, necessitating the use of sensors to measure the differential pressure between the air entering and leaving the filter to determine the level of clogging. Some trucks are equipped with a warning light on the dashboard which indicates when the air filter is clogged. Some trucks, on the other hand, are equipped with a mechanical filter clogging indicator in the intake system (optical pop-up). When the mechanical indicator or warning light comes on, the vehicle may not yet be exhibiting obvious issues, but if the problem is ignored it could lead to poor acceleration and black smoke from the exhaust, with consequent poor fuel economy.
For this reason, the air filter is essential for a long service life of the engine and to guarantee optimum power. The air filter indeed retains dust, debris, sand, pollen and insects, which could obstruct correct combustion.
What are the symptoms of a clogged air filter?
Reduced power, lower acceleration, difficulty in driving correctly during sharp acceleration or with heavy loads, excessive noise, risk of engine stalls due to lack of air supply, foul-smelling exhaust fumes, right through to dangerous overheating of the engine itself. All this translates into an evident increase in fuel consumption, as the clogging of the filter causes a reduction in power, with the tendency for the driver to accelerate harder.
Failure to change the air filter for long periods can cause premature wear of the engine. For this reason, it is important to perform maintenance as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, and in any case at no more than 25,000 km, and it is essential to use filters of equivalent quality to the original equipment, such as those from the UFI Filters catalogue, manufactured using the exclusive FormulaUFI materials. UFI filters are produced in partnership with the engineering teams of the main original equipment brands, in accordance with fluid dynamic studies and tests.
What are the benefits offered by UFI Filters’ engine air filters?
– Constant distribution of air flow inside the complete module
– Elimination of water droplets, increasing the lifespan and effectiveness of the filter itself, thanks to:
- Hydrophobic treatments applied to the materials
- Centrifugal force produced by the air circulating inside the module.
– Filtration of the smallest particles, which remain trapped in the pre-filter and in the filter media.
– Complete filtration systems with built-in soundproofing systems.
– Filter media developed and manufactured internally according to two specific formulations:
- Cell is a material made of cellulose fibres mixed with synthetic fibres to maximize filter duration and limit pressure drops.
- Extreme: a 100% synthetic filtration medium with additives that guarantee filter impermeability and increases the service life of the filtering element.
– Minimal flammability risk: class F1 fire-proof filters, to ensure greater safety.
