Michigan's air quality problems can become an issue in your vehicle without a clean cabin filter | FOX 2 Detroit

Jun 11, 2025

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With air quality problems mucking up Michigan's start to summer, there's ways of avoiding the worst of the breathing issues that come with pollutants. That includes in your car, where a single filter is keeping smoke and pollen from your lungs.

(FOX 2) - Between the wildfire smoke, the pollen, and whatever else is floating in the air these days, there is a lot that could irritate one's breathing.

That's why drivers may want to take a look inside their car to ensure the filter is doing its job.

Big picture view:

Michiganders spend a lot of time in their cars - about eight hours a week.

It may seem like vehicles do the job of protecting us from the outside elements, especially when air quality falters in the spring and summer, but that isn't always the case.

That's why Kenny Walters says the best place to verify is the air filter.

"A good air filter can make a huge difference and if you don't change it often enough, it gets clogged up," Walters said. "You won't get good air."

Dig deeper:

A clean cabin filter ensures the particulate matter floating in the air doesn't enter your vehicle.

This is different from the engine air filter, which is likely what the mechanic changing your oil asks about during maintenance on your car. That helps keep the air in the engine clean.

The cabin air filter regulates what enters the vehicle. It's normally found behind the glove compartment.

"You have a sealed system inside your car, but all the air that you're breathing is coming from outside the car," said Walters.

Some are easy to get to while others are trickier to access, depending on the make and model. But the access point is likely at the back of the compartment.

They should be changed every 15,000 miles.

The Source: An interview with an automotive expert was used for this story.