A Single Mom’s Guide to Easy Car Care

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FRAMFresh #CollectiveBias

 

As a single Mom, I have to pretty much rely on myself to get things done. Whether it be cutting the lawn, shoveling the driveway or changing a light bulb. If it is needs to be done, I am the only one there to do it. Being very reliant on my car, I need to make sure it is kept in good shape at all times. Being on a tight budget, however,  I don’t want to have to always rely on the dealership for maintenance. If I can do things such as change the filters myself and save the costs of having someone else do it, I will.

Not only do I want to keep my car in good shape, I need to ensure that when driving my car, I am not subjecting myself and my son to unwanted dust, dirt and allergens.  Considering the air inside your vehicle can be up to 6 times dirtier than the air outside, it is important to keep those air filters clean.  If this is something  I can do on my own that not only saves me money but is good for our health, why wouldn’t I take care of it myself?

A dirty air filter can prevent fresh air coming into the system and subsequently into the cabin of the vehicle.  It can also restrict air into the ventilation system which could prevent your A/C , heating and defrost system from working as efficiently as possible.

FRAM Fresh Breeze cabin air filters can help remove up to 98% of dirt, dust and allergens from the air passing through the car’s air conditioning and heating ventilation system.  The FRAM Fresh Breeze cabin air filters are made with carbon and Arm & Hammer baking soda to absorb and eliminate odors.

To change  your cabin air filter, or any filter, start at your local Canadian Tire store and head to the automotive section of your store. I was able to find the part number for my FRAM Fresh Breeze Cabin Air Filter part number by using the Canadian Tire website.  I just searched for the product and then it asked me to select my car make and model and it provided me the correct model and even told me where I could find it in my local store.

Once I got it home, I emptied the contents out of my glove compartment so that I could get a unobstructed view of the cover of the cabin air filter. You may need to unlatch the glove compartment to get better access to the filter.

I removed the cover to the cabin air filter to expose the filter. It was a bit tight, but I was able to remove the old filter by simply grasping it between my index finger and thumb and pulling it straight out.

I removed the FRAM Fresh Breeze Cabin Air Filter from its packaging and ensured that I slid it back in with the arrow on the end of it pointing down.

After the new filter is snug in place, I snapped the cabin filter cover back into place and voila, a nice, new clean filter is ready to go.   It was so easy and took no time at all.

I also took the time to replace my engine air filter.   FRAM recommends that you change both your cabin air filter and your engine air filter at the same time since they are both subjected to the same conditions.  Your engine air filter is your first line of defense again direct and dust from getting into and damaging your engine.   It can be changed simply as well in under 5 minutes.

All I needed to do was unlatch the 2 latches on the end to remove the lid and placed the new filter in.  I am always a bit hesitant when touching anything in my car’s engine but this was so incredibly easy.

Your engines acceleration, horsepower and over performance can be affected by the condition of your air filter and I can actually say I noticed a difference in my car after installing the new filter.

So, now instead of relying on a mechanic at the dealership to take car of changing the filters, I will be doing it myself.  Another tic on my  “I can do it” list!  Why don’t you try it yourself?  You can learn more tips and tricks here.