My Compartment Filter Made Me Sick

This past Sunday on the way to church I started feeling bad. By the time Sunday School was over I felt fine and totally forgot all about not feeling well. Then on Monday, before the sun had even risen, I hopped into my car for the hour long drive to Kerrville. Since it was once again a chilly morning, I turned on the heater. Then just like the morning before, I started feeling bad. I started thinking of what might be going on. For instance, I analyzed what I had eaten for breakfast the past two days. Just about the time I started feeling like I might throw up, it hit me. Maybe the cause was my car heater. I immediately turned off the heater, which produced instance relief from the need to gag. I would drive for the next 45 minutes without any heat. Since it was in the low 40’s F (7c) outside, I was pretty cold when I finally arrived in Kerrville.

After stopping for some hot tea (my favorite hot beverage), I dropped by my auto repair shop. He turned my car on and looked under the hood but found no obvious problems. My fluids all looked good and everything sounded fine. After a brief discussion he asked me if I had ever changed my campartment filter (also called cabin filter), not to be confused with the air filter. I own a 2006 Toyota Rav4, which I purchased in 2009. I had never heard of this filter.

As it was explained to me this cabin (or compartment) filter is just like the AC/heater filter in our homes. It occasionally needs to be changed. All air passing through the car’s ventilation system and coming out the vents into the car, basically the air we are breathing, first passes through this filter. Not all cars have such a filter (the mechanic checked to make sure I did). I am guessing that all or at least most new cars have this filter. I decided to have the filter changed. I was shown my old filter which was covered in a thick coating of dust. My total cost was $60.

I have no idea how long I have been breathing bad air in my car. I do know for the past few months whenever I turned on the AC the air smelled dusty. (Sunday was the first time in a long time I felt the need to turn the heater on.) I had complained to a few backyard mechanics about the dusty smelling air, but I was ignored (probably because none of them knew cars have a compartment filter). Clearly the air in my car has not been good for some time. Since very few folks seem to know about this filter, I have to wonder how many people are out there breathing air full of dust, mold and other allergens, but the air is not bad enough to cause the driver to head straight for their auto repair shop?

My ventilation system is now providing me with cleaner air. The big question is do you have a cabin/compartment filter? And if so, does it need to be replaced?