‘Wont make any difference anyway’: Driver rolls into the shop for a cabin air filter change. Then the mechanic opens the door
An auto service tech outed a client's car in a viral TikTok, highlighting its disgusting condition.
Kode (@kode7813) garnered over 56,000 views as of Saturday. In it, he explained the futility of the customer's request for a cabin air filter change.
His video begins with a recording a dark blue sedan inside of a shop. It's coated with dust and grime. He then pans the camera up to the front passenger's door. As he does this, he mocks the voice of the customer who brought the vehicle into the shop.
"Hi, I was just wondering, do you guys change cabin air filters?" he says in a sarcastic tone.
Following this, he cracks open the door of the car to reveal that it's not just filthy on its exterior. Inside, it's filled with trash and tons of empty coffee cups. Additionally, it appears that there's also a significant amount of used napkins and food wrappers along with more dirt and grime.
Kode then responds to the question he posed as the customer.
"Uh, yeah, not in this [expletive] cesspool," he says. He then shuts the door of the vehicle as the video comes to a close.
Cabin air filter functionality
Car and Driver writes that Swedish auto manufacturer Saab was one of the first brands to install cabin air filters in its vehicles. Auto parts maker Fram says they're often "made of a material similar to paper." Their construction, like other types of filters, is designed to trap particulate matter.
Dust, pollen, and small pieces of debris are trapped by the filter, stopping them from entering a car's interior. Subsequently, this provides more a more enjoyable cabin environment for passengers, preventing the inhalation of particulate matter.
Cars.com states that replacement intervals for these air filters are often contingent upon one's environment. For instance, if you're constantly commuting through an area that has increased levels of air pollution and smog, you may want to more regularly check your filter.
The general rule of thumb is to swap out air filters every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. However, there are other ways to assess whether or not you'll need a fresh replacement. Since a car's air conditioning unit flows through the filter, drivers may hear loud noises or rattling if it's too backed up with impurities. Furthermore, if your car has a persistent bad odor, it might be linked to particles stuck in your air filter.
How to change a cabin air filter
Changing the cabin air filter in many vehicles is a relatively straightforward task. In most instances, commuters simply need to pop open their glove box. These compartments are usually fixed to the vehicle's dash with two twist knobs. Reverse the direction of these knobs to remove the glovebox cubby.
Once it's been dislodged from the dash, folks can gain access to the cabin air filter port. More than likely it will be covered by another long, horizontal plastic tab, which then needs to be removed. Oftentimes a small indented tab needs to simply be pressed in to pop it open. This will expose the cabin air filter itself. Take the old filter out and place in the new one. Reverse the aforementioned steps and you'll have successfully swapped out your cabin air filter.
It's a relatively quick and easy fix and will almost always cost less than asking a mechanic to do so. However, if you're worried about particulate matter in your vehicle, cleaning its interior is a good idea, too.
Which is indeed why Kode was so appalled by the condition of the client's vehicle he showcased in his video.
@kode7813 When the customer states. It’s my baby. #likefuck #getfucked #sesspool #fyb #fyp #viral ♬ original sound - kode
Viewers were just as taken aback
TikTokers who responded to his clip seemed just as aghast as he was by the driver's lack of cleanliness. One person speculated that it wasn't just their car that looks this way. "Imagine what their house/apartment looks like," they penned.
Another individual shared that they were absolutely horrified by the state of the sedan. "I won’t even drop the truck off to the shop without taking everything out of it first, there’s no reason for this," they wrote.
Someone else remarked, "My car is messy but compared to this, mine belongs in a museum."
One person tried to have a bit of empathy for the driver. They said that the majority of folks who own cars aren't aware of component placement.
"I'm not making excuses for the state of the car, but I don't think people do this intentionally. The vast majority of people don't know the filter is in the glove box," they said. "Or that you would even need inside the vehicle to make repairs. They just assume everything happens under the hood."
There was another TikToker who speculated that folks who don't allow their cars to become dumpsters-on-wheels lead uncomplicated lives.
"I always wonder how simple someone's life is when I get in their vehicle and it has no garbage pile," they wrote.
However, someone rejoined to this comment, writing, "My life isn't simple, I just don't wanna drive around a trash can."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Kode via TikTok comment for further information.
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