Dirty Cabin Air Filter Symptoms and How to Replace a Bad One

If you have a dirty cabin air filter, symptoms like a musty smell, AC or heating issues, or problems with air quality can happen. Find out how to tell if the cabin air filter in your vehicle is dirty, what the cabin air filter does, how to replace one yourself, and more with these tips.

What Is the Cabin Air Filter?

The cabin air filter, also known as a fresh air filter, filters debris and airborne contaminants, and prevents them from entering the cabin of the vehicle. These contaminants can include dust, dirt, and pollen.

Cabin air filters are usually made of paper or a fiber filtration element. You may even find a carbon activated element on the filters in some vehicles, which can filter odors and fumes.

Vehicles can have one cabin air filter or multiple ones. If the cabin air filter goes unchanged for too long, it can reduce the air quality and cause problems with the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Symptoms of a Dirty Cabin Air Filter

Decreased Heating or Air Conditioning Performance

You may notice the air doesn’t blow as hard, hot, or cold when you turn on the heat or AC. This could be a sign of a dirty cabin air filter. If the cabin air filter goes unreplaced for too long, the blower motor can also strain and fail early, leading to worse heating or AC performance.

Bad Odor from the Air Vents

One sign of a bad cabin air filter is a musty or bad odor emitting from your car’s vents whenever you turn the HVAC controls on. If it hasn’t been changed, it an accumulate moisture. If it has a lot of dirt and debris, that can mix with moisture and create an odor from the vents.

Rattling Noise from the Air Vents

If the filter hasn’t been changed in a long time, debris can clog and collect in the filter. It’s possible to hear a rattling sound from leaves or debris collecting in the blower motor. This can happen if the cabin air filter was removed and not replaced.

More on a rattling noise from the vents

Debris in the Filter and Dirty Fins

The cabin air filter is usually located on the passenger side. You’ll typically find it behind the glove box or underneath the dash. It could also be in the engine compartment or underneath the cowl panel, which is the plastic panel you’ll find at the bottom of the windshield.

A brand new cabin air filter will be clean and white. If you find your cabin air filter has a lot of debris and dirty fins, replace it with a new one.

How Often Should I Replace the Cabin Air Filter?

Many manufacturer’s recommend changing the cabin air filter between 10,000 and 25,000 miles. You might be able to find a recommended service interval in your owner’s manual.

How Do I Replace a Dirty Cabin Air Filter Myself?

The cabin air filter is easy to access on most vehicles. You may have to remove a glove box or cowl panel and a few screws to access the panel. Then the air filter should easily pull out.

Find a video related to your model in our how-to video library and learn how to do this easy repair yourself.

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