Fewer odors and improved air quality are just two of the benefits of replacing your cabin air filter regularly. Mold can build up on the filter if it is not changed, which can cause bad odors and unhealthy air. But by replacing your cabin air filter once a year or every 12,000 miles, you can avoid breathing in that unhealthy mold and keep your cabin smelling fresh. If you are driving in heavily polluted areas or traveling on dirt roads, you should change your cabin air filter every 5,000 miles.
Allergy sufferers may want to consider changing it more often to ensure air quality and reduce their allergy symptoms. A vehicle's cabin air filter helps remove harmful contaminants, such as pollen and dust, from the air you breathe inside the car. This filter is usually located behind the glove compartment and cleans the air as it moves through the vehicle's HVAC system. If you notice that your car has an unpleasant odor or that airflow has decreased, consider replacing the cabin filter to give the system and yourself a breath of fresh air. If left untreated, a dirty filter can clog, limit the amount of clean air entering the cabin, and cause the heating or air conditioning to work harder than necessary. Specifically, your car's cabin air filter is made to prevent allergens, dust and external contaminants from entering the ventilation grilles, thus keeping the air you breathe clean.
By replacing your cabin air filter once a year or every 12,000 miles, you can breathe easy every time you get in the car. Most late-model vehicles contain cabin air filters to trap material in the air, which can make it less pleasant to travel in a car. The overwhelming odds are yes, as most late-model vehicles come equipped with replaceable air filters. Those who drive in congested urban areas or places with poor air quality may need to replace their filters more frequently. Some signs that you need a new cabin air filter are reduced airflow through the climate control system, such as when you raise the fan too high and receive more noise than results. Simply changing the cabin air filter will dramatically improve your vehicle's air quality.
Many cabin air filters are located behind the glove box and can be easily accessed by releasing the glove box from its fasteners; instructions should be in the car owner's manual. The cabin air filter is a small pleated filter made of multi-fiber paper cotton or other engineering material. Whenever you drive your car, you are likely to drive in conditions that bring outside air pollutants to the air intake ducts of the car's cabin. In your car's owner's manual, you can find mileage marks for recommended cabin air filter changes, although they vary by vehicle type and manufacturer. Recommendations for when to replace a cabin air filter vary by manufacturer, with some saying every 12,000 or 15,000 miles, others more and frequency may depend on how much you drive and where. However, if the cabin air filter is under the dashboard or under the hood, it may not be as accessible.
Cabin filters began appearing in cars in 2002 and more than 80% of all vehicles in circulation today come with a factory-equipped cabin air filter. Poor efficiency can cause other problems, such as loss of air volume, bad odors in the cabin, or premature failure of HVAC components.
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