Back to all

Breathe Free in Plainfield: Cabin Air Filter Replacement at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield

August 11, 2019

There are a lot of new features, both optional and standard, on Plainfield drivers' vehicles these days. One you may not have heard of is called a cabin air filter. Simply put, its job is to keep the air in the passenger compartment of your car nice and clean.

A cabin air filter is similar to the filter you use on your furnace at home in Plainfield. Cabin air filters can catch particles down to three microns. By comparison, a grain of sand is 200 microns. So cabin air filters are effective against dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores and most pollutants in our Plainfield area atmosphere. Good news if you suffer from any types of allergies, or if you live in an area in Illinois prone to air pollution.

Cabin air filters are generally located in the engine compartment or under the dashboard. They can be tricky to access and replace, so you'll probably want to go to your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield to get it done. Check your vehicle owner's manual to find out if your vehicle is equipped with a cabin air filter and how often it should be changed. Recommendations vary, but generally a cabin air filter should be changed every 12,000 to 15,000 miles (19,000 to 24,000 kilometers).

Of course, if you are an allergy sufferer in Plainfield, you may want to replace it more often. Also, if you do a lot of driving in polluted or dusty areas in Illinois, you'll also want to shorten the cabin air filter replacement period. Dirty air filters just don't work well, and they can exude an unpleasant odor if ignored for too long.

Most Plainfield folks know that good car care includes keeping your vehicle clean, including the air inside the passenger compartment, so changing your cabin air filter should be part of your routine preventive maintenance. It's good auto advice as well as good medical advice that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You really shouldn't wait until the interior of your car starts to smell and your eyes start to water before you change your filter. And trying to cover it up with a dangling green pine tree is not the right answer, either!

Cabin air filters can be a welcome relief to Plainfield allergy sufferers, but they're also a great idea for anyone in Illinois who just wants to breathe better.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield
23846 W 135th St
Plainfield, Illinois 60544
815-436-1337

 

More articles from Tuffy Plainfield

Cabin Air Filter and Engine Air Filter: What?s the Difference?

October 12, 2025

You may have heard someone say they just got the air filter replaced in their vehicle. But did you know your vehicle has two different major air filters and they both perform quite differentbut very importantduties? Todays vehicles have a cabin air filter, and an engine air filter. The engine a... More

Timing is Everything (Timing Cover Replacement)

October 5, 2025

Theres an important part in your vehicle that shields your timing belt, timing chain or cam belt from the debris and gunk that can be kicked up from the road. Its called the timing cover. Its important because the timing belt or chain is what coordinates parts of your engine called the camshaft... More

Don't be Fuelish (Signs Fuel Pump is Failing)

September 28, 2025

A driver of a large SUV loaded with equipment was heading on a 7-hour work trip when he stopped at a gas station to refuel. When he went to restart his SUV, it turned over but wouldn't catch. Try as he might, he was never able to get it started again. Of course there are many things that can c... More