There are two air filters in your vehicle; an Engine Air Filter, and a Cabin Air Filter. While they may not seem as important as the fluids or electrical maintenance for your vehicle, they are key points of maintenance commonly overlooked. We here at Minnesota Automotive aim to keep you informed, so read on for a quick history & reasoning as to why you should change those car filters as much as your furnace!
The Engine Air Filter, while seeming a no-brainer when it comes to the build of a vehicle, has not always been a staple in vehicle manufacturing. Now that's not to say it hasn't been implemented in production for over a century, but for the first few decades, it wasn't much of a thought. This is almost hard to imagine seeing as air flow is essential for your engine to run appropriately; and the cleaner the air, the longer that engine can run right. You see the Engine Air Filter protects from all types of small particles, including but not limited to: dirt and sand. Over time these particulates can cause increased wear on essential components of the engine. A clean Engine Air Filter ensures that the proper air flow is headed to your engine. When it's dirty you can see your fuel economy drop as well as the power of your vehicle.
Now the Cabin Air Filter on the other hand, is much newer( in comparison). In fact though the idea of them started around the 50's, they weren't really being implemented in the mainstream of vehicles until around the 2000's. While the main purpose of a Cabin Air Filter, is to protect you from having to breathe in all other odors and debri, from your vehicle and the road; it also has a great role in protecting your hvac system.
Needless to say, to increase the longevity of your vehicle it is recommended to replace your Cabin & Engine Air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. To find where your filters are you can either consult your Owner's Manual, or bring it on by Minnesota Automotive, and we'd be happy to help!
Sources:
https://www.carfax.com/maintenance/engine-air-filters#:~:text=What%20Does%20an%20Engine%20Air,are%20replaced%20as%20a%20unit.
https://parts.olathetoyota.com/blog/engine-air-filters-explained#:~:text=What's%20an%20Engine%20Air%20Filter%20and%20Why%20Does%20Your%20Car,a%20new%20or%20used%20engine.
https://www.pgfilters.com/resources/articles/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-cabin-filter/
https://www.caranddriver.com/research/a33216426/air-cabin-filter/#:~:text=The%20cabin%20air%20filter%20in%20a%20vehicle,the%20air%20you%20breathe%20within%20the%20car.&text=Before%20air%20can%20move%20into%20the%20interior,them%20from%20infiltrating%20the%20air%20you%20breathe.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a33216426/cabin-air-filter/#:~:text=Saab%20was%20one%20of%20the,2002%20Toyota%20Camry%20offered%20one.
https://filtron.eu/en/insights/filter-guide/history-of-cabin-air-filters.html
https://aafeurope.co.uk/about-us/aaf-history#:~:text=anniversary%20of%20AAF.-,Back%20in%201921%2C%20World%20War%20I%20was%20fresh%20in%20people's,1924
https://aafeurope.co.uk/about-us/aaf-history#:~:text=anniversary%20of%20AAF.-,Back%20in%201921%2C%20World%20War%20I%20was%20fresh%20in%20people's,1924
https://www.bmwofwarwick.com/service/service-tips-tricks/engine-air-filter-vs-cabin-air-filter/#:~:text=Air%20Filter%20vs.-,Cabin%20Air%20Filter,with%20us%20in%20Warwick%20today!