Do you know that some cars have a cabin air filter? This filter is just for your air circulation and conditioning system in the car. Yes, it's the air you breathe inside the car. It is recommended that the air filter is changed every 7,500 miles or 6 months. It probably lasts much longer and you can tell when it is going bad once you smell the mildew and mold after a wet, humid day. It is also time to change when your windows tend to fog up quicker than normal and your A/C just doesn't seem that cold anymore.
We (Aishah and I) are using two cars. I did some research and what I found is interesting.
The 2007 Subaru Impreza does have one located behind the glove box. It takes about 9 or so screws to expose the filter. A replacement filter is only obtainable through the dealer for an enormous price of $70.
The 2004 Ford Focus has a spot for one, but apparently in the USA it does not come with a filter installed. Oh why does the Europeans get better Fords than the U.S.? The filter however is available OEM for as low as $15 dollars. Now I really wish that I knew about this sooner, it's about 70,000 miles and 6 years too late! It'd serve my dad really well with his 2hr commute...
For the Ford Focus, I bought the replacement filter at Wal-Mart. They don't have the cheaper Purolator $15 part, but they do have a more expensive FRAM with Arm & Hammer odor protection for $30. I figure it is a good investment for a better overall health - and it should help a lot with Aishah's seasonal allergies. Changing the part doesn't require much - about 5 tabs later, the filter area is accessible. Interestingly, in the bay area where the filter is, I found a rat nest! It's about the same size if not bigger than the rat's nest I found on my Prelude in 2004! No wonder the car has been smelling rather 'interestingly' in the past especially when its wet and humid out! My money on the same field rat that was in the Prelude. I sold the prelude to a good friend of mine in 2006, the rat probably needed a new home and moved to the Focus.
For the Subaru Impreza, the car do come with a filter, but wasn't touched until now. It has been about 2 years that the filter hasn't been replaced. As expected, the filter has dusts/mold/junk trapped. Glad we're not breathing that anymore! To replace the stock filter, I did not buy the official filter from the dealer. Instead, as per guides online, I bought a Filtrete 1500 Home Filter to be cut and then used inside the Subaru. It costs $30, but I get 6 filters out of it. That amounts to about 3-4 years worth of supply! Beats spending $70 + labor to have it replaced at the dealership! The filter has the finest pores, even finer than the official ones. Hopefully this will reduce the mildew smell that sometimes present in the car. This is probably because the car is always in the basement garage, used 1-2 times a week. Hopefully this will also help reduce allergies that sometimes bug Aishah after a long trip in the car.
Finally, a step toward a healthier life!
