You spend a lot of time in your vehicle – whether it’s driving on your daily commute, running errands, or heading out on lengthy road trips. That means you spend a lot of time breathing the air in your cabin, and you probably don’t want to be inhaling dust, debris and other particulates. In addition to heating and cooling your vehicle, the HVAC system is responsible for filtering out those harmful or irritating motes, and to be effective, the air filter needs to be regularly replaced. Read on as the team here at Downtown Ford explains why.
Better Air Quality
The first and most obvious reason you want to regularly change your cabin air filter is to ensure you get good quality air. Pollution, debris, allergens and other airborne irritants can get into the vehicle in any number of ways, and the air filter is there to help filter as much of it out as possible. With a dirty filter, many of these particles are going to languish in the cabin, or get recirculated, which is going to leave you and your passengers breathing it in. That includes odours from smog, smoke or exhaust.
Engine Efficiency
As the filter gets clogged up with dirt, dust and debris, it makes it harder to push air through it. This means that for your air conditioning or heating system to work properly, the engine needs to work harder. A harder working engine is burning more fuel, and thus, getting less fuel economy on particularly hot or cold days. Plus, those systems also run less efficiently, meaning it takes longer to heat or cool the cabin. As an added problem, the extra strain on your engine as it works to push air through the vehicle can cause faster wear – so, yes, something as simple as the air filter can indeed affect your overall vehicle health!
How Often Should I Replace My Air Filter?
Like with most regular maintenance, that depends on how much you’re using your vehicle. The general rule of thumb is you should get your filters changed every two years, or every 35,000 kms. Naturally, this is a rough estimate – the service team here at Downtown Ford will check your filters every time you come in to ensure it’s still in good condition, and will advise you if it’s time for a change.
Schedule Your Air Filter Replacement with Downtown Ford
If you feel the air quality in your cabin has started to suffer, it might just be time to get that air filter checked out. Our Ford certified service technicians are happy to help you breathe easier. Book a service appointment with Downtown Ford in Toronto, ON today, and our team will get you back on the road just as soon as possible.