Where Is Cabin Air Filter

Y'all might find information technology hard to believe, but the motel air filter is a relatively new technology — it was outset introduced in high-end vehicles in 1989. For the health-witting and allergy sufferers, it was a swell idea that should have come up along sooner. According to a Korea Institute of Industrial Engineering study, automotive cabin air filters trap between fifty% and 90% of particles larger than 0.three micrometers, such as dust, soot, pollen and insects. Fast-forrad three decades, and it's hard to find a vehicle not equipped with ane.

Where Is the Cabin Air Filter?

Logically, the motel filter needs to exist somewhere in the air-conditioning system for it to filter incoming air. Some manufacturers place information technology where it can also filter recirculated air, depending on the position of the recirculation door.

In full general, the cabin air filter can be found in one of iii places:

Behind the Glove Box: Nigh commonly you will observe the cabin air filter located behind the glove box. To admission information technology, you must remove a small panel from the dorsum of the box, or sometimes the whole glove box flops down and out of the style.
Under the Hood: For many vehicles, the fresh air intake is in the windshield cowl where it's exposed to air but non the current of air. To access this cabin filter, you lot must lift the hood and remove the plastic cover.
Backside the Dash: A few vehicles have the cabin air filter located elsewhere in the nuance. Most are somewhere on the passenger side, to a higher place or below the glove box, but a few are on the driver's side.

When Should You Replace a Motel Air Filter?

Because it filters nigh of the air either coming into your vehicle or existence recirculated in the cabin, the cabin air filter will eventually fill up with dust, soot, pollen and other particulates. Simply there's no one-size-fits-all cabin filter replacement plan. Some manufacturers recommend replacement every 10,000, 12,000, 15,000 or 20,000 miles or every 6 to 12 months. How often yous alter yours depends on several factors:

If you drive a lot, the filter volition likely pick upward more clay, and then the mileage recommendation might better fit your circumstances.
If you drive a fiddling, the filter will pick up less clay, so an almanac cabin filter replacement would exist your all-time bet.
Some areas, such as country roads, are naturally dustier than others, which may clog the filter faster.
If the motel filter is visibly stuffed or emitting unpleasant odors, you lot should replace information technology as presently as possible.

Fortunately, inspecting and replacing the cabin filter does not require much time and little in the way of tools, if whatever at all. Bank check your owners manual for the specific location and procedure. Information technology takes only a few minutes to remove the filter to see if it'due south dirty enough to supplant.

Check out all the motel filters bachelor on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on the motel air filter located in your car, chat with a knowledgeable practiced at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Benjamin Jerew View All

Ben has been taking things autonomously since he was 5, and putting them back together again since he was 8. After dabbling in DIY repairs at home and on the farm, he constitute his calling in the CGCC Automobile Repair programme. After he held his ASE CMAT for ten years, Ben decided he needed a change. Now, he writes on automotive topics beyond the web and around the world, including new automotive technology, transportation legislation, emissions, fuel economy and auto repair.