Air quality affects all drivers no matter where we are.  Many decades ago, people began to become more aware of how air pollution negatively affects our health.  But have you ever thought about the air quality inside your vehicle?

Cabin air filters are now coming standard on most new vehicles since the 2000 model year.  These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment, so the poor air quality outside your vehicle doesn’t come inside.

They can filter particles down to three microns…that’s good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most air pollutants.  If you suffer from allergies, this is certainly good news, but even if you don’t, this is still a good thing.

You can look in your owner’s manual to see if you have a cabin air filter.  If you do, there will be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty.  If you live where there’s a lot of dust, pollen or pollution,  you may need to change it more often than recommended.  You can also ask your Express Car Care service adviser.

The difficulty of changing a cabin air filter depends on your vehicle.  Some are quite accessible, others can take some time getting to them.  They’re usually located in the engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are somewhat new on the scene, some drivers haven’t heard of them – even people who have cabin air filters in their vehicles.  Express Car Care service advisers report customers complaining of an unpleasant odor in their vehicle and it usually turned out to be a dirty cabin air filter.

An important note for hybrid owners:  there’s a special air filter that cleans the air that cools the hybrid battery pack.  This filter should be inspected every time the cabin air filter is inspected and replaced.  If this filter gets dirty then the battery pack can overheat.