Cabin Air Filters

You’ve heard of an air filter in a car, right? Sure you have. It’s that big filter that sits somewhere in a shroud or container around all those pipes up near your engine. And we all know we need to replace that filter from time to time because it gets grungy and filled with dirt and debris from hours and hours of driving. A dirty air filter can prevent your engine from running smoothly and if it gets too dirty and restricts too much air flow, it can cause damage to your engine and cost you a lot of money!

Ok, so you’ve heard that before and hey, you’re on top of things. You’ve had that air filter replaced and your vehicle is running tickityboo.

What about that otherair filter? Did you have that replaced too?

Wait, what? There’s another air filter? Yeah, and it has less to do with how well your engine performs and a lot to do with the quality of the air you’re breathing inside your vehicle!

That’s right, there’s another air filter many folks either don’t know about or forget to replace. It’s called a cabin air filter.

First introduced by Saab in 1979, today most vehicles come equipped with cabin air filters.

Think about it. You drive thousands of kilometres a year, following behind all kinds of vehicles, in all kinds of road conditions. Vehicle fumes, dust, pollen and all kinds of other pollutants and allergens are being sucked into your vehicle and could potentially be breathed in if it weren’t for your cabin air filter!

Your cabin air filter also reduces odors from entering the cabin and keeps your vehicle’s HVAC system functioning properly.

So where is this mystery filter located, anyway?

Usually, your cabin air filter will be up behind the glove compartment or somewhere similar. In most cases, it can be easily accessed by just removing your glove compartment tray.

Keep in mind, like all things, cabin filters come in various different quality types. There are budget filters that will filter some particles but let others through. Mid-grade filters will filter more. And top-of-the-line filters will give you the most protection.

So how do you know if your filter needs replacing? The easy way to find out is to bring your vehicle into our Big O Tires Vernon shop and we’ll check it for you. Otherwise, if you start smelling funky smells inside your vehicle while driving, it might be a good idea to swap out that old filter with a new one!