By Filum Ho, Autoboys CEO
Summer is upon us and many car owners will want to be sure that their vehicles’ air conditioning systems are working properly.
With the weather getting warmer, it’s important to know that the reliability of your car’s air conditioning system is inextricably linked to its cabin filter system.
The cabin filter, which often sits behind the glove box of your car and near the air conditioning system, is crucial when it comes to regulating the quality of air within your car, as well as its temperature.
During just one hour of driving, up to 100 000 liters of air is typically circulated through your vehicle interior via the cabin air filter.
If this filter fails or is clogged, the pollutant concentration in the interior of your vehicle can increase to six times that of the air outside your car. A clogged filter could also result in costly damage to your air conditioning system.
In a typical city environment, the failure of your cabin air filter would then expose you to harmful pollutants, dust, smog, pollen and other germs. Amid the global pandemic, it’s never been more important than now to control this.
The cabin air filter also plays a key role in preventing dangerous fogging of your car’s windows.
Therefore, it’s important to change your cabin filter every 15 000 km or a minimum of at least once per year. This can be done during a service or as a routine measure.
Signs of clogged filters
If your filter is clogged, there are a few key tell-tale signs that you need to look out for.
The first is that the air volume from your car’s air conditioning sytem is increasingly reduced. A quick way to test this is to switch your air con on to maximum and then observe whether it performs at its expected air circulation rate.
Another sign to look out for is diminished heating or cooling performance. Any compromise in the quality of this aspect should be taken seriously.
Added to this, you may also notice that there is a more musty odour in your car, or that there are even whistling sounds eminating from your air intake outlets. A clogged filter also reduces the blower output and significantly delays the clearing up of steamed-up windows.
Breathe freely
If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to consult an expert and replace your cabin filter.
At Autoboys, we can assist both workshops and consumers with this as we have teamed up with MAHLE to sell their Class LA and Class LAK cabin air filters into the local market.
MAHLE, which is headquartered in Germany, is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world and its Class LA cabin filter product reliably filters fine particulates, soot, and pollen from the air. Meanwhile, MAHLE’s Class LAK product comes with an activated carbon layer filter that not only filters out fine particles but also exhaust gases, ozone, and even light odours.
You can visit any of Autoboys’ parts outlets across South Africa to help you with your air filtering needs, as well automotive parts, glass and paint.
Contact us for all your oil, parts, glass or paint needs or find a store near you.