You may not think about it, but the air inside your car is full of pollutants. And if you don’t change your cabin air filter regularly, those pollutants will start to affect your health. The cabin air filter is critical for maintaining the air quality inside your car. However, when it eventually gets clogged with dust, dirt, and other airborne material, the atmosphere in your automobile may lose its freshness.
Additionally, a dank odor within your vehicle isn’t the only issue that a worn or clogged cabin air filter might cause. There are many critical factors why you should consider replacing your cabin air filter with a high priority in your vehicle’s maintenance schedule! In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms of a clogged cabin air filter, what occurs when they become clogged, and what you can do about it. Read on to learn more:
Signs And Symptoms Of A Dirty Cabin Air Filter
- Weak Airflow From Vents
- Strange Smell From Vents
- Noisy Fan
- Foggy Windows
- Heating And Cooling System Issues
Table of Contents
What Is A Cabin Air Filter?
While you’re undoubtedly familiar that your engine is equipped with an air filter, do you know that the vehicle’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is also equipped with one? Often referred to as the cabin air filter, it serves a similar purpose for your car’s HVAC system that your engine air filter provides for your engine.
Cabin air filters are tiny pleated filters constructed of multi-fiber sheet cotton or manufactured fabric. External air is channeled thru this filter before reaching the passenger cabin, trapping impurities and preventing them from penetrating the car’s interior.
Importance Of The Cabin Air Filter
It’s critical to pay close attention to what’s happening within your cabin. Is your heater operating properly? How about the air conditioning? Is the driving sensation pleasant or a bit uncomfortable and stenchy?
If you’re experiencing odors and congestion, it’s time to inspect your car’s cabin air filter. In the automotive industry, cabin air filters are something of unsung heroes. It handles several obligations, including the following:
- Assisting in eliminating germs, dust, and various airborne contaminants from the cabin’s air.
- Contributes to the elimination of smells inside the vehicle’s HVAC system.
- Assisting in ensuring sufficient airflow during defogging and defrosting – since limited visibility from your vehicle’s windshield might cause major driving problems.
If you haven’t replaced your car’s cabin air filter, you might experience one or more of the following indicators. Consult your owner’s manual to determine the location of your car’s cabin air filter and determine when it should be replaced.
Clogged Cabin Air Filter Symptoms
Each car has a variety of critical components, which all must function properly to guarantee the car’s safety and passengers’ comfort. One such essential piece of equipment is its air cabin filter.
You must guarantee that your cabin air filter is operating correctly, or else several difficulties might occur in the car. If you find an issue with the filter, you must fix or replace it. Several of the most obvious symptoms that the cabin air filter is malfunctioning are as follows:
Weak Airflow From Vents
This is probably the most prevalent symptom of a clogged filter. Insufficient airflow through your car’s cabin vents is a sure indicator that you need a cabin air filter replacement.
A dirty filter won’t be as efficient at screening air as a new cabin air filter does. This causes a limited airflow for your A/C system, leading to your vents with a very minimal air blow force and additional strain on the car’s air conditioning system.
Strange Smell From Vents
If you detect a strange stench emanating from your car’s vents, this might indicate that your cabin filter has to be updated. A heavily polluted filter would result in a filthy, dusty, or stinky odor emanating from your vehicle’s interior vents.
This odor will develop more if you attempt to boost the airflow of your A/C system, leaving the car uncomfortable for everyone.
Noisy Fan
Whenever you switch on your car’s air conditioner, you might hear just a gentle sound of air exiting its vents. A gentle, clean sound from the fan indicates that your cabin filter and A/C system are in excellent condition.
However, when you notice an upsurge in a blowing air volume or noise, this means that your filter is deteriorating. When big particles reach the air cabin filter, these not only obstruct the passage of air and prevent it from being adequately screened, but they also generate a great deal of noise while the air flows through the vents.
As a consequence, you will hear a loud noise anytime you switch on your A/C fan. If you keep the air filter unfixed, this noise will worsen over time.
Foggy Windows
A significant role of your cabin filter is to sustain airflow inside your car and to assist in clearing away the fog that accumulates on your windows. A dirty air filter could impede airflow. This poor air quality and airflow cause the car’s system to malfunction and renders it hard to clear condensation from your windows.
As a consequence, your vehicle’s windows will be frosty or foggy for an extended length of time, which may be dangerous while driving.
Heating And Cooling System Issues
Cabin air filters that require replacement are often clogged. This blockage decreases the airflow to your AC systems, affecting the HVAC efficiency. As a consequence, your car’s cooling and heating capability will be limited. Additionally, it will place a great deal of strain on the system, resulting in a blowout.
Furthermore, decreased ventilation makes it more challenging to control the temperature inside your car and makes all passengers unpleasant as the season or weather changes.
How To Change Cabin Air Filter?
Although specific guidelines for replacing your vehicle’s cabin air filter are often provided in your owner’s handbook; however, below are the fundamentals for changing your car’s cabin filter.
Pop Up The Hood
Although the cabin filter is often placed inside your vehicle, the very first approach should always be opening the hood. Every automobile acquires clean air through the bottom of the windshield (the cowl), holding the wipers.
Conduct a short assessment of this region to verify there are no twigs or other material obstructing airflow into your cabin. Using your hands, you should pick up bigger debris and clean the remainder of this area using a tiny brush or spray with water.
Find Your Car’s Cabin Filter
The most straightforward approach to identify your cabin air filter is to consult your owner’s handbook; however, these filters are often located in the passenger-side floorboard region. If you’ve misplaced your owner’s handbook or the directions are unclear.
You can undoubtedly go to brand-specific online forums or even internet videos to determine the placement and removal processes. To access your cabin filter, minor disassembly might be necessary, such as removing your glove box or coverings located under your dash, but very seldom would tools be needed.
You’re nearly after that you’ve identified the filter housing. Before you reach the filter itself, there’ll very certainly be a few types of cover that can be lifted or slid off.
Pull Out and Replace Your Cabin Filter
Depending on your car, removing the cabin filter is indeed the simple part. Because the space under your dash is so narrow, fitting your new air filter may need some skill. Typically, an arrow indicates the desired airflow of your filter; however, other than that, you only want to ensure that your filter is placed correctly and without damage.
Reinstall All The Removed Parts
Indeed, after your new air filter is installed, securing the vehicle is essential. Assemble the filter covers correctly and then reattach anything you might have disconnected.
How Often SHOULD A Cabin Air Filter BE Replaced?
If you take trips frequently in a city with bad air quality or plenty of construction, if you travel in the deserts or on dusty roads, or perhaps if you spend your weekends on off-roading, you may need to clean your cabin filter more regularly.
However, if you drive most of your days from home to work, it’s suggested that you change your cabin air filter annually. If you’re unsure how frequently to replace your filters, the following are some warning signals to look for:
- Decreased airflow whenever the climate control systems are activated
- Persistently offensive scents
- Increasing the amount of dust that settles on car surfaces
Cabin Air Filter Replacement Cost
The cost of a cabin air filter varies by car; however, you should budget around $30 to $70. You might be compensated for part of the charges if you approach a service center while your car is still under warranty. You could purchase parts online and take advantage of extra discounts by examining the components and service offers.
Conclusion
Driving with such a dirty cabin air filter is not only inconvenient; it could also be a burden for your car! Suppose it’s due to replace the cabin air filter. In that case, you can always DIY this straightforward task, or you can bring your vehicle to a reputable shop for a professional, high-quality installation.
FAQs
Will a dirty cabin air filter affect A/C?
Cabin air filters can capture dust, insects, twigs, and a variety of other sorts of material. A clogged filter will undoubtedly impair your A/C’s capacity to chill and, over time, will place undue pressure on the whole system.
Is a cabin air filter essential?
The air cabin filter is a critical element of every automobile’s cooling and heating system. It contributes to the protection of passengers against pollutants in the oxygen they inhale.
