The smaller the micron rating a cabin air filter has, the better the job of filtering contaminants and pollutants, but the more it will cost. Failure to replace a dirty or clogged filter will affect the efficiency of your car's heating and cooling system. Poor efficiency can cause other problems, such as loss of air volume, bad odors in the cabin, or premature failure of HVAC components. Simply replacing a dirty filter can make a big difference in car air quality.
The world is literally on fire. Wildfires in the American West are harbingers of more fires every year. We must face this new normal and while we've taken some steps to curb air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions continue to threaten our future. This type of covert intruder can be difficult to avoid, but the interior of your car can be a refuge from fumes thanks to the cabin air filter.
While the air filter that powers your car's engine filters the air that enters the combustion cycle, a vehicle's cabin air filter filters the air you breathe inside your vehicle. Think of cabin air filters like gas masks, which keep pollution, smoke, and disgusting coal from that bulldozer out of your lungs and out of the hospital for acute asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases. So sit back, get some compressed air and follow the steps as The Drive information team teaches you everything you ever wanted to know about cabin air filters. Signs of a dirty cabin air filter are fairly easy to spot, that is, unless you lack the sense of smell. Here are the most common ways to determine if a cabin air filter needs to be replaced.
The easiest sign of a dirty cabin air filter is the smell of something outside the car, such as smoke from wildfires, cow pastures, or skunks, even when you have the HVAC system in recirculation. Clearly, there's a problem if you see smoke or other particles entering through your car's ventilation grilles. This can also indicate that the cabin air filter has a tear, tear, or rupture and needs to be replaced immediately. Similarly, you might hear the HVAC mechanism struggling to push air through the car. It may sound louder than usual or as if something is blocking a vent.
You get all of the above signs of a dirty cabin air filter. And if you're there, you're stuck breathing your own egg farts, or worse, you're breathing in the toxic pollution of a city's emissions or the thick smoke from pea soup from your residence's wildfires. Now let's move on to the essential details on how to replace the cabin air filter. Life is full of variables that positively and negatively affect your health. Cabin air filters are no different. These are some external and internal variables that can affect the service life and effectiveness of the cabin air filter: cigarette, cigar and marijuana smoke (please don't do this in your car) can affect the effectiveness of the cabin air filter; as you smoke more in the car, the filter becomes even more clogged due to your particular habits; similarly, those who use hairspray or other beauty products can also affect the health of their cabin air filter. Without it, you breathe in all sorts of pollution and filth from outside.
Do you want to breathe in all that rudeness? We didn't think so! By replacing your cabin air filter and setting your HVAC system to “Recirculation” - that's that little button on your dashboard that looks like an arrow with a loop - you can keep all those nasty particles out. According to Tesla, their Biological Weapons Defense Mode “developed a HEPA filtration system capable of removing pollen, bacteria and pollution from outside air before they enter the cabin and systematically cleaning the air inside the cabin to remove any traces of these particles”. The end result is a filtration system hundreds of times more efficient than standard automotive filters, capable of providing drivers and their passengers with best possible cabin air quality no matter what is happening in their surrounding environment - essentially it's like having a supercharged cabin air filter! Tesla claims it will last up to three years. There are several different manufacturers who make their own slightly different “recipe” for what they consider to be best carbon cabin air filter. Cabin air filters also help keep your car's AC evaporator clean which can reduce microbe growth and musty odors that stink up your car. If you notice an unpleasant odor or decreased airflow coming from your car then consider replacing your cabin air filter for both yourself and your vehicle's sake! Cabin air filters prevent dust, dirt, pollen, bacteria and exhaust fumes from entering your car's HVAC system - if you're driving in busy urban areas then you may need to change your cabin air filters more often. Clean air is essential for your vehicle to function properly; your car's engine air filter ensures that clean air reaches its engine. If you drive frequently in slow traffic or encounter strong odors while driving then investing in a carbon cabin air filter could be worthwhile. When a cabin air filter becomes clogged due to years of neglect then your car's HVAC system may not be able to blow as hard as it was when it was new.
All activated carbon filters remove significantly more contaminants from the air than normal carbon filters however there are some distinctions - if you find yourself driving in heavily polluted areas or traveling on dirt roads then you should change your cabin air filter every 5 000 miles.
