Don't Suffocate Your A/C System.

MAKE SURE YOUR HEATER FAN CAN BREATHE EASY.

We had a call from a chap recently whose A/C system didn't feel cold enough and "just didn't seem to be as powerful as it used to be". The car was four years old and had been serviced annually by a main dealer. Most cars have a cabin filter which is also sometimes known as a pollen filter. These are often located behind the glovebox and if you don't know much about cars you might never know they existed.

Glancing through the service history we could see that this poor fellow had been charged for having the filter changed twice and we could instantly tell that it was the original unit - blackened and covered with leaves and other debris. No wonder the air conditioning did not feel like it used to - it was being suffocated and was struggling to pass air through the blocked filter.

These filters usually cost no more than £10 and are quite simple (though sometimes fiddly) to fit. If you buy them from somewhere like GSF Car Parts they will also normally come with comprehensive instructions for fitting in your vehicle. You would be surprised how many vehicles we see that appear to have the original filters installed so invest a tenner and let your fan breathe again.

Here is a guide showing how to change a typical pollen filter.

Vehicle Specific Information

• Porsche Condensers

• Qashqai J11 / X-Trail T32

• Renault Trafic 3 / Vivaro B

Tips and Advice

• Changing Porsche Condensers

• Leaking Condensers

• Checking the A/C on a car you're buying

• Don't suffocate your A/C system!

• How to change a pollen filter

• How to stop those steamy windows

• A/C not cold enough - 3 case studies

Testimonials

"We sell hundreds of used cars each year and we want our customers to be completely satisfied with them. Whenever we have a car with a poorly performing air conditioning system we call on Mr Cool to come and work his magic on them for us. A reliable, friendly service every time!" - Andy, Oakwood Car Sales.

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