Car care gear
A cabin filter cleans air entering through the vents. How standard, activated carbon and higher-grade filters differ, and when to replace one.
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The cabin air filter cleans the air that comes into the car through the AC and heater vents.
Follow the interval in the vehicle handbook. In dusty or heavily polluted conditions, or if airflow drops or the vents smell musty, check and replace it sooner.
It can reduce some traffic odours and gases that a standard filter does not. It usually costs more and must still fit your housing exactly.
On many cars it sits behind the glovebox and can be changed with basic care. Follow the handbook steps. If the filter is under the bonnet or behind trim, ask a workshop.
No. It reduces particles in the air coming through the vents, but performance varies by filter and fit, and air also enters when doors and windows open.
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