header image shows cabin air filter installation

One Big Mistake to Avoid When Changing a Cabin Air Filter

Cleaner, fresher air is of import to anybody these days and here in 2022 just about every new vehicle is rolling off the assembly line with a motel air filter. They're everywhere– with a multifariousness of unique options to choose from in the aftermarket. Since their inception in the European marketplace xxx or so years ago, cabin air filter systems have suffered from a design and engineering perspective. Some were hard to reach, remove, require tools, or forcefulness the installer to work with bad-mannered angles and lack of clearance. Sadly, mass adoption of motel air filter engineering hasn't led to much improvement in this area. Sure, cabin air filter locations take become a little more applied and accessible, just there are notwithstanding blueprint flaws that could be addressed.

Timely Motel Air Filter Maintenance is Primal

Let'due south accept the 2014-2019 Chevrolet Silverado for instance. This popular truck has a cabin air filter that is accessible by removing the glove compartment door. It's a simple job that only involves removing 4 screws with a T15 bit and yanking the entire compartment out. Once the glove compartment is out the cabin air filter housing cover is exposed and can exist removed by unlatching the two clips on top. Pretty simple, right? This is the type of cabin air filter system everyone wants in a vehicle because information technology's an like shooting fish in a barrel installation experience­– if the cabin air filter wasn't neglected for too long, that is.

photo depicts dirty cabin air filter vs clean

Don't Go Droppings in the Blower Motor

To exist effective, cabin air filters must fit snuggly into their housings. If there was much infinite left around the filter when inserted, air would but blow around it and defeat the purpose of the filter. This lack of space can exist a big trouble if a filter has been neglected long enough to clog upward with pine needles, leaves and other large debris. In the case of the Silverado mentioned above, large debris can hands fall into the blower motor when the filter scrapes the housing on removal. Every vehicle is a little bit unlike, but the design of this arrangement has the filter laying horizontally and positions the blower motor just below the filter.

facebook posts show experience with cabin air filter change

The best-example scenario hither is that something modest falls into the blower, unbeknownst to the installer, and makes a little noise when started upward. In this case the motor can be removed, cleaned out and re-installed. It'll accept a little more time and crave removing a few more screws only is a basic chore overall. The worst-case scenario is where something larger or messy, like a expressionless mouse or twigs, falls into the blower motor and causes damage. Thankfully the blower motor for the Silverado is a relatively cheap and easy function to replace, merely drivers of other makes and models may not be so fortunate. Some might have blowers that are difficult to replace and labor costs can get into the hundreds of dollars so information technology'southward always a good idea to be conscientious– particularly with systems where the cabin air filter is positioned in the housing horizontally.

How Often Should the Cabin Filter Be Replaced?

Replacement frequency should exist approached on a case-by-example footing. How muddied a filter can become largely depends on the environs where the vehicle is parked and how or where it is driven. Many cabin air filter suppliers recommend a yearly alter interval of 12,000-15,000 miles. We recommend adjusting this schedule depending on the region in question and how the vehicle is used. Most oft, seasonal changes in the Bound and Fall are appropriate for the motel air filter. The logic is that changing the filter in the Fall ensures optimal drinking glass defrosting ability when the frigid winter weather hits. And on the flipside, a fresh cabin air filter in the Jump ensures optimal air workout and glass defogging function when the temperatures rise for the summer.