Keeping your vehicle’s engine breathing clean air is fundamental to its health and performance. A clogged or inefficient air filter can lead to reduced fuel economy, sluggish acceleration, and increased wear on internal components. For General Motors vehicle owners, choosing the right filter is a critical maintenance decision.
ACDelco offers a range of professional-grade air filters designed to meet the stringent specifications of GM engines. This roundup focuses on their most reliable options, from engine air filters to cabin air filters, helping you ensure your car or truck continues to run smoothly and efficiently for miles to come. Selecting an OEM-quality part guarantees a perfect fit and consistent performance.
Our Recommended ACDelco Professional Air Filters
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3244C Air Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment PF63 Engine Oil Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment CF185 Cabin Air Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3212C Air Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment PF66 Engine Oil Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3097C Air Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3181C Air Filter
- ACDelco GM Original Equipment Cabin Air Filter CF184
- ACDelco Gold CF1184C Cabin Air Filter
- ACDelco Professional Engine Air Filter A2608C
ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3244C Air Filter
This A3244C air filter is a genuine GM Original Equipment part, engineered for durability and reliable performance. It is designed to provide you and your passengers with a clean and safe driving experience by ensuring only clean air reaches your engine. The advanced filter media technology is a key feature, working to prevent harmful pollutants from entering the engine’s combustion chambers.
A clean engine is an efficient engine, and this filter helps maintain optimal performance throughout its service life. It offers excellent filter capacity and sophisticated flow management, which contributes to consistent engine power and potential fuel savings. By protecting your engine from abrasive contaminants, this filter supports its long-term health and reliability.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment PF63 Engine Oil Filter
The PF63 engine oil filter is built to protect your engine from abrasive particles that can cause premature wear. Its primary function is to trap these contaminants as oil circulates, ensuring that only clean oil reaches critical engine components like bearings and camshafts. This is essential for maintaining engine performance and longevity.
This filter is equipped with Duraguard media, which provides a high level of filtering efficiency and a substantial dirt-holding capacity. It is specifically designed for modern high-flow GM engines and includes appropriate bypass valve settings. This ensures consistent oil flow even under cold start conditions or if the filter becomes restricted.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment CF185 Cabin Air Filter
The CF185 cabin air filter is responsible for cleaning the air that enters your vehicle’s interior through the heating and air conditioning system. It uses long media made from a specialized non-woven material to capture a wide range of particles, including dust, pollen, and other allergens. This contributes to a healthier and more comfortable environment for everyone inside the car.
Its multi-layered construction is designed to create ‘separated’ media, which effectively contains captured particles and helps prevent them from being released back into the airstream. This design also aids in maintaining strong air flow, so your climate control system can operate efficiently without having to work harder due to a clogged filter.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3212C Air Filter
As a GM Original Equipment part, the A3212C air filter is manufactured to the same specifications as the filter that was originally installed on your vehicle. This guarantees a precise fit and reliable operation. Its durable construction ensures it can handle the demands of daily driving while protecting your engine.
The filter utilizes advanced media technology to block pollutants from entering the engine, which is vital for maintaining combustion efficiency. A clean air supply allows the engine to run as intended, supporting optimal performance and fuel economy. This filter is engineered to deliver excellent capacity and flow management for the duration of its service interval.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment PF66 Engine Oil Filter
The PF66 oil filter offers impressive filtering performance, with a 98% multi-pass efficiency rating at 25-30 microns. Its cellulose media is capable of trapping particles as small as one-third the width of a human hair, providing a thorough cleaning of the engine oil. This high level of filtration is crucial for protecting sensitive engine components from wear.
Durability is another strong point of this filter. It is built with a burst strength that is five times greater than typical engine oil operating pressures, assuming normal pressure does not exceed 51 psi. This robust construction provides an added layer of security and reliability for your vehicle’s lubrication system.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3097C Air Filter
The A3097C engine air filter is designed to trap airborne particles before they can enter and damage your engine. Its excellent filter capacity and efficiency mean it can hold a significant amount of dirt while still allowing for the proper air flow your engine needs to perform. This balance is key to maintaining power and efficiency.
This filter is also equipped with tight seals around its edges. These seals are critical for preventing unfiltered air from bypassing the filter media and entering the combustion chamber directly. By ensuring all air is properly filtered, this design helps to minimize engine wear and maintain optimal operating conditions.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment A3181C Air Filter
This OE-quality air filter, model A3181C, serves as a reliable barrier against dust, dirt, and other airborne contaminants. Its primary role is to protect your engine’s internal components from abrasive particles that can cause gradual wear over time. Consistent use of a quality filter like this one is a simple way to support your engine’s long-term health.
The filter combines high capacity and efficiency with a design that promotes stable air flow. The tight seals integrated into the filter housing are essential for performance, as they stop unfiltered air from leaking into the intake system. This ensures that the engine management system receives accurate airflow readings and can meter fuel correctly.
ACDelco GM Original Equipment Cabin Air Filter CF184
The CF184 cabin air filter is an OEM part designed for a wide range of GM vehicles, including many Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC models. It functions to improve the air quality inside your car’s cabin by capturing particles like pollen, mold spores, and dust from the outside air before it enters the ventilation system.
Its construction features long media within a non-woven material, which enhances its ability to capture particles without significantly restricting air flow. The multi-layered design creates separated media layers that effectively contain the trapped contaminants. This helps ensure that your climate control system delivers clean, fresh air to the interior.
ACDelco Gold CF1184C Cabin Air Filter
The ACDelco Gold CF1184C is a premium aftermarket cabin air filter that offers a high-quality replacement option. As part of the Gold series, it is designed to provide reliable performance and value. It focuses on effective filtering and proper flow management for your vehicle’s cabin air system.
This filter helps reduce the amount of dust and airborne particles that can enter the passenger compartment. By maintaining good air flow, it also supports the efficient operation of your heating and air conditioning system. It is a solid choice for drivers seeking a dependable, non-OE filter for their vehicle.
ACDelco Professional Engine Air Filter A2608C
The ACDelco Professional A2608C is an engine air filter built to meet the needs of professional technicians and DIYers alike. As part of the Professional series, it is engineered to deliver robust performance and dependable filtration for a clean air supply to the engine. This helps protect against contaminants that can affect engine operation.
Using a professional-grade filter like the A2608C helps maintain your engine’s performance and efficiency. It is constructed to provide a solid balance of capacity and airflow, supporting the engine’s requirements for optimal combustion. This makes it a reliable choice for routine maintenance and engine protection.
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right ACDelco Professional Air Filter
When I’m looking for a replacement air filter, I want something I can install and forget about. That’s the reputation ACDelco Professional air filters have built. But with so many part numbers and vehicle-specific models, how do you pick the right one? I’ve found it comes down to a few key things.
First, you absolutely must get the correct fit. This seems obvious, but it’s the most common mistake. I always check my vehicle’s owner’s manual for the recommended part number first. If I don’t have the manual, I use the ACDelco website’s part finder tool. I input my car’s year, make, model, and engine size, and it spits out the exact filter I need. Trying to guess or assuming a “close enough” size will work is a recipe for poor performance and potential engine damage. Unfiltered air can bypass a poorly fitted filter, letting dirt and debris into your engine.
Next, I think about the filter media itself. The ACDelco Professional line uses a specific, high-capacity pleated paper media. What I like is that it’s designed to trap a high percentage of contaminants while still allowing for solid airflow. A good balance is crucial. A filter that’s too restrictive can choke the engine and hurt fuel economy, while one that’s too porous isn’t doing its job. I look for filters that mention high efficiency and durability. The construction matters, too. I check that the end seals are robust and flexible to ensure a tight seal in the air filter box, preventing any air from sneaking around the sides.
Finally, I consider my driving conditions. If I do a lot of driving on dusty gravel roads or in areas with high pollen or pollution, I know my air filter will get dirty faster. In these cases, I make a mental note to check the filter more frequently during oil changes. The “replace every 20,000 miles” rule is a general guideline, but real-world conditions can shorten that interval. Having a reliable filter like an ACDelco Professional is my first line of defense. It’s a relatively inexpensive part that plays a huge role in protecting my engine’s internals from wear and tear. For me, choosing the right one is about matching the part to my vehicle’s specifications and trusting in a design that prioritizes both filtration and engine performance. This careful selection is part of my routine for maintaining reliable performance with an ACDelco Professional Air Filter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I replace my ACDelco Professional Air Filter?
This is probably the question I get asked the most. There’s no single answer that fits everyone. The general recommendation is every 15,000 to 20,000 miles, but that’s just a starting point. I check my filter every time I get an oil change. I pull it out and hold it up to a bright light. If I can’t see light passing easily through the pleats, it’s time for a new one. If you drive in a particularly dusty area or have a lot of stop-and-go traffic, you might need to replace it more often. It’s one of the easiest and most cost-effective forms of preventative maintenance.
Can I clean and reuse my ACDelco Professional Air Filter?
No, I do not recommend cleaning and reusing it. The ACDelco Professional Air Filter is made of a specific pleated paper media. If you try to clean it with compressed air or by tapping it, you risk damaging the delicate paper fibers. This can create tiny tears that allow dirt to pass through, defeating the entire purpose of the filter. Even if it looks okay, its filtration efficiency will be compromised. It’s designed as a maintenance item to be replaced, not serviced.
Will a new air filter improve my car’s gas mileage?
It can, especially if your current filter is very dirty. A clogged air filter restricts airflow to the engine, forcing it to work harder. This can lead to a “rich” fuel condition, where the engine burns more fuel than necessary. Replacing a dirty filter with a new one, like an ACDelco Professional, restores proper airflow. While you might not see a dramatic jump in MPG on a modern car, you will likely notice smoother acceleration and more responsive throttle. On an older vehicle, the effect on fuel economy can be more noticeable.
What’s the difference between the ACDelco Professional and their GM Original Equipment filter?
This is a great question about the different tiers. The GM Original Equipment (OE) filter is the exact same part that was installed on your vehicle when it was built at the factory. The ACDelco Professional line is what we call an “aftermarket” part, but it’s built to meet strict OE specifications. In my experience, the performance and quality are extremely close. The Professional line is often more readily available and can be a more affordable option while still providing excellent protection and reliable performance.
Is it difficult to replace the air filter myself?
For the vast majority of cars, it’s one of the easiest jobs you can do. Usually, it only requires opening the air filter box (which often uses simple clips or a few screws), taking out the old filter, and dropping the new one in. You don’t need any special tools. I always suggest taking a quick photo with your phone before you remove the old filter so you can see exactly how it was oriented. Just make sure the sealing rubber gasket on the new filter is sitting flush in the box before you close it up.