Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter?

A. A filter for your Royal Oak house?
B. A fresh, piney scent?
C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car?

Clever you, it's C.

A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common Michigan air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.

These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.

Not all Royal Oak vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in Michigan. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in Royal Oak come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year.

Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Royal Oak. Your vehicle can be a haven during our Michigan allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters, the cabin air filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly.

Check your owner's manual for replacement guidelines. If your vehicle owner's manual doesn't mention your cabin air filter, ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires for a recommendation. It's usually every year or 12,000 miles /19,000 kilometers. Change it sooner if you drive in dusty conditions around the Royal Oak area, or if you start to notice a funky smell coming from your vents.

The team at TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires urges Royal Oak drivers to keep their cabin air filter cleans. It may not help with your brother-in-law in the backseat, but it will make your driving experience around Royal Oak more enjoyable.

Come by and we'll take a look at your cabin air filter for you.

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires
1735 N Main St
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
248-541-8300
http://www.tlcautocareroyaloak.com