OEReplacement News


Of course, there’s an air filter under the hood of every car keeping dirt out of the engine, but in many cars there’s also an automotive cabin air filter, doing yeoman work filtering dirt, mild spores, mildew, pollen, road dust, grease and other pollution from the air inside. And just like your engine air filter, with time, an auto cabin air filter gets clogged up with all the pollution its adsorbs. Fortunately, all styles of auto air filters are designed so they’re easy to replace; unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a universal air filter. All we can tell you is its location is in the cabin somewhere, almost always under the dash. In many cars, a new automotive cabin air filter is as easy as opening a small compartment and snapping a new one in; in some, carbon cabin air filters can be hard to reach, and it makes sense to have a mechanic install charcoal cabin air filters if they’re in a difficult location.

Interior air filters need to be changed regularly, about every 10,000 to 12,000 miles, but it varies depending on how much dirt the filter has trapped. In addition, the best cabin air filters have a charcoal element that helps eliminate odors and prevents mold and mildew from growing.

If the recommended service interval hasn’t passed, it doesn’t mean a carbon cabin air filter doesn’t need replacing. All the air from the cabin air intake passes through a car cabin air filter, and if it gets clogged up, there’s no way for air to circulate. A car will have trouble producing heat or cooling, and the car fan or blower may make noise. Eventually, the extra work the fan is doing will shorten its life, and then the job is a massive one, with a dashboard coming apart. So clearly, if a car has an old automotive filter, or if driving conditions involve lots of dirt and dust then it could mean it was time to replace a car air filter. Changing cabin air filters, and installing the best cabin air filters available, is much less of a headache than ignoring the warning signs.



Filed under: Product News by Josh Razgunas On: January 13th, 2010