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‘Just look it up on YouTube’: Expert warns you need to regularly check your glove compartment and replace this. It’s more important than you realize

‘When I take it out, it has ACORNS stored in it.’

Photo of Beau Paul

Beau Paul

hand opening up Glove Box(l) mechanic shares tip for glove box(r)

Have you been ignoring your cabin air filter? Many people are unaware that the airflow into most modern cars‘ passenger cabins is filtered. The father and son team that owns Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice) is warning folks that they should maintain that filter regularly—or else.

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They posted their warning to TikTok on Jan 26. The video now has over 82,400 views and counting.

The hidden cabin air filter

The video’s on-screen caption declares, “This is something we see that people never check on their vehicle! Here’s why you should!”

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In it, the dad sits in a customer’s Acura and explains the importance of cabin air filter maintenance.

“You should really be looking in here,” he says as he opens the car’s glove box. “Look in your owner’s manual, see if you have one, and if you do, you need to be checking your cabin air filter.”

“He reaches above the compartment and pulls out a filter, which he reveals to his viewers. “It will get dirty,” he states as he displays a filter filled with dust, debris, and even leaves from outside the vehicle.

“[The passengers] are breathing that in,” he explains. “You got to do your due diligence as a vehicle owner and know that somebody is checking it.”

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He admits that older model cars did not have the filter and notes many drivers opt not to replace them over time. However, he recommends it. “At the very least, it’s keeping these, all these debris and everything from going into the blower motor,” he says.

Both mechanics note that a dirty filter also negatively affects the AC airflow. “This will, in extreme cases, cause the evaporator coil to freeze up,” Sherwood notes.

The team states that a high-quality charcoal filter is inexpensive, and the task of replacing it is generally an easy one.

What happens if you don’t change it

There are negative consequences of not changing your cabin air filter.

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The first may seem cosmetic, but the main purpose of the filter is to keep the air the passengers breathe as clean as possible. The filter not only keeps the air smelling pleasant, but it also filters out actual pollutants.

According to Carfax, “Dirty or excessively clogged cabin air filters can produce a dusty, musty stench, especially when the HVAC system is turned on.”

It also notes, “A new cabin air filter will prevent pollen from entering a vehicle, causing its occupants to sneeze or worse.”

The major reason to regularly replace the filter is that dirty filters can actually cause damage to your car’s heating/cooling system (HVAC).

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“A cabin air filter left in place beyond its life span will make a vehicle’s HVAC system work harder, which can cause the motor to burn up,” according to Carfax.

Jake Berg from Acura Media Relations responded to the Daily Dot’s inquiry with the following statement:

“It appears that the vehicle featured in this video is a second-generation Acura MDX.

Beginning with the 2004 Acura TL, many Acura vehicles have included a Maintenance Minder system. This feature is also present in the second-generation MDX.

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This system monitors the oil service life and coordinates maintenance interval timing for other service items such as tire rotations, automatic transmission fluid, spark plugs, cabin air filter, and more.

It is important to change the cabin air filter at the vehicle’s specified service interval, as indicated by the Maintenance Minder system.”

@royaltyautoservice That goes for shops too! Make sure to check it when it comes in the shop! #mechanic #mechaniclife #acura #automotive #cartok #fyp #foryou #tips #diy #viral #tipsandtricks ♬ original sound – Royaltyautoservice

Viewer responses

Many viewers appreciated the tip and pointed out the savings when doing the replacement themselves.

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“I’ve been changing my own for several years after I found out how much the labor costs to replace a $12 part,” wrote Pi Brigitte (@brigitte_and_herdogjaxx).

Another person stated, “Never pay to have someone change air filters for you. So easy to do.”

And one viewer noted a very specific type of debris. “We don’t have a garage,” they wrote. “When I take it out, it has ACORNS stored in it. So, it gets changed regularly. And then I get angry letters from the local squirrels.”

The Daily Dot reached out to Royalty Auto Service via email and TikTok direct message for further comment.

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