'Hidden' button in your car that could save you £75 and stop you feeling unwell

In a bid to help motorists not only stay healthier while driving but also save money, one of YouTube's top mechanics, Scotty Kilmer, has offered up some valuable advice. With over 55 years of experience as a car mechanic, Scotty is well-known for his short, informative videos shared on his YouTube channel, aimed at helping drivers reduce their car expenses and prevent unnecessary damage to their vehicles.

In a recent video that gained popularity, he demonstrates how drivers can get to their cabin filter—a component often overlooked yet crucial for maintaining clean air within the car. He advises: "Today I'm going to tell you about the hidden air filter fitted in your car that nobody knows about. It's called the cabin air filter. You squeeze the glove box and it comes out," reports the Express.

Scotty expounds on the importance of this filter, saying once inside the glovebox: "If you look inside there's a cover that snaps off and out comes the cabin air filter. This filters the air that goes into your air conditioning and heating system."

Commonly referred to as the pollen filter, these cabin filters are installed in nearly all contemporary vehicles to sift out pollutants from the air being circulated into the cabin. They’re especially useful for drivers or passengers with allergies, minimizing distractions like coughing or sneezing whilst driving.

However, failing to clean the cabin filter regularly can lead to exacerbated issues such as reduced airflow, a whistling noise from the air vents, or an unpleasant musty smell inside the car.

To avoid forking out up to £75 for a new cabin filter, expert Scotty suggests removing it and giving it a good thump on a concrete surface to clear the trapped dirt. He recommends: "Clean it out once in a while by whacking it on concrete until all the crumbs come out of it. If it's real dirt you can go and replace it. My advice is buy it online cheaper because the auto parts store charges too much.

"And if you're really sensitive to smells like my wife, you can buy a black carbon-activated one like this that works better."

While carbon activated filters are a tad pricier than ordinary ones, they excel at keeping out pollutants such as soot, dust, and diesel smoke, making them ideal for people often stuck in traffic behind high-emission vehicles. However, these superior carbon activated cabin filters usually require changing more often than their regular particulate counterparts, with most makers suggesting a swap every 15,000 miles.