Vehicle maintenance intervals are determined by the auto manufacturer after much testing. Each vehicle varies, including the interval for replacing the air filter. Most Jaguar and Land Rover engines require that you change the air filter as part of the scheduled maintenance at 30,000 miles. However, if you drive in severe conditions, you may want to change the air filter more frequently. Severe conditions include:
- Driving in the desert
- Driving on gravel roads, particularly in mountainous terrain
- Driving through construction zones on a daily basis where during times that dust is created.
While most people tend to bring in their vehicles for service, you may want to check the air filter yourself if you drive in severe conditions. You can usually tell when you need to replace the air filter – you’ll see black areas on area where the outside air is filtered into the filter.
Replacing the air filter is usually a simple enough job as the filter housing near the top of the engine. If you can’t figure it out, your owner’s manual will tell you how to access the filter. It will also tell you which part number to purchase in the event you can’t read the part number on the old filter.
If you can’t tell whether your filter needs to be changed and you know it hasn’t been changed for at least 30,000 miles, you should change the air filter. If you regularly bring your vehicle into the dealership for maintenance, the dealership follows the auto manufacturer’s recommended service intervals and will change the filter at the appropriate times.