Can A Car Run Without An Air Cabin Filter?

By Max Anthony •  Updated: 03/03/21 •  3 min read

Can A Car Run Without An Air Cabin Filter? It’s bizarre, but it’s true: many zero-kilometer cars are sold without an air-conditioning filter, even if the model has the HVAC system on its list of standard items. Nowadays, oddly enough, there is no law requiring automakers to equip their cars with the part responsible for eliminating the impurities in the air that the occupants breathe.

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Can A Car Run Without An Air Cabin Filter?

And what happens? As the absence of an air conditioning filter leaves the factory with the car, it is usually offered in the first service of revision of the car. And as the customer often doesn’t even know he doesn’t have it, he thinks that maybe it’s time to “change” the equipment and accepts the installation.

Is An Air Cabin Filter Necessary?

Can A Car Run Without An Air Cabin Filter?

Undoubtedly, after all, the air cabin filter is responsible for removing the impurities from the air that the occupants breathe. With the health crisis that the world is experiencing due to the new coronavirus, having a car with an air conditioning filter has become something fundamental for passengers’ health.

And what to do at that moment? The first step is to choose a model that already comes standard with the item – the detailed list of equipment that each manufacturer has in their vehicle is on the automaker’s official website.

Now, if you already have a car that is not equipped with the filter, the most acceptable option, unfortunately, is to pay for a new one – and for its installation – at the time of the official overhaul at the dealership. It is not expensive.

Even so, you may still be away from the maintenance service and need to use the car for daily services, such as racing via the app. In this case, perhaps the ideal is to install the air conditioning filter on your own – at the dealership, if your model is still under warranty. If this is your case, one more warning: some vehicles come with the place where the filter should go completely closed.

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What To Do?

Can A Car Run Without An Air Cabin Filter?

That said, we have some problems. The first is that the dealership may not want to “open” a space, or a new compartment, for you to install your filter yourself. And if you do this with a trusted mechanic, the automaker may void your warranty if problems happen due to the custom modification.

So be careful: if this is your way, try to ask the mechanic for caution and care to carry out the task.

Our tip is preventive: before buying a car or even during technical delivery, ask the seller / delivery man about the air conditioning filter to avoid surprises such as being surprised by the extra tax at the time of the first review. This is a detail that only depends on you, so it is important to be informed.

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Max Anthony

Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.