Did you know that your vehicle is equipped with an air filter that is designed to clean the air inside your vehicle? If you suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory ailments, you recognize the importance of quality air filtration. One of the most important maintenance tasks that you can do to ensure healthy indoor air in your home is to change HVAC air filters on a regular basis. That same principle can be applied to the air quality in your vehicle and the cabin air filter.
In this blog, we describe the purpose of the cabin air filter, the importance of keeping it maintained, and signs to look for when it is time to be replaced.
What does the cabin air filter do?
Your vehicle’s cabin air filter is a pleated filter made of manufactured or paper material. The filter sits under the hood somewhere behind the dashboard, usually on the passenger side. Each vehicle make and model may have a different location for the air filter. Some may be easily accessed by removing the glove box or others require greater effort if the filter is inside the engine compartment. But the filter’s purpose is essentially the same regardless of vehicle type – to keep your cabin air free of particulates such as dirt, dust, allergens, exhaust fumes, and other contaminants that may impact the air quality inside the vehicle.
When should a cabin air filter be replaced?
Depending on where you live and your typical driving conditions, the standard timeframe to replace a filter is between every 15,000 and 30,000 miles driven. Location and conditions may impact that timeframe. For example, if you live and drive on a lot of dusty roads, or perhaps, you live in a climate with year-round pollen and allergens. In those cases, it is advisable to replace the cabin air filter once a year.
There are some tell-tale signs that your cabin air filter may need replacement, these include:
- Musty or unusual odors coming form your cabin air vents
- A whistling sound coming from the air vents
- A louder than normal noise when using the heating or cooling systems
- Decreased flow of air from the vents
The above signs are a good indication that your cabin air filter may be clogged or coated with too much debris from the filtering process. Not only can a clogged air filter reduce the quality of the filtering process, it can affect the performance of your vehicle’s heating and cooling system.
If you think that you have a dirty cabin air filter, let us know the next time you are in for service at Colonial Service Station and we will examine and/or replace your cabin air filter. For the amount of time you may spend in your vehicle, having quality, clean air is beneficial to your overall health and the health of your passengers.