The air you inhale while driving passes through a filter before reaching inside your car. Air conditioning systems pull in air from the outside, which can have dust particles, leading to an unpleasant driving experience. Contact us to prevent yourself from such an experience.

The blog explains briefly what cabin air filters are and how they work. It also presents a guide to filter replacement and the cost.

What are Cabin Air Filters?

Cabin air filters play a vital role in vehicles’ heating and cooling systems, safeguarding passengers from airborne pollutants and ensuring the air quality they breathe.

The air filter is a compact pleated unit typically crafted from a multi-fibre cotton paper or an engineered material. The filter captures the contaminants and dust particles from the air before air enters the interior of the car. 

What Does Cabin Air Filter Do?

The primary purpose of a cabin air filter is to clean the incoming air through the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. The filter prevents pollen, dust, contaminants and smoke from entering the cabin. Most modern vehicles are equipped with cabin air filters to capture airborne particles and maintain the comfort of your experience during a ride. 

The air we breathe in travels all the way through our air pipe to the lungs. If a person is allergic, an asthma patient or suffering from any respiratory problem, the air quality of breath becomes critical. Normal and healthy people can also experience adverse effects from breathing polluted air. A cabin air filter maintains a cleaner and healthier environment inside the cabin. Thus, the most effective way to ensure air cleanliness is to use air filters and change them frequently.

When to Change Cabin Air Filter

Cabin air filter replacement depends on how much you drive and the area where you go. The company and manufacturing of vehicles also play a decisive role. The most common recommendations suggest that filters must be changed every 15,000 miles. If you have misplaced your car manual and are unable to decide when to change the filter, then look for the conditions:

• The air conditioner is not working properly, poor airflow
• Unpleasant odours are coming in with the air
• The air conditioner is making a sound when turned on

Who Can Change Filter?

The cabin air filter comes either behind the glovebox, beneath the dashboard or under the hood. For the first case, try removing the glove box from the fasteners that hold it and changing the filter yourself. If the air filter is placed otherwise, you may be unable to access it. Look for a car garage or a repair shop to have your filter replaced. Remember, if your filter looks cleaner and is not filled with dust, you can keep waiting for the replacement. 

Ford Cabin Air Filters

The cabin air filter in Ford is placed just behind the glovebox, and if your manual guides you about removing the glovebox from its fasteners, you may change the filter by yourself.

Ford Motor Company recommends that cabin air filters be changed every 15,000 to 30,000 miles, depending on the model of the car. Filter replacement may be done more frequently if the vehicle is driven in dusty areas.

The use of air filters to clean incoming air in a car dates back to the 1940s. But cabin filters specifically became common in the 2000s. Companies then started equipping their vehicles with filters. Ford began this upgrade in 2017. Ford cabin air filters are located just behind the glovebox.

The cost of air filters again depends upon the vehicle’s brand name, model and manufacturing. Ford filters come in a variety, such as pollen filters or odour filters, using activated carbon technology with varying costs. The cost of a Ford cabin air filter ranges from £5 to £25. If you get help from an expert for the replacement, the procedure will not cost you more than  £100.

The Bottom Line!

A cabin air filter is a simple yet essential component for a vehicle as it maintains the environment of your car by shielding mist, dusty pollutants, etc. Regular cleaning and replacement of the cabin air filter ensure that the air is fresh and healthy for you to breathe in. KSB AUTOSTYLING stocks a wide range, from affordable pollen filters to advanced odour filters. Let us help you breathe clean air on a ride!