Q: What should I know about the air conditioner filter?

Filters are used in several locations on your car. The most familiar is probably the engine air filter, but you also have a filter for your air conditioning system. This filter does pretty much the same thing as the one under the hood – it removes dirt, dust, pollen and other debris from the air. This is necessary to keep the air quality in the cabin high. The filter itself is located behind the glove box, but it’s not recommended to replace it on your own because of the significant amount of teardown required to get to the filter. It should be replaced regularly, and is part of your car’s normal scheduled maintenance.

Tips

• If the volume of air through the vents decreases, the filter may be clogged.

• If you smell a musty smell in the car with the air on, or the air smells stale, the filter may be clogged.