Jump to content

  • Welcome to Auto Parts Forum

    Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. 

     

Recommended Posts

Posted

Cabin Filter

Cabin air filters may not be the most exciting part of today’s vehicles, but their role in cleaning up the interior air can be vital to your customers’ health.

Air pollution is becoming a bigger concern, even as cars are producing fewer emissions. Since the 1990s, automakers have included cabin air filters as a standard feature on vehicles, to remove dust, pollen, allergens and soot from the air in the interior of the car.

Much like an air filter for your home’s HVAC system, the cabin air filter improves the quality of the air entering the vehicle through the heating and cooling system. It also keeps dirt, debris, bugs and leaves out of the evaporator and heater core.

How often should these filters be changed? That depends on the filter’s service life and operating conditions. However, most manufacturers recommend replacing them once a year.

Cabin air filters are very efficient and can filter up to 100,000 liters of outside air through the vehicle’s interior – which is one reason that it’s a good idea to change these filter elements regularly. Your customers may not even realize they have one of these filters, because it’s not as commonly known as an air filter or oil filter. They sit behind the glovebox or in some other out-of-the-way location where most vehicle owners never see them. And being out of sight can lead to lack of maintenance.

There are two different types of cabin air filters available from the aftermarket: particle filters and activated carbon filters. While particle filters retain airborne particles, activated carbon filters have the added benefit of converting unpleasant or hazardous gases into breathable air and preventing these substances from entering the car. Regular replacement of the cabin air filter is particularly important for owners or passengers suffering from allergies, and may require more frequent changes in these cases.

cabin filter smell

Changing a cabin air filter requires minimal tools, if any at all. Most can be removed with a screwdriver and by lifting a couple of tabs. You can find the location from the owner’s manual or look it up online or in your service manual. The location of the filter in many vehicles is near the glovebox or under the hood by the windshield cowling where air enters.

Counterman, along with filter manufacturers, continues to point out the need to replace these filters at proper service intervals. But most vehicle owners don’t change their cabin air filter often enough (if ever) because it typically doesn’t affect the performance of the vehicle. However, when mold or other bacteria attach to the pleated paper filter element, it can affect the air quality inside the car. A plugged-up filter also restricts airflow through the HVAC system and can create heating and cooling issues.

When customers are replacing other filters, it’s a good idea to ask them if they’ve replaced their cabin air filter lately. If a customer complains that there’s a strange smell coming from the vents, chances are the cabin air filter is long overdue for a replacement.

With a fresh cabin air filter installed, at least the air on the interior will be clean and free of hazardous particles at a time when the environment around us is getting more unhealthy.

Source: 

link hidden, please login to view

  • 6 years later...
Sell your car with CarBrain

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Content

  • Similar Topics

    • By Teddy
      Funny video for cabin filters!
       
    • By Mighty Auto Parts
      The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. The C6 Corvette was just removed from winter storage and was about to receive a complete service. The engine roared to life and the instrument panel reflected a systems check. Bulbs were illuminated and would time out, indicating that systems or components were functioning as normal. Moments later, a warning lamp resembling an occupant holding […]
      The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By Counterman
      WIX Filters recently announced the six grand-prize winners of the 2024 85th Anniversary Promotion and Sweepstakes. WIX Filters customers from across the U.S. and Canada participated in the eight-month-long program. Winners were selected in a random drawing of qualifying entries submitted from April 1 through November 30, 2024.
      Grand-Prize Winner: Dave Ledbetter of Spokane, Washington
      Dave Ledbetter of Spokane, Washington, won the top grand prize: a Polaris General XP 4 Ultimate Side-by-Side vehicle. Ledbetter works for Jobbers Automotive Supply. The business is a distributor that provides products and services to dealerships, collision centers and auto body shops.
      Second-Place Winners: Barb Bosshammer and Greg Henry
      The two second-place winners were Barb Bosshammer from Kearney, Nebraska, and Greg Henry from Monroe, Louisiana. Both of them won a Polaris General 1000 Sport Side-by-Side vehicle.
      Third-Place Winners: Brendan Middleton, Blaine Wilson, and Dennis Daniel
      Three individuals received third-place prizes. Brendan Middleton from Guelph, Ontario, Blaine Wilson from Manchester, Iowa and Dennis Daniel from Dickson, Tennessee, each won a Polaris Sportsman Touring Four-Wheeler.
      Additional Prizes in the 2024 WIX Filters Sweepstakes
      WIX Filters awarded nearly 370 total prizes in its 85th Anniversary promotion, valued at $150,000. Other prizes included a YETI® Tundra 45 cooler, a WIX Filters 85th Anniversary 1939 International D2 Pickup diecast model, a
      link hidden, please login to view85th Anniversary insulated wine tumbler, and a WIX Filters 85th Anniversary hat. Celebrating 85 Years of Loyalty and Support
      “At WIX Filters, we chose to celebrate the 85th anniversary by giving back to the people that represent our brand day in and day out—our customers. We would not be where we are today without their unwavering loyalty and support,” said Carmina Lopez, marketing manager of WIX Filters. “We look forward to powering into the next 85 years alongside the dedicated individuals who share our passion and commitment to creating the best filter in the world.”
      WIX Filters Delivers Prizes to Sweepstakes Winners

      link hidden, please login to view delivered the Polaris vehicles to the grand prize winners in late March and early April. The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By Counterman
      link hidden, please login to view announced its new CO₂-reduced filters impregnated with plant-based raw materials, manufactured using renewable energy and packaged in sustainable, recycled material. Filters with cellulose media have previously been impregnated with fossil-based phenolic resin, which provides stability, rigidity and chemical resistance, according to
      link hidden, please login to view, which said it has partially replaced this crude oil-based treatment with the plant-based raw material lignin, a natural product contained in wood. Lignin is what makes wood stable and can also have the same effect on filter media, the company explained. This technology is initially being used in selected MANN-FILTER air and oil filters, with more filters will follow. As a result, MANN+HUMMEL said it is reducing the CO2footprint of the relevant lignin impregnation during production by up to 5 percent compared to regular phenolic resin impregnation. In addition, this reduces the amount of crude oil used for impregnation by around 27 percent.
      The calculation of the CO₂ values and the calculation method for determining the crude oil savings have been externally verified and validated by ClimatePartner, a German organization that supports companies in calculating, reducing and offsetting CO₂ emissions and offers climate neutrality labels.
      Thanks to the switch to lignin, the MANN-FILTER C 17 237 air filter, for example, saves 3.93 tons of CO₂ and more than 4,500 liters of crude oil annually, based on 2024 sales figures, the company said, with the material being used coming from certified sources. Lignin is produced in large quantities as a waste product in paper and pulp production—several million tons are generated worldwide every year.
      In the independent aftermarket, the innovative and more sustainable air filters are now available as MANN-FILTER applications for almost 70 million cars and transporters in Europe, while oil filters are ready to use for almost 17.6 million vehicles, the company said. The improved impregnation will now be incorporated into defined series products, with MANN-FILTER products are gradually being converted to lignin.
      “This means that customers do not have to choose between different versions, no additional storage space is needed, and no additional part numbers are required,” explains Dr. Lars Spelter, lead engineer for filtration materials at MANN+HUMMEL. “Everything should be kept as simple as possible for our customers. Externally, the partially plant-impregnated filters differ from the conventional ones. They are slightly brownish due to the characteristic color of the lignin they contain and they have a pleasant, natural odor. The innovative products are easy to recognize by the green leaf pictogram on the packaging. Our lignin impregnation is a successful example of how ambitious CO2 reduction targets in product development can also be implemented in series products.”
      The new filters combine sustainability with consistently high performance in the usual original equipment quality and meet the strictest requirements of the automotive industry, MANN+HUMMEL explained.
      To further reduce CO2 emissions during production, MANN+HUMMEL added it will only use electricity from renewable sources or a combination of green electricity and certificates and guarantees of origin from hydro, solar, or wind power plants from 2025. Energy sources for the generation of process heat are also to be CO2 neutral from 2035 in order to achieve a significant milestone in CO2-free production.
      The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By OReilly Auto Parts
      How To: Check and Fill Tires with an Air Compressor

×
  • Create New...