Since it removes pollutants as outside air enters the car, the interior cabin air filter is crucial. To keep the interior fresh, change the filter once a year.
To complete the replacement yourself, refer to this YouTuber Jonsbasecamp tutorial.
In This Article...
When should the Prius air filter be replaced?
How often should an automobile air filter be changed? According to the 2020 Toyota Prius service handbook, under typical driving conditions, you should replace your engine air filter and cabin air filter every 15,00030,000 miles and every 10,00010,000 miles, respectively.
Can I replace the cabin air filter on my own?
As particles and occasionally odors are removed from the air entering new cars through the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, cabin air filters are becoming more and more common. Premium models frequently come with cabin air filters as standard equipment, but other vehicles may offer them as a separate option or as a part of a package of options. Cabin air filters can be found in two or more luxury vehicles.
Depending on the particular filter design, a cabin air filter can capture different types and sizes of particles. A more comprehensive list, meanwhile, would include dirt, dust, leaves, twigs, insects, smoke, smog, mildew, pollen, mold, spores, fungi, bacteria, pathogens, rodent droppings, and other unwelcome material.
In addition to enhancing air quality, a cabin air filter can have an impact on a vehicle’s safety. According to the Filter Manufacturers Council, airborne particles either directly cause or aggravate the allergies of 40 million Americans. A cabin air filter can lessen or completely eliminate symptoms like sneezing, blurred vision, runny noses, and headaches that could cause a driver to become distracted and cause an accident by removing those particles.
A pleated filtering media, common in cabin air filters, imitates paper in appearance but is actually a more complicated substance comprised of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The physical properties of the filter trap the majority of impurities, and in many designs, air passing over the filter generates an electrostatic charge that aids in drawing in and trapping tiny particles. In order to sustain the filtering medium and provide various types and levels of filtration, quality filters may have numerous layers.
Cabin air filters vary widely in quality. A cabin air filter’s cost rises in direct proportion to its quality. At a neighborhood auto parts store, a simple filter might cost $15, whereas a quality original equipment part might cost $50 or more from a car dealership.
The normal efficiency of standard cabin air filters is 98 percent for capturing particles in the 5-100 micron range. This covers the vast majority of pollutants, but not the tiniest spores, soot, or smoke from cigarettes.
Even smaller particles can be captured by High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) cabin air filters. Based on rigorous industry testing, one significant provider asserts that their premium HEPA cabin air filters have a filtration efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 microns. HEPA filters offer the highest level of protection against airborne particles despite being more expensive.
Many cabin air filters, in addition to filtering particles, also undergo chemical treatment with activated carbon, which gives them a gray look and aids in the elimination of a range of aromas. These exhaust gas odours from incomplete combustion include ammonia, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, hydrogen sulfide, and benzenes. Baking soda is sometimes added to cabin air filters in place of charcoal to help them combat smells from human waste, wet dogs, and mildew.
If the cabin filter in your automobile has to be updated, you should think about these three things:
- Mileage: The factory suggests changing cabin air filters every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. For precise mileage information, consult your car’s owner’s manual or your local auto repair shop.
- Fine particulate matter concentrations: If you drive in an area with higher than average concentrations of dust, pollen, and other airborne debris, you may need to replace the filter more frequently. When they notice how many impurities have accumulated on a cabin air filter that has been in use for a while, many drivers are astonished.
- Performance: The HVAC system’s reduced airflow, easily fogged-up and difficult-to-defrost windows, and lingering odors are all signs of a constrained cabin air filter. Additionally, a constrained cabin air filter increases the load on the ventilation fan and may reduce its lifespan.
The ductwork that carries outside air to the HVAC system contains cabin air filters. The filter may be located in the engine compartment of some vehicles close to the base of the windshield. Others have it hidden under the glove box or under the dashboard. The majority of cabin air filters may be changed without using any tools in less than 15 minutes, while some may take a bit longer and include removing fasteners holding the glove box or interior trim panels in place. Ask your neighborhood vehicle repair shop for assistance if you need it when changing your filter.
For those drivers whose vehicles didn’t come equipped with a cabin air filter, there is also good news. Many manufacturers use the same HVAC ductwork on all trim levels of a certain model in order to reduce the amount of different parts they need to produce. Therefore, even if a filter wasn’t fitted at the factory, there is a strong possibility the car is set up to take one if your owner’s handbook mentions replacing the cabin air filter. To find out if the ductwork has the required filter housing, just follow the replacement instructions.
Possibly just cleaning the cabin air filter
Cabin air filters are the hidden heroes of having a comfortable environment while driving. The majority of people have no idea they exist. They have a job to do, and that task gets them dirty, just like any other filters on your car. Knowing when to clean a cabin air filter or recognize when a new filter is required is essential for proper cabin air filter maintenance. These filters are found in the majority of vehicles built after 2000, and depending on normal driving conditions, manufacturers typically advise replacing them every 15,00020,000 miles, or about once per year.
Purpose
Cabin air filters assist in removing tiny particles such as dust, mold, pollen, and others from the air inside your car that may be unpleasant or dangerous to breathe in. Environmental toxins can irritate people when they pass through a dirty filter. Additionally, the effectiveness of the heating and cooling systems for the interior of the automobile might be impacted by a filthy or clogged filter.
Removal
Although some are under the hood, just behind the firewall, most cabin air filters are found on the passenger side, under the glove box. There could be one or two, depending on the car. Check your owner’s handbook to learn how to remove the filter(s) properly as different vehicles have different methods for doing so. In some cases, disconnecting the glove box is also necessary. Despite how simple it is to remove the filters, treat them carefully to avoid ripping them. Any amount of wear requires replacement.
Debris
You’ll see that one side is dirtier than the other once the filter has been removed. Look for fading, a buildup of dirt or dust, and rips or distorted pleats. By hand, clear the area of any sticks, bigger debris, or other gathered items.
Cleaning Different Filter Types
There are cloth, carbon, and paper cabin air filters. Never clean paper filters; always replace them. Some fabric and carbon filters can withstand washing and are reusable. Apply water with a hose set to low pressure, sweeping from top to bottom, from clean side to dirty side. Then pour soapy water into a container, submerge, slosh around, and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Rinse it off and let it to air dry on a towel in the sun. Repeat as necessary with a fresh batch of clean, soapy water. Reinstall only when everything has dried completely to avoid developing mold. Reusable filters can only be washed so many times; if they start to look worn or develop holes, it’s time for a replacement.
Maintaining your cabin air filter is an easy method to enhance the quality of the air and boost the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems.
To learn more about all the filters we have to offer, visit NAPA Online or depend on one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare centers. Visit your neighborhood NAPA AUTO PARTS store to speak with a qualified specialist for more details on cabin air filter maintenance.
How frequently should a cabin air filter be changed?
However, in general, most cabin air filters should be changed every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. Additional indications include any of the following: airflow reduction when climate control systems are activated. persistent, offensive scents.
Describe cabin filter.
What is a cabin air filter for a car? Nowadays, a cabin air filter is installed in the majority of automobiles on the road to assist keep the air within them clean and fresh. These contaminants, such as pollen and dust, are kept out of the air you breathe thanks to these air filters.
How do you replace a Toyota’s cabin air filter?
- Deplete the glove box by opening it. If necessary, locate a screw on the lower right side and remove it (not all models have this)
- Look for plastic tabs along the glove box’s edges. You’ll see the glove box opening more fully when you press these.
- Then, pick a long, rectangular piece of plastic with two tabsone on each side. The plastic will come off when these tabs are squeezed in, revealing the air filter.
- Cabin air filter should be taken out and changed.
- Reattach the plastic strip and put the glove box back together by following the reverse directions.
Congratulations, you’ve just replaced your air filter. When you use the heater or the air conditioner, the air will circulate better and cleaner.
What happens if the cabin air filter isn’t changed?
If you don’t replace your cabin air filter, it will accumulate additional dirt and debris, reducing its effectiveness and that of your car’s HVAC system. The volume of air entering your passenger compartment will gradually decrease, which may cause a problem with unpleasant scents within your car. The air quality in your car will be significantly improved by performing the straightforward task of changing your cabin air filter.
Cabin air filters: do they impact gas mileage?
Surprisingly, a blocked filter can reduce fuel efficiency since it forces your engine to work harder than it needs to. It’s recommended that you change your cabin air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, but it’s a good idea to check your owner’s handbook first.
How much does changing your cabin air filter cost?
How much does a cabin air filter run? Depending on your car, the price of a cabin air filter might range from $30 to $70.
Is it possible to operate an automobile without a cabin air filter?
Even if a broken or malfunctioning cabin air filter has no direct effect on the performance of your engine, it is still not a good idea to do it. especially if you are turning on your heater or air conditioner. Why? Because a choked filter would restrict airflow in the HVAC system, the system would have to expend more energy to maintain the desired temperature inside the car. It might eventually need maintenance, mostly due to air filters that aren’t working properly. However, this isn’t even the more important problem. The potential health risk it poses is the major issue.
The significance of having purified air inside your car cannot be emphasized enough. Put things in their proper context. The average American commuter logs 225 hours year, according to a survey. Given that your air filter prevents pollen and dust from entering your automobile through the air conditioner, you put yourself and your family at risk for a variety of potential respiratory conditions. You want to stay away from that, right? Driving without an air filter is therefore definitely not a good idea.
“Can I spray my cabin filter with an air freshener?
We get this issue a lot, and we’ve seen several businesses advise turning your HVAC system to recirculate and “Simply use the fan on high to repeatedly spray the footwall area.
In plain English, cabin filters are intended to trap airborne contaminants like dust, pollen, exhaust gases, and bacteria in the air that enter the cabin of your car when the HVAC system is running.
Many liquid air fresheners and deodorizers on the market today are water-based. However, some of these products lack the anti-bacterial properties necessary to prevent the growth and development of mold. Platinum Potions formulations, on the other hand, only contain the best anti-bacterial properties.
We’ve seen a few automobiles in the past where the carpets were soaked in cheap air fresheners, and the next day, the car reeked of mold. You can bet that the cabin filter was also sprayed, and you can bet that the cabin filter was loaded with mold.
You won’t need a lecture on the harm that mold may bring to your health from us because we are all aware of it.
“Why can’t I use your air freshener on my cabin filter as it has anti-bacterial characteristics and mold is not a problem?
The cabin filter performs a great job of providing you and your passengers with clean, odorless air through your HAVC system.
If you use our Potions on your cabin filter, you could notice that there is an unpleasant odor whenever the HVAC system is set to HOT until the system is turned back to COLD. This is due to one factor, which we will discuss below.
First off, the materials and fibers of the cabin filter are exceptionally resistant to our Potions’ great strength, penetrative power, and temperature sensitivity.
Different materials and fibers are used to make cabin filters. Cabin filters are often in a “pleated shape.
We evaluated a few different types of cabin filters available on the market, with the following two being the most popular:
“Activated carbon air filters for vehicles” ” (grey colour & made from the same materials as the “particulate cabin filter though they have an addition layer of “activated carbon)
The world around us is composed of atoms. Protons, which are positively charged, electrons, which are negatively charged, and neutrons, which are neutral or have no charge, make up atoms. According to science, a proton and a proton would repel one another while protons and electrons would be attracted to one another (example: trying to get north & north of a magnet to stick together).
Particulate layer: Cabin filters have both positive and negative charges in their fibers, making them electrostatically charged. The charges on airborne particles might be positive or negative. Cabin filters that are electrostatically charged attract more airborne particles than a filter that is not charged. An electrostatically charged cabin filter begins to lose its ability to effectively catch airborne particles once it becomes unclean or clogged.
There is a charge in the “filter’s particle layer. The cabin filter’s oppositely charged fibers attract the airborne particles that stick to them as they pass by.
The coating of activated carbon serves largely as an odor barrier. In order to provide it unique odour-controlling properties, it is heated and chemically treated. The substance used to “coat the carbon layer; this layer is porous and traps gases that cause odors by adsorption (not absorption) by retaining them onto the material’s surface.
We tested and developed our formulas on a large number of cabin filters in the beginning.
Having covered the difficult material, we will now explain why using our Potions on your cabin filter when your HVAC system is set to HOT may cause an offensive odor.
First off, because of the potency of our concoctions and the fact that they are in liquid form, the particulate layer of the filter loses some or all of its electrical charge, allowing particles to enter your HVAC system. (The unpleasant odor you notice when your HVAC system is set to HOT is caused by the foul material that is going through your air vents and that you are breathing in.)
Second, our remedies don’t typically get along with the “The cabin filter’s layer of activated charcoal. Keep in mind that the smells are captured by this layer. You have essentially destroyed the function of the charcoal layer whenever you spray an air freshener or deodorizer upon a charcoal activated cabin filter and the aroma travels through the air vents.
“Let’s say I use a fresh cabin filter and apply your Potions on it.
Our Potions provided a nice scent when tested on brand-new cabin filters of the sorts indicated above, regardless of the temperature the HVAC system was set to. After a few days of using the HVAC system at full blast while driving around, the aroma was eliminated.
You should be aware that if you spray your new cabin filter, it won’t function as well and loses much of its electrostatic charge.
In order to summarize this blog, the lesson is to not spray any air freshener on your cabin filter. If you don’t agree with us, then stay away from cars!