Cabin Air Filter. What is that?
This is a question we get often when we tell a customer they need a new one.
So, I will answer the question and give a little more information about it.
The cabin air filter is a feature on most late-model vehicles. It cleans the air that comes into the interior through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. The feature catches dust, pollen and other airborne materials that can make riding in a car unpleasant. It can be particularly uncomfortable if passengers have allergies or other respiratory problems.
The cabin air filter is usually located behind the glove compartment. Some models have it located in front of the center console or in the cowl area (below the windshield) close to the windshield wipers.
The Right Time for a Replacement
Recommendations on when a cabin air filter needs replacing varies by manufacturer. Some manufacturers say every 12,000 or 15,000 miles, others longer. It can depend on how much you drive and where. Check the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual. If you’re driving in heavy traffic in an urban area that has poor air quality, it might need replacing more often. However, that also could be true in a desert climate where there is a lot of dust to filter out.
Here are two signs that indicate the need for a replacement:
- The reduction in air flow through the climate control system, such as when the fan is on high and there’s more noise than results.
- Persistent bad odors.
Even if these warnings don’t exist, you should still check the cabin air filter at least once a year.
We check the cabin air filter every time a car gets a Vehicle Inspection. Some cabin air filters are hard to get to and require some disassembly of components. In that case, we inform the customer and ask when it was changed last, if ever. Or we check our records to see if and when we replaced it last for returning vehicles.
How We Conduct Inspections
Most of the time when we check the cabin air filter, we have to drop the drawer of the glove compartment down out of the way. When this happens, we have to take out all the items in the glove compartment. We put it back in once we are done replacing or inspecting the filter. So if it looks as though someone has been snooping around in the glove compartment, that’s not the case. It just indicates the filter was inspected and/or replaced.
Sharing the Cabin Air Filter with ‘Critters’
We have seen some cabin air filters that have evidence of mice or other little “critters” that have attempted to establish a place of residence. This is more common when the weather starts to turn cold and these animals are looking for a warm place to live. This situation can cause serious damage to the vehicle. These critters will chew on wires and all other parts they can get their paws on. Debris can clog the vents and air ducts. They can also damage the blower motor and its wiring. This is another good reason to have the filter checked periodically.
Let us check your cabin air filter, along with all the other items on our Vehicle Report Card inspection.
