Air & Cabin Filter Replacement Melbourne

Air and Cabin Filter Replacement in Melbourne, at Your Door

Your car has two air filters. One keeps dirt out of the engine, and the other cleans the air you breathe inside the cabin. Mechanic Near You sends a mobile mechanic to your home, workplace or roadside across Melbourne's west to inspect both, replace what is clogged and check the airflow. Air and cabin filter replacement starts from $30 and takes about 15 minutes.

The smell when you switch on the air con

You press the button and it arrives before the cool air does: a stale, damp smell, like a towel left in a gym bag. The fan is on full and barely reaches your face. In the back seat, someone starts sneezing again.

Nobody books a mechanic for a smell. So it stays, and you drive with the windows down, which in a Melbourne spring only lets more pollen in.

The fix is one of the cheapest jobs on a car, and it takes about 15 minutes. We do it where the car is parked.

Engine air filter and cabin filter: what each one does

Signs your filters need replacing

Engine air filter

• Fuel economy is worse than it used to be
• The engine feels flat or sluggish
• The engine runs roughly

Cabin filter

• Weak airflow from the vents, even with the fan on high
• A stale or musty smell when the air conditioning is on
• Windows that are hard to keep from fogging

Air conditioning filter replacement in Melbourne

The air conditioning filter and the cabin filter are the same part. It is also sold as a pollen filter. All the air that comes through your vents passes through it first, whether the system is heating or cooling.

So when the air con smells stale or the airflow has dropped away, the filter is the first thing to check. A new one brings back the airflow and the freshness.

It will not make warm air cold. If the air blows strongly but is not cool, the fault is in the air conditioning system itself, and we will tell you so.

How often should car air filters be replaced?

• Cabin filter. Filter maker Ryco recommends once a year or every 15,000 km. AutoGuru suggests about every 20,000 km in normal conditions.
• Engine air filter. Follow the interval in your logbook. Our logbook service checklist lists air and cabin filters among the items that can fall due at the 30,000 km and 60,000 km services.

Dusty and unsealed roads and poor air quality clog filters sooner. If you can't remember the last time yours were changed, they are worth checking.

What our filter replacement includes

1. Engine air filter inspection.
2. Cabin filter inspection.
3. Air filter replacement, if it is due.
4. Cabin filter replacement, if it is due.
5. Filter housing cleaning. Leaves, dust and debris are cleared out before the new filter goes in.
6. Air intake and HVAC airflow inspection.
7. Final system verification.

Replacement filters meet or exceed the manufacturer's specifications.

Air and cabin filter replacement cost

Our filter replacement starts from $30. The final price depends on your vehicle and whether you need one filter or both, and we confirm it before we start.

For comparison, these are AutoGuru's guide prices for Australia:

Two things move the price:

• The filter. Filters are made for particular models. High-filtration cabin filters cost more than standard ones.
• Access. Most cabin filters sit behind the glove box. A few are harder to reach.

How to get a filter replacement quote

Call 0406 396 397 with your car's make, model and year, and tell us whether you want one filter or both. We give you a price before we come.

Cabin and engine filter service in one visit

Both filters are inspected at every visit, so you only need to book once. If one still has life in it, we leave it and tell you.

It also makes sense to pair filters with other servicing:

• An oil change, from $119, replaces the engine oil and the oil filter.
• A logbook service, from $179, follows your car maker's schedule, including the filters due at that service.
• A general service, from $149, covers the oil, the oil filter and a vehicle health assessment.

Cabin filters and Melbourne's pollen season

In Victoria, the grass pollen season usually runs from 1 October to 31 December. For people with hay fever, Better Health Channel advises keeping windows closed at home and in the car.

With the windows up, the air you breathe on a drive comes in through the cabin filter. Filter maker Ryco says a clean cabin filter traps pollen and other allergens before they reach the vents.

A filter is no substitute for medical advice or your usual hay fever treatment. But if someone in your car suffers every spring, a fresh cabin filter before the season is a small, sensible step.

When a clogged air filter causes other faults

A blocked engine air filter can do more than dull the performance. Sensor maker DENSO lists a plugged air filter among the causes of a false reading from the oxygen sensor, which can bring on the check engine light.

If the light stays on with a new filter fitted, the sensor may need attention. Our O2 sensor replacement is from $149.

Air and cabin filter replacement near you

We are based in Wyndham Vale and travel across Melbourne's west:

• Wyndham Vale and Manor Lakes
• Werribee and Hoppers Crossing
• Tarneit and Truganina
• Point Cook and Williams Landing

We also cover Eynesbury. See all our service areas for the rest.

Other quick jobs for the same visit

• Wiper blade replacement, from $35 and about 15 minutes.
• Globe replacement, from $20 and about 15 minutes.

Why drivers call us for filters

• We come to you. Home, workplace or roadside.
• We check both filters. You only pay for the one that needs replacing.
• Quality filters. They meet or exceed the manufacturer's specifications.
• Honest advice. No unnecessary repairs.

Filter replacement questions

How long does a filter replacement take?

About 15 minutes for most cars.

How much does cabin filter replacement cost in Melbourne?

With us, filter replacement starts from $30. AutoGuru puts a cabin filter replacement in Australia at $50 to $120.

Is the cabin filter the same as the air conditioning filter?

Yes. Cabin filter, pollen filter and air conditioning filter are three names for the same part.

Do I need to replace both filters at the same time?

No. They clog at different rates. We inspect both and replace only what is due.

Will a new cabin filter get rid of the smell from my vents?

Often, yes. A dirty filter is a common cause of a stale smell and weak airflow.

Can an air filter be cleaned and put back?

Sometimes. A lightly dusty engine air filter may only need cleaning. One that is clogged or damaged is replaced.

Stale air or a sluggish engine? Start with the filters.

Call 0406 396 397 between 7 am and 9 pm, 7 days a week. Tell us the car, and we will give you a price and a time.