How To Change Cabin Air Filter Cartridges

If you like breathing clean air when you’re behind the wheel, you’ll want to learn how to change cabin air filter cartridges. The air filter keeps spores, dust, and allergens out of your car’s cabin. If its cartridge isn’t replaced in a timely fashion, you could wind up with dusty, musty air throughout your car’s interior.

Ideally, the cabin air filter cartridge should be changed every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. This task is easy to perform, and it can be completed in about 10 minutes. To get the job done, you’ll need to purchase a replacement air filter cartridge beforehand. There are different types of air filters, and your car’s owner’s manual will tell you which type you need to buy. You’ll also need a damp cloth and paper towels.

How To Change A Cabin Air Filter

Follow these steps to tackle this project:

1. Open your car’s glove box. Clear the glove box of all contents.
2. Release the glove box. To accomplish this, start by sliding the glove box’s limiting stop arm from its pin. This arm is usually located to the right of the glove box. Once the pin has been removed, press the sides of the glove box in toward each other until the side clamps are released. You should hear a pop when this happens. Once the sides have been freed, you’ll be able to lower the glove box to reveal the faceplate that leads to the cabin’s air filter channel.
3. Remove the existing cabin air filter cartridge. Slide the air filter’s faceplate out of the way by gripping both of its sides. Once the faceplate has been removed, extract the old air filter. It may be clogged with dust and grime, so handle it carefully so as not to scatter debris throughout the cabin. As you remove the filter, check to see which way its arrows are facing. You’ll need to make sure the replacement filter’s arrows face the same direction as it’s being installed.
4. Clean the filter chamber. It’s likely that the filter chamber will be a grimy mess. Use a damp cloth and paper towels to remove dirt and muck from the chamber.
5. Install the new air filter cartridge. Double-check to make sure the new air filter is the same as the one being replaced. As you install it, make sure the arrows on the new filter point in the same direction as the arrows of the filter that you’ve removed.
6. Put the glove box back in place. After installing the air filter cartridge, reinstall the faceplate and pop the glove box back in place. Make sure to slide the limiting stop arm back into position. Place the items that you removed earlier back into the glove box.

If you follow these steps to regularly change your air filter cartridge, you’ll ensure that the air in your car’s cabin remains fresh and pleasant.

Check out all the air filters available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how to change cabin air filter cartridges, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.