Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

When you think about your car's air filter, you probably think of something that's under your hood. Something that gets changed along with your regular scheduled service visits, and otherwise doesn't require much thought. Well, today we want to talk a little about the other air filter found in many of today’s newer cars, the cabin air filter. Ask the average driver on the road and they may not know that such a thing exists. Not only does it exist, it's also an essential part of a car's ventilation system! Your cabin air filter helps stop allergens and pollutants from reaching the inside of your car - and more importantly, from reaching the sensitive noses of drivers and passengers like you and your family. Why cabin air filters? If you're one of the millions of drivers who suffer from allergies, you probably drive with the windows up and the A/C on (weather permitting, of course), thinking you're safe from pollutants floating about in the air outside... well, you're wrong! You may be surprised to learn that the air inside your car can be up to six times dirtier than the air outside. Six times! No wonder you can't keep enough tissues. Even if you're not an allergy sufferer, dirty air isn't good to breathe. Dust and dirt in the air just isn't healthy, and that's why many cars on the road today are equipped with a special cabin air filter to clean the air inside the car, helping to ensure that you and your family can breathe easy. How do cabin air filters work? A cabin air filter uses an accordion of very, very fine fiber material, but there's more than meets the eye here. Inside that little accordion structrue is a network of intricate sieves that filter particles from the air coming into your car. As air flows into the filter, particles are trapped in those sieves, even down to the microscopic level! The FRAM Fresh Breeze® cabin air filter, for instance, will filter particles all the way down to five microns. Microns are the standard unit used by scientists to measure particles in the air, and also the measurement used by the manufactruers of air purifier products. To give you an idea of the size we're talking about, a micron is only one one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair. That's tiny! All in all, a FRAM Fresh Breeze® cabin air filter filters 98% of dust, dirt, and allergens from the air inside your car, and since we spend an average of 18 hours every week behind the wheel, clean air is extremely important. How do I care for my cabin air filter? If your car has a cabin air filter, it is usually located under the vehicle's dashboard, or in the glove box, but sometimes it's in the engine compartment. Generally, it is a very easy install that can be done at home in less than 15 minutes! You'll want to change your air filter annually or every 12,000 miles to keep your air not only clean, but fresh too! The FRAM Fresh Breeze® cabin air filter is the only cabin air filter that uses the natural deodorizing qualities of ARM & HAMMER® baking soda. These two powerhouse brands have joined forces to help absorb odors and freshen the air, making your sweet ride that much sweeter. So how do I get one? First, determine if your car has a cabin air filter component. Many do, but some don't. You can learn if your car is equipped with a cabin air filter at the FRAM Fresh Breeze® website – www.framfreshbreeze.com. Once you've done that, it's as simple as ordering online at Amazon.com, or you can always find FRAM products at your local Walmart or O'Reilly Auto Parts.