15145 NE 90th Street RedmondLuke's Car Tips & Auto Maintenance Advice
Luke's posts regular blogs to offer you great information and advice about your car maintenance. Check back often for new posts. Search for a specific topic!
Luke ShaffIt goes without saying that you likely crank up the AC in your car during the summer months. This means more dust, pollen, and mold entering the interior through the ventilation. This can make the car interior up to six times dirtier than the air outside. Investing in a cabin air filter will trap most of the contaminants before they're able to make their way into the vehicle. So how does a cabin air filter work? Does your car even have one?
Cabin Air Filter Explained
The cabin air filter purifies the air that enters through the AC and ventilation system. The lack of a filter can make a car ride unpleasant, especially if you're prone to allergies and respiratory problems. Most cars made in or after 2000 have a cabin air filter. Refer to your owner's manual to find out if your car has one installed. The manual will also outline when the filter needs to be replaced, which typically ranges from 12,000 to 15,000 miles. It may need to be replaced more often if you drive in an area with poor air quality.
Redmond and the Seattle area in general is unfortunately known for having high concentrations of toxins in the air as discussed in this recent news piece. This is why your car should be inspected by an auto maintenance service to determine if a filter change is needed. Also have the filter inspected if there is reduced airflow in the HVAC, if it's emitting loud noise, or if foul odor is coming out of the ventilation.
Take Your Car to Luke's Automotive Repair shop in Redmond. Our mechanics can determine how dirty your cabin air filter is and whether it's time for a new one.
