How often should the car air filter be replaced?

I have an honest mechanic who told me today that I don't have to follow my car's factory maintenance schedule to change the air filter. I use this car only for commute for 20 miles round trip daily on weekdays. Wondering how often should I replace the air filter in your opinion. Thanks.
How often should the car air filter be replaced?
whenever it gets dirty, think of it just like any air filter. you pull it out and if its white and clean, with not too much debris stuck in it, then its still clean, but once your white filter becomes black, and you have large stuff stuck in it like pieces of leaves and dirt and bugs, then its time to clean it. what i recommend is a K%26amp;N filter, its a replacement which instead of being made of paper, its cotton with oil, so when it gets dirty and clogged you just clean it instead of replacing it, it pays for itself in a year. im not endorsing the product or anything just letting you know about something you should look into.
How often should the car air filter be replaced?
Well it really depends on where you drive. If it's dusty or your driving through a construction area It might be quite often.



I once had a friend pull up in his daughters Saturn. He was quite angry as the car was barely running had poor power and gas mileage. I told him it was his air filter(he didn't believe me). I removed it to show him and he said %26quot;it doesn't look that dirty%26quot; I then cut it in half to show that it was indeed clogged with dirt in the center of the filter media. Some late model cars (like the Saturn) have very restrictive airflow. After replacing the filter he pulled out of the parking lot and chirped the tires!



I would recommend a K%26amp;N replacement drop in filter or if you want a K%26amp;N cold air intake system.



For about $40.00 (most cars) you will get a much better filter that can be cleaned instead of replaced(my K%26amp;N is 6 years old and still works great) a cleaning kit is $20.00 and lasts a for a long long time. You'll also see a modest improvement in performance and gas mileage.
if you change your oil every 3000 or 5000 miles it would be a good idea to change the gas and air filter also. that will save gas and you will get better gas mileage. with a clean filter the motor gets the air it needs to run right.
It's recommended that you change the cars air filter ever 12,000 miles.
no more than you are driving once a year is fine if you notice your cars performance falling off change it but i don't think that will happen
Once every 6 months unless you drive in any dirty areas - you may can wait 'til once a year, just check it every month
git a K%26amp;N thay are fairly spendy but well worth it! other then that you should replace it ever time you tune up your car! or change your oil!
I replace mine once a year or every 12,000 miles.
every 15k