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What is a cabin air filter? As the name suggests, it's a filter that filters the air in your vehicle's cabin. Like how your engine's air filter cleans the air entering the combustion chamber, the cabin air filter performs the same job on the air entering the interior and, ultimately, your lungs. It's the primary defense between the visible and invisible pollutants and pathogens in the outside air and the relatively clean interior of your Jeep. Did you know that your cabin air filter also requires periodic maintenance and replacement? Bet you never thought about it, and chances are, the service shop didn't check for it either. Not every shop checks this overlooked yet critical component of a vehicle. After reading this article, you should head straight out to your Jeep Wrangler JL, Jeep Gladiator JT, or other vehicle and check the condition of its cabin air filter. Why You May Need To Change Your Jeep Air Filter You may ask why you need to change the cabin air filter on your vehicle. Even if you keep your climate control system constantly on recirculate (which isn't advised, in case you were wondering), dirty air can still enter your vehicle. In fact, even if your climate control system is on recirculate, it will open the fresh air flap every half an hour or so to refresh the air inside the cabin and prevent a dangerous build-up of carbon dioxide. Each time you open your vehicle's doors, roll down its windows or pop its sunroof, fresh air from outside enters the cabin, bringing pollutants and pathogens with it. The cabin air filter traps all these, and eventually becomes saturated. When this happens, your climate control system has to work harder to maintain a constant temperature since the airflow through the system is reduced by the clogged filter. The fan struggles to push air through, the AC or heat is kept running for longer, and your lungs inhale dirty air. Aren't these compelling reasons to change your cabin air filter? How To Change Jeep Wrangler Air Filters How do you change the cabin air filter on a Jeep Wrangler or Jeep Gladiator? Let us break it down for you. Firstly, if you have never changed this part, you should bank on changing it ASAP. It's best to have a brand new filter on hand to replace it with.
Buying A Brand New Air Filter The best way to purchase a brand new filter is from an authorized and respected source, such as 4 Wheel Parts. Check out our range from Crown Automotive and Omix-Ada, and you're sure to find a match for your Jeep or other brand vehicles. Wait for the filter to arrive, and set aside about one hour for the removal and replacement of the filter. That should be more than enough time. Watch An Instructional Video Check out this comprehensive six-minute video from Quadratec on how to change the cabin air filter in a Jeep Wrangler JL or Jeep Gladiator JT. The significant steps involved are the removal of the glove box on the passenger side in order to gain access to the tabbed cabin air filter door, which is once again easily removable. Once the door is removed, you can simply slide out the cabin air filter, gag in disgust at how dirty it is, and throw it aside. Unwrap the new air filter from its packaging and gently slide it back into the cabin air filter slot. You may have to squeeze and twist it a bit, so be gentle. You don't want to deform it. You should also pay attention to the direction, as some cabin air filters will have their top and bottom sides clearly marked, or the direction of airflow. Once it's in, replace the cabin air filter door, reinstall the glove box, and you're good to go. What About Other Vehicle Makes And Models? Thankfully, you can find the cabin air filter behind the glovebox in the majority of passenger vehicles, so the process should broadly be the same. Glovebox removal may differ, though, so it's always best to check your vehicle owner's manual, which will detail each step of this critical procedure. Additional Tips How can you ensure that your cabin air filter lasts as long as possible and doesn't get dirty too quickly? Here are some tips that may help you. Use Recirculate When Needed Using recirculate when needed, especially in crowded and polluted cities with their traffic, cuts down on the number of external pollutants that enter your vehicle and clogs the cabin filter. When you're on the open roads with less traffic, you can switch to fresh air periodically. Periodically Check Your Cabin Air Filter It pays to periodically check your cabin air filter. If it's mildly clogged with dirt, you may be able to use some compressed air to temporarily clean it and buy yourself some time. Ensure that you don't damage the filter with the stream of compressed air, and pay attention to the direction in which the filter was installed. Consider A Reusable Cabin Air Filter While most cabin air filters are disposable, brands such as K&N do make reusable cabin air filters that can be washed and re-used. Stated to last the lifetime of your vehicle, these can be highly convenient, as well as economical if your cabin air filter frequently gets clogged. 4 Wheel Parts For Anything And Everything Off-Road For anything and everything off-road, look no further than 4 Wheel Parts. With thousands of SKUs in stock at any given time, from the best-established brands, we've got quality merchandise available at competitive prices, with a price-matching policy thrown in as well. Either head over to one of our 90+ stores scattered nationwide or visit our website, where our six distribution centers work tirelessly to ensure your purchases hit your doorstep quicker than you'd expect. Our experts are always on hand to provide the best advice and support whenever you need it, and you can rest easy knowing that we offer comprehensive warranties wherever applicable. Take a test drive with us, and we are sure you'll become a lifelong customer. |
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