What Does A Cabin Filter Do?
It's typically located behind the glove compartment or under the hood or dashboard on most modern vehicles. Its job is to filter all of the air that comes through the car's HVAC system to prevent pollutants, such as dust, pollen, smog and mold spores from entering.
How Often Should I Change My Cabin Filter?
Recommendations on when it should be replaced vary by manufacturer — some say every 12,000 or 15,000 miles, others longer — and how often can depend on how much you drive and where. Check the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. If you drive in heavy traffic in an urban area that has poor air quality, you could need to replace the filter annually or even more often. However, that also could be true in a dry climate where there is a lot of dust.
How Can I Tell My Cabin Filter Is Bad?
The most common symptom associated with a bad cabin air filter is poor air flow from the vehicle’s interior vents. An excessively contaminated cabin air filter will not be able to filter the incoming air as effectively as a clean filter would. As a result, this will cause restricted air flow for the AC system. Additionally, this will cause the vents to blow with noticeably less force, reducing the overall capacity of the A/C Unit and will also place an additional strain on the AC blower motor. Sometimes some notice a bad smell when turning on the Heat or A/C.