It’s time to turn on the air conditioning.
But when one of our customers did, they heard a noise. This led them to bring their Town & Country to Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire. We found a few problems during our investigation.
First of all, a shop that had previously worked on the vehicle hadn’t properly installed the door for the cabin air filter.
The second issue was that napkins and some peanuts that were in the glove box had gotten sucked into the blower motor.
Our employees also found a very dirty cabin air filter that appeared to have been chewed on by a squirrel or mouse.
The problems were addressed and the driver is back on the road. However, based on this situation, there are a few recommendations we would like to pass on.
Take your car to a mechanic or repair shop you can trust
Overtime, you invest a fair amount of money in your vehicle – through oil changes, inspections, mileage-based services, new parts that go bad through daily use … You get the point.
You also most likely drive it each week (if not daily), and don’t want to end up stranded on the side of the road or in an unsafe situation.
With that in mind, it’s important to make sure you’re taking it to a professional who knows what they’re doing.
Yes, this may mean spending more money on a service that you could try to figure out on your own. However, going to a reliable mechanic or auto repair shop can not only give you ease of mind, it also saves you time and can help prevent expensive repairs in the future.
Don’t keep lightweight paper in the glove box
It’s OK to store items, like an owner’s manual, in the glove box. However, we suggest that you avoid keeping napkins and lightweight paper in it.
The blower motor is drawing in air and sometimes if it’s not sealed quite right it will suck up those items.
We recommend that you store them in the center console, where there isn’t a vacuum or fan that’s bringing in air that will circulate throughout the vehicle.
Change out your cabin air filter regularly
Cabin air filters, which purify the air that enters a vehicle, become dirty and need to be changed on a regular basis. This interval depends on a few factors, including the make and model of a car as well as driving conditions.
Drivers who live on a dirt road will probably need to replace it more often than those who mainly use major roads and the highway.
Keeping bacteria, dirt, dust and pollen out of your vehicle is one perk of changing out the cabin air filter. It can also prevent the heating core and evaporator from becoming clogged.
When performing this service, our technicians can also spray BG Frigi Fresh into the vent system. You can read more about the disinfectant and replacing the cabin air filter in this article we wrote.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.