Like with any other vehicle, the air filter in an ATV is crucial. The air filter is supposed to protect the engine and is essential to its functionality. We see this important equipment not only in ATVs but in other modes of transportation as well. From trains to cars, the air filter is a core piece that is valuable to the vehicle’s efficiency and motor. For some vehicles, however, this significance of an air filter is much more pronounced, which is especially the case with an ATV.
What happens if the ATV is ridden without an air filter? Without the filter, the ATV will most likely still run, but it will do so very inefficiently and cause damage to your engine. Thus, it is essential to maintain, clean, and always use an air filter with the ATV.
In this article, we will go over the importance of air filters, how they help your ATV performance, and what to do when you realize you’ve been operating your ATV without an air filter. We will also go over the process of how to change dirty filters so that you can keep your ATV running smoothly and avoid the negative consequences we are going to identify herein.
Consequences of Operating an ATV without an Air Filter
You may not realize that you are riding your ATV without an air filter because, even without an air filter, your ATV will likely run. For example, the Suzuki quad runner can run fine without a filter. However, a lot of times, this does not usually occur. What usually occurs is that your car will slow down, or the engine might get busted.
If you are running your ATV without an air filter, it is undeniable that the ATV will have a shortened lifespan. The purpose of the air filter is to keep unwanted particles from the engine to help the enging stay clean and functional. If there is no air filter, then there will be a lot more particles and debris in the mechanical parts of the ATV. With more particle buildup, the engine will degrade at a faster rate, thus rendering your ATV slow and inefficient before it serious damage ultimately occurrs.
The Significance of an Air Filter
The air filter on the ATV is one of the most important and crucial components of maintaining the life of your ATV, or any other vehicle for that matter. The filter, in essence, prevents sand, dirt, pebbles, and other debris from entering the engine. If the filter is dirty, then it will no longer adequately stop dirt from getting into the engine.
Furthermore, if you have a UTV with a heater or air conditioner, the air filter keeps larger particles and debris out of the heater and air conditioner system and saves them from damage. In fact, most issues that you will encounter in a UTV’s air conditioner or heater are caused by the filter being too dirty to function properly. Without a filter, this issue becomes even more prevalent than having a dirty filter in the system.
In addition to the increased functionality, the air filter saves you a lot of money from potential damages. Without this screening layer of protection, you can cause huge damage to the engine, which is a serious cost. This is why you need to regularly replace and clean the air filter.
Another negative aspect of not having an air filter in a UTV is the poor You won’t notice it to the same extent you would in your car, but you will notice decreased air quality. That means that in your UTV, you are going to be smelling up all that dust while you ride. More concerning with an ATV or UTV is that the energy efficiency will be decreased and you will be using up a lot more fuel to keep your machine running. Finally, without the air filter, you can also cause the engine to overheat or freeze up entirely.
Change the Oil if you have been riding without an Air Filter
If you discover you have been operating your ATV without an Air Filter, there are some steps you want to take to help save the engine from damage and to determine whether any damage has been caused.
First, you have to listen to the ATV itself. If there has been no noise or anything unusual going on, you are probably on the safe side of things. However, if not, then you have to take immediate action. Furthermore, even if there has been no noise, we would recommend you take a couple precautions regardless.
The first thing you should do after realizing you have been riding your ATV without an air filter is to change the oil. This task should already be ranking high in routine maintenance for you, and something that can be easily done. Unlike changing the oil on a car, you do not have to get dirty and underneath the engine and motor. Usually, an oil change should be done every eight hours of riding time for an ATV. To know what is required for your ATV, just check on the owner’s manual to ensure that you are not under or over replacing the oil.
Changing an oil in an ATV is pretty simple so we recommend giving it a try yourself to avoid expenses.
After you have changed the oil, give it a couple of hours to rest. Then, ride the ATV again. If it works without complication, you should be good to go without fear of damage to the engine. However, if you realize a difference in the ride, from smell to power, then you might need to take further steps.
Disassembling your ATV due to damage from no Air Filter
If the oil change didn’t solve your problems and you are noticing something off with your ATV after discovering you weren’t using an Air Filter, the next step is to dismantle the engine and clean its parts—the reasoning ties back to the main purpose of an air filter. An air filter is supposed to, essentially, keep dirt out of the engine. Without it, a lot of particles can go in and mess it up. By dismantling it and cleaning the parts that could be gummed up, you will be basically doing the filter’s work manually.
Before heading on to this process, make sure that the ATV actually needs to be torn down from the engine. To make sure, look into it and see if there are any unwanted particles or debris. If none, then wait again for some time for the ATV to run and drive it again. If there is debris, on the other hand, you should consider the teardown and reinstallation.
Although it may sound daunting, the teardown is not that scary at all. Instead of giving you the full process of it, there will be some general tips and advice on how to do this.
Before doing anything, the most important tip is to know your tools and to know them well. One tool to not use is the automotive puller. Instead, use a regular ignition puller.
The next tip is to never use an impact wrench on a countershaft sprocket without holding the sprocket first. This is because it can be very hard on the gears and can lead to broken parts. The clutch tools from Motion Pro are recommended for the job. Finally, do not ever try to pry cases using a screwdriver, as it is going to inevitably damage the gasket. A good tap with a dead-blow hammer is usually great for this, as well as a plastic mallet.
Preliminary Rules with ATV Self-Repair
Regardless of the model you have, there are some things you have to get right during the process if you have no air filter, there has been some damage in the car, and visible debris in the engine.
First, always try to put the motor at the top dead center before the disassembly. Remove the cam cover, and the timing covers as well. In some ATVs, like the TRX450R, there are timing plugs on both sides of the engine. Even prior to touching the ATV, refer to the manual, and identify the TDC mark. The manual will act as your foolproof guide into fixing this issue, so treat it of high importance. After this, use the feeler gauge for a clearance check and make sure to take down any measurements or specs as you go. If there is a complication with the valve, you are going to need new valves or springs, which brings on a later issue along with the absence of the air filter.
In most ATVs, the most common gauges are short and straight. Those can be a challenge on some four-valve heads. Longer feeler gauges with an angle are better. As a barometer, make sure that the center section is tight and in place, making it very easy to control.
It is also imperative to not try to rotate the engine with the tensioner removed since the chain can skip a lot of teeth, which can cause further damage. Also, do not hesitate to use a heat gun or MAP torch to heat nuts or bolts that have a thread-locker. Make sure, though, that if you choose to do this, that your work area is well ventilated.
After the engine is taken apart, drop the cam chain on the surface and pick it up to link by link. If the chain has tight links, it is toasted, and do not pursue the dismantling. Take photos of everything and make sure that you record your progress and parts of the engine that you have dismantled. If you see a part get lost, you would at least know what it would look like and where it goes. Finally, clean up all the parts, since that is why you dismantled it in the first place. Take off gasket material, grease, dirt, and any and all debris.
Consequences of a Dirty Air Filter
Just like riding without a filter, a dirty filter is just as bad. Without a filter, all the particles will go through. However, with dirty filters, it will be incapable of doing its purpose. Therefore, having no air filter vs. having a dirty one will almost have the same negative effects on the ATV. When that is the case, always clean the air filter that you have.
With an ATV or a general four-wheeler, it is a fun piece of equipment that can both be used on casual rides as well as off-roading. Regardless of the recreational purpose that you use it for, they are going to need proper care and maintenance. Unlike a car, the periods you have to change the air filter is every 20,000 miles. With an ATV, however, this period of time will be much shorter. Thus, you are going to need to change the filter more often.
There are several reasons for this. First, compared to a car, the engine of it is completely covered by the hood and front grill, and the air moves through this. ATV does not have this quality. The small openings that are in the car, secondly, are meant to keep some of the dirt and debris from the engine. The four-wheeler is much more open than this, and a lot more dirt can get into the filter.
This is also because of the type of terrain that you use an ATV with. Most of the time, the ATV will run through mud or off-road, and a lot of dirt can get on it. A car, on the other hand, does not go through such environments as often. While the filter of an ATV is encased, the air pulled through the filter will, therefore, have more dirt and smaller particles.
If the filter is not changed regularly, then the ATV will lose a lot of its original power capacity. The clogged filter will prevent air from moving into the engine, which will then not allow for the proper combustion of fuel and good engine torque. Further, a dirty filter can let some dirt move into the engine and damage the interior. Finally, if you have a four-cycle, the piston will most likely get damaged the most and would be in need of a pricy rebuild.
Cleaning the Air Filter
One of the benefits of having an ATV filter is that it can be cleaned by yourself, unlike your car. Further, you can clean it as many times as needed until it is permanently stained or with debris. This is important to note, as well. Do not hang onto the filter if it is clearly beyond repair. This will only cause more damage and future expenses.
Most filters sit underneath the seat of the four-wheeler, so lift it up and look for it. To do this, remove the bolts, and you should see foam or pleated fabric filter. Remove this and use the brush on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum out the particles in the filter. However, if it still appears that there is a lot of dirt on it, you can wash it. You can whether wash it by placing it in your washing machine and dishwasher, especially if you see a green discoloration. A green discoloration indicates mold spore gathering, and the heat from the dishwasher should kill that.
Once washed, stick it in the dryer. Once dry, get some air filter oil. For those who do not know, air filter oil is a penetrating oil that clings onto the filter to collect dirt. This then allows some air to move through for several hours. If you are going this path, please choose to stature the entire filter with oil.
Another important note is to also keep your manual on hand. Every ATV should come with a manual. There will be more specific instructions there, as every ATV is different. Always refer to that prior to touching the ATV.
