Maintaining Cabin Air Filters in Chevrolet Vehicles

Cabin air filters in Chevy vehicles prevent dirt and pollutants from passing through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The location of a Chevy cabin air filter can vary based on the make, model and year of your vehicle. Learn how a cabin air filter works and find out why it is important to replace this part during regularly scheduled maintenance.

Removal of Dust and Allergens

Most cabin air filters are made of pleated multi-fiber paper cotton or engineered materials. These filters fit within a housing designed to fit the precise part made for your vehicle. Air passes through this filter before entering the HVAC system and eventually blowing through the vents into the cabin of a Chevy vehicle.

Exterior air carries a wide range of contaminants, including road dust, pollen and exhaust gasses. Cabin air filters reduce the amount of pollutants that reach the cabin of your vehicle. For this reason, a dashboard that gets dusty soon after being cleaned is one of the main dirty cabin air filter symptoms. Reduced airflow, a noise when the fan is on high or a persistent unpleasant odor can also indicate that you need to change the cabin air filter.

Every 15,000 miles, or about every two years, you should open the cabin air filter housing to remove and dispose of the old filter. If you drive off-road, on dirt roads or in construction zones, you may need to change the cabin filter more often. Clean the housing before installing a new filter that fits the specific Chevy model that you drive.

Benefits of Using Genuine Chevy Cabin Air Filters

A genuine cabin filter replacement made by the original equipment manufacturer will provide a perfect fit. A replacement cabin air filter for the wrong make, model or year of vehicle may not fit in the housing.

Aftermarket cabin filters for a particular make and model might fit in the filter housing of your Chevy, but these components may not work as well or last as long as genuine Chevy cabin filters. Most cabin air filters cost between $20 and $70, which means that paying a little more can provide better performance and keep you from having to frequently change the filter.

Check the owner's manual for your vehicle to find the cabin air filter. The cabin filter is located behind the glove box door of some popular late models, such as the Cruze and Equinox. In other Chevy models, the cabin air filter may be under the hood or dashboard. It is also worth noting that some older models do not have cabin air filters and that certain models have two cabin filters.

Where to Buy Cabin Air Filters for Chevrolet Vehicles

An auto parts store sells replacement cabin air filters for many Chevrolet models. Genuine Chevy air filters are not particularly expensive parts and changing a filter is not a difficult maintenance task. For a perfect fit and long operating life, consider investing in an OEM replacement filter for your Chevy vehicle.