Little-known button found in nearly all cars stops foul smells creeping inside your motor
A LITTLE-known button found in nearly all cars can stop foul smells from creeping inside your motor, it has been revealed.
Experts from Select Car Leasing shared an easy air con hack to stay cool and keep your vehicle smelling fresh as we approach the warmer months.
Pretty much all drivers have had the unpleasant experience of cruising past a freshly fertilised field or behind a gas-guzzling lorry, only to find the cabin filled with a nasty odour.
Be it manure, diesel fumes or just general pollution, nobody wants to be smelling every inch of the road, much less breathing in harmful chemicals.
Thankfully, there is a trick for setting your air con to eliminate the issue.
Graham Conway, Managing Director of Select Car Leasing, said: “The air recirculation button is integrated into your car’s air conditioning system and it’s most commonly used to keep your car nice and cool in summer, or toasty in the winter.
“The recirculation button takes the air from inside the car, rather than the outside, and recirculates it in the vehicle’s interior.
“In the summer, it prevents hot air from outside the car ruining your ambience, and it also means your AC has less work to do to maintain its cool.
“But there’s a lesser known function of the air recirculation button, and that’s to keep odours and pollutants stemming from outside your car making their way inside.
“It’s a handy motoring hack particularly at this time of year when farmers are spreading muck and you should also reach for it if you’re stuck in stationary traffic to avoid breathing-in fumes from other cars.”
Not only that, but it can also help to beat the scourge of the summer for many Brits, that being hayfever.
By recirculating inside the car, the air is filtered repeatedly, while the pollen-laden air from outside is kept at bay.
This can mean less pollen in the air you’re breathing and, therefore, less severe hayfever.
Graham added: “As the pollen count rises at this time of year, a simple tap of that button could be a godsend for many who struggle with hayfever.”
However, if you find a musty or damp smell fills the cabin when you turn on the recirculation, you may need to do a bit of DIY maintenance.
It could be an indication that your car’s air filter is in need of a change.
Graham explained: “The filter is typically located just behind the glove box, and should be replaced every 12,000-15,000 miles, or annually, whichever comes first.”
It comes after an expert mechanic revealed how you can fix a common engine oil problem for under a tenner and save thousands.