The cabin filter that every passenger car is equipped with is designed to clean the air that enters the cabin of your car through the heating system. If your car is equipped with a carbon filter, it will also protect the driver from unpleasant third-party odors. Since this component collects dust and dirt entering the car from the street, replacing the cabin filter is an integral part of the technical work.
[Hide]
Location
Today, most of these components are installed on the inside wall of the glove compartment or under the instrument panel on the driver's side - it all depends on the manufacturer. As for domestically assembled and produced cars, the cabin filter is installed under the windshield or under the hood in a special cassette. To find out where the cabin filter is located in your car, you need to read the operating instructions for the car.
Filter location
What types of filters are there?
The first air cleaning system elements began to be installed on cars in the early 90s. Back then they were almost identical to standard engine air filters. A little later, the structure was improved and they became two-layer. The first layer was intended to prevent dust from entering the interior, and the second layer was intended to eliminate the consequences of the penetration of harmful microscopic particles into the car’s cleaning system. A few more years later, components appeared whose structure contained activated carbon.
Conventionally, these components are divided among themselves according to the method of air purification. They can be:
- Mechanical. In this case, the air passes through a mesh made of special thin fibers.
- Adsorption. The functionality of such components is based on the ability of activated carbon to absorb various harmful substances and unpleasant odors.
New cabin filter Component arrangement
Using the example of the most complex in its structure - a multilayer air component - let's look at its structure. The top paper layer of the cleaning system element is designed to retain large harmful particles. Under the paper base there is an electrostatic layer, which is needed in order to trap smaller particles. This is followed by a layer based on activated carbon, which prevents exhaust gases from entering the cabin from the outside. The last, fourth layer of the component is an insurance layer that traps all other remaining harmful particles.
What is the price?
Every motorist has asked the question “how to replace the cabin filter?” and how much will it be?". As for the cost of the elements, it all depends on the brand. If you are the owner of a minibus or SUV, then, firstly, the filter will be larger in size, and secondly, it will cost more. If you decide to buy or replace it from an authorized dealer.
Filter location in Audi If you compare them with prices on the market, they can cost two or even three times more from an official supplier. Note that the purchase of original products in this case is not necessary, since the service life of both the Chinese and the original air purification product is the same. Components made in China may not only be as good as, but even better in quality than the originals.
When to change?
The frequency of replacement of such elements varies depending on the manufacturer and operating conditions of the vehicle. Manufacturers advise changing the cleaning system component at least every 20-25 thousand kilometers. To find out the exact timing, you need to read the recommendations for using the car. If the machine is used in urban areas or, for example, in the desert, then the service life of the element will be shorter (about 10 thousand km).
Misted glass How do you know when it's time to change?
The first sign that it is time to change the cabin filter is a decrease in air flow through the heating system. For example, by setting the maximum ventilation level, there will be less air than it should be. Signs by which you can determine whether it needs replacement:
- An unpleasant odor is a reason that the component needs to be replaced.
- If in the summer the heater barely blows in the car, and in the winter it barely blows, then it’s time to change the cleaning element.
- Humidity persists in the cabin and the windows fog up, this is a sign of a component failure. Humidity in the cabin appears as a result of water entering the component, so domestic and Chinese cars are at risk of such a “sore” than foreign cars.
If the car has been used for a long time with a clogged component (or without it), then get ready to shell out a tidy sum at the service station. Deterioration of the air system as a result of a breakdown of the cleaning element in 98% of cases provokes freezing of the evaporator radiator. Frozen dirt caught in frost, as it thaws, will contribute to the formation of a favorable environment for microbes and a disgusting odor.
Old filter Here it is no longer possible to solve the problem by replacing the component alone. The dust and dirt that the cleaning element “missed” has apparently already reached the stove or air conditioner, so you need to dismantle the evaporator and clean it yourself. You can go to a service station, where it will cost more.
Component replacement
If you don’t know how to remove the cabin filter, then you don’t have to go to a car service station. Don't know how to change the cabin filter? This can be done easily without using special tools. Whatever the car, and wherever this component is located, you will need a universal set of tools: wrenches and screwdrivers. Correctly replacing the cabin filter is possible at home, so we suggest that you read the articles on replacing the filter on our website.
