How often should the cabin filter be changed?

What is the cabin filter for?

The task of the cabin filter can best be described as the fact that its task is to clean the air from dirt particles and impurities. Especially in the city, the cabin filter has a lot to do, as in addition to increased particulate matter levels, for example from industrial plants and heating systems, there is also a slight burden from car traffic. In addition to particulate matter from diesel vehicles, you could think of tire abrasion, which would get directly into the interior of the vehicle without the cabin filter.

Thanks to the filter, the air conditioning of the vehicle sucks in the air and cleans it. In the best case, the interior air of "your" vehicle is therefore even better than outside. Unfortunately, the previous cabin filter – similar to a high-quality pollen filter on a vacuum cleaner – is gradually decreasing in performance. Simply because it absorbs the dirt particles from the air and does not pass them on to the interior.

Why do you have to change it?

The volume of a car interior is limited, so a constant supply of fresh air via the ventilation system is indispensable. In modern vehicles, the incoming air passes through a cabin filter, which takes on a number of tasks at once. One of the main functions can already be derived from the fact that the term "pollen filter" is also often used. This not only makes travelling more pleasant, but also safer: sneezing closes the eyes for up to two seconds. At a country road speed of 100 km/h, 60 m are covered blindly in this short period of time – a serious danger to safety. Studies have found that allergy sufferers have a 30 percent increased risk of accidents for this reason alone. Even non-allergy sufferers are happy that dust and pollen do not get into the interior, because the latter has to be cleaned less frequently.

99.5 percent of pollen stays outside

More modern designs use activated carbon, which has a particularly large inner surface area and can absorb dirt particles of any kind. Even ozone and nitrogen oxides get caught in the dark filter material, and activated carbon and filter fleece are usually combined. However, the design also shows that at some point the absorption capacity of the filter insert is exhausted. If the surface of the activated carbon is clogged, it can no longer absorb further impurities. In the pollen peak season in spring, one millilitre of air contains up to 3,000 pollen, which should not leave the filter if possible. The "hit rate" of a properly functioning cabin filter is high; around 99.5 percent of the pollen is collected. If the fleece is clogged, the filter effect is hardly reduced, but the air flow is. If you notice weak ventilation and the windows have an increased tendency to fog up, these are indications of a dirty filter.

How often do you have to change the cabin filter?

To prevent this from happening, you should change the cabin filter every year. Some manufacturers also prescribe a replacement every 15,000 to 30,000 kilometers, but this is more of a supplement. As for other maintenance work such as the oil change, spring is ideal as a time. However, the exchange should take place before the start of the pollen season. As a rule, you have the choice between a cheaper conventional filter and an activated carbon filter. Allergy sufferers should opt for the latter in any case, despite the higher costs.

Cabin air filter from Hengst Filter

We offer you various Hengst brand filters for several vehicles. For example, you can get the filter in the form of a pollen filter with a length of 294 mm, a width of 118 mm and a total height of 20 mm. Of course, the pollen filters are also available in larger dimensions, such as a length of 448 mm, a width of 207 mm and a total height of 26 mm. If you need even larger filters from the Hengst brand, you will also find them with a length of 130 mm, a width of 312 mm and a height of 37 mm. No matter which vehicle you need the Hengst filter for, you are sure to find the right product with us.

Hengst SE or Hengst Filtration is a company from Münster. Hengst produces filters and associated parts for various applications, but primarily for the automotive industry. The product range includes filter systems for fuel, oil, air, transmission, coolant and cabin air filtration as well as modules for fluid management and oil mist separators. However, Hengst also manufactures parts for industrial applications as well as filter solutions for the home. The Hengst brand is very much concerned with the quality and sophistication of its products and also shows this in the manufacture of its products.
We offer you exactly this in our online shop. Trust in our quality for Hengst brand filters and order today! With the HSN/TSN you will find the right part in no time at all!