Filters
Change the Cabin (Pollen) Filter
Find the cabin filter, often behind the glove box, and fit a new one with its air flow arrow the right way for clean air inside.
- EasyMost owners can do this with basic tools.
- 15 to 45 minutes
- Updated
General guide; check your car's handbook.
Safety first
- Switch off the engine, the fan and the air conditioning before you start.
- An old cabin filter holds dust, pollen and mould. Wear gloves and lift it out gently, outside the car if you can.
- Do not force plastic clips or panels. They break easily, and a broken flap can rattle or let dirt in.
Steps
- Get the right filter. Cabin filters differ by car, so choose one for your car and model years ("Parts for your car" below). A carbon (charcoal) filter also takes out smells and fumes; a plain one is cheaper.
- Find the filter. On most cars it sits behind the glove box. On some it is under the bonnet, below the windscreen, or under the dashboard on the passenger side. Your handbook shows where.
- Open the way in. For a filter behind the glove box, empty the glove box, then release its stops or side clips so it swings down. Under the bonnet, lift off the plastic cover below the windscreen.
- Take off the filter cover. It is a small flap or lid held by clips or screws.
- Note the arrow on the edge of the old filter: it shows which way the air flows. Then slide the old filter out slowly so the dirt stays on it.
- Clean the housing. Vacuum out leaves and dust from the slot and around it.
- Fit the new filter with its arrow pointing the same way as on the old one, usually towards the inside of the car or downwards. Push it in straight, without bending it.
- Close everything up. Refit the filter cover, then the glove box or the panel, and check that every clip is home.
- Test it. Start the engine and run the fan at each speed. The air should flow strongly and smell clean. Write down the date and the mileage.
When to go to a workshop
Go to a workshop if you cannot find the filter or reach it without taking out larger panels, if the housing is wet or has standing water, or if the air from the vents still smells musty or stays weak after the change. Those can point to a blocked drain or a fault in the heater and air conditioning.
Parts for your car
Choose your car and we open its Pollen / Cabin Filters page.