Air Cleaner Housing: Description and Operation

Air Cleaner:

The Air Cleaner, located on top of the carburetor, houses the air filter which filters the engine intake air. The filter is of the dry element type and can be cleaned with compressed air or replaced when it has become unserviceable. A clean filter is essential to the proper operation of the fuel system.

A hot air intake (HAI) system is incorporated into the air cleaner. This provides heated intake air to the engine when a sensor in the air cleaner body indicates the ambient air temperature is below 79° F. This enables better fuel atomization in cold weather conditions as well as reducing exhaust emissions at start-up. Also incorporated in the air cleaner is a hot idle compensation (HIC) system. This allows air to directly enter the intake manifold in order to maintain proper air/fuel ratio during periods of high temperature idling. For more information on these systems and diagnosis and testing, refer to EMISSION CONTROLS.