Cabin Air Filter

What is a Cabin Air Filter and When to Replace it:

People often ask us when do I replace the cabin air filter? Let’s begin by explaining what the cabin air filter is. Generally speaking it is nothing more than a pleated paper filter placed in the outside air intake just in front of the passenger compartment. The filter is designed to remove dust pollen, mold, spores and other contaminants as the outside air enters your vehicle.

A clogged or dirty cabin air filter can significantly reduce air flow at the vents. Furthermore the dirty filter increases the load on the blower motor.  Allergens are not captured by the filter effectively once they become clogged. We recommend changing the interior filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles or whenever necessary. Refer to your owner’s manual for specific intervals.  If you happen to drive on a lot of dirt roads or have to pass through a sand storm we recommend changing the filter even earlier.  We always have the filters in stock and these can be installed in toughly 30 minutes.

Failure to change a clogged cabin air filter can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle’s air conditioning and heating system also and could cause premature failure of other system components. Replacing the blower motor could cost $300 or more. Running your A/C with a clogged filter won’t cause any vehicle safety issues, but it could significantly affect the quality of the air your passengers breathe.  A dirty filter may make you and your passengers very uncomfortable if the system does not adequately heat or cool the cabin. From an environmental point of view, failure of your interior’s filter will lead to higher levels of allergens inside the passenger compartment.  Lastly, these interior filters can get moldy from the air conditioner’s propensity to make condensation and we never want to mess with mold when it comes to passenger safety.