BMW Cabin Filters

Your vehicle’s cabin air filter works as your first line of defense against air pollutants. These pollutants can range from pollen to dust to dirt; anything that can make its way through your central air system.

How hard the cabin air filter works depends on a lot of factors, mostly environmental. Whether you drive through the city or down the back roads around Albany, Leesburg, and Tifton, Georgia, BMW cabin filters use their superior design to keep pollutants out of your cabin’s air.

We’ve put together this guide here at BMW of Albany so you can learn more about this cabin filter design, how it works, and how to maintain it so you can keep on breathing easy.

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The BMW Cabin Filter: Activated Charcoal

Usually hooked up to your central air system, the cabin filter helps to prevent non-oxygen particles from entering the cabin. An activated charcoal (also known as activated carbon) air filter is one of the most effective models. Why? The activated charcoal is great at absorbing not just dust and pollen particles, but also gas particles.

BMW cabin air filter

That means you can keep CO2, carbon monoxide, and anything floating in the air that you’d rather not have in your lungs safely out of the cabin.

Most BMW models come standard with an activated charcoal air filter to remove gases, combined with a refined microfilter to remove dust and pollen. These models include:

  • 3 series
  • 5 series
  • X1
  • X3
  • And many, many more!

This is just one of the clever ways BMW works to keep you safe during a comfortable drive.

When to Change Out Your Filters

On the BMW models that carry the activated charcoal filters you have a manufacturer’s schedule to follow in order to keep the cabin air fresh and clean.

Maintenance Schedule

At your first oil change, you can ask your mechanic to look at the cabin air filter. Then you should usually change the microfilter during your second oil change, which often occurs after driving for 20,000 miles. By the third oil change, around 30,000 miles, you should also have the activated charcoal filter element replaced.

Keep maintaining and replacing elements of the air filter in 10,000-mile intervals, or whenever you have your engine checked over. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that when it’s time to have your car’s oil changed or the engine tuned, it’s time to maintain your BMW cabin air filter.

Pay Attention to the Filters

In addition to this recommended schedule, there are other rules to follow in keeping up with maintenance, like paying attention to your car’s filters.

When you start to notice reduced air flow from the central air or start smelling an unpleasant odor from the vents, it might be time to replace your vehicle’s cabin filters. Check in with your mechanic for help.

BMW Keeps You Updated About Your Car

On most of the BMW models with the activated charcoal filters, you’ll always be informed about the health of your vehicle through the Condition Based Service (CBS) system.

Your car uses sensors to keep track of your driving habits, then using the CBS’s specially designed algorithms, the system adds maintenance alerts that you can access on the screen of the interior control display.

When you follow the instructions of your BMW service alerts, you’ll always know when to go in for maintenance, and be able to keep up accurately with all the moving parts of your vehicle.

Schedule Service Today

If you’re looking to maintain your BMW cabin filters around Albany, Leesburg, or Tifton, GA, you can rely on our service team. We’ll look over your vehicle, change out filters if they need to be changed, and make sure your BMW can continue to offer you clean air.

Call us at BMW of Albany today or schedule a service appointment online. We’re ready to help.