· Today, almost all modern cars are fitted with an interior filter

· Active carbon filters also protect against virtually all harmful gases

Many modern cars are now fitted with interior filters that can effectively filter harmful materials from air drawn in. By way of example, cars fitted with air conditioning always have an interior filter. However, the absorption capacity of interior filters is limited. If the filter is overloaded with harmful materials, it can no longer fulfill its filtration function and the dirt that was filtered out will be pumped back in to the air flow. In addition the accumulated harmful materials provide a breeding ground for mildew and bacteria. Bosch therefore recommends that interior filters are changed at a workshop every 15,000 kilometers or at least once a year.

Filters Clogged with Harmful Materials Lose their Effectiveness
According to Bosch, the best time to change the filters is at the beginning of spring. This is because on the one hand, in autumn and winter the interior filter has a great deal of dampness to deal with while the filter system must be particularly effective with the onset of the pollen season. Even respirable particles with a diameter of less than 0.0025 mm are trapped by the interior filter. When completing the recommended annual change of the interior filter many vehicles can have the standard interior filter replaced by the more effective Bosch active carbon filter at no additional cost. This filter is also able to filter out toxic or unpleasant smelling gases almost entirely.

In any case, the regular replacement of this inconspicuous, but highly effective vehicle component is a very good health investment for the whole family, and all at a moderate cost. Depending on the vehicle type, a new interior filter costs the equivalent of between three and ten euro cents a day.

Health Protection for Child Passengers
Like a vacuum cleaner, cars suck in the air at the front of the vehicle. The exhaust fumes from vehicles in front, fine dust and diesel soot, but also pollen and bacteria, ozone and nitrogen oxides can therefore reach the passenger compartment. Especially in urban traffic conditions, the concentration of these toxic substances in the vehicle is often much higher than at the side of the road. Child passengers are particularly affected by such high concentrations of toxic substances. Particularly for young families with small children, health protection quite rightly takes a very high priority. Annual replacement of the interior filter ensures a substantial reduction of toxic substances in the passenger compartment throughout the year.

Relaxing Drive Thanks to Clean Air in the Passenger Compartment
In addition to protecting your health, an effective interior filter has further advantages. The filter provides drivers who suffer from pollen allergies with an additional safety advantage. A driver with streaming eyes and who is continuously sneezing endangers himself, his passengers and other road users. At 50 mph a driver covers a distance of 27 yards when his eyes are shut as a reflex action to sneezing and in heavy traffic, flying blind is dangerous. Interior filters reduce pollen effectively, so that allergy sufferers can drive in comfort. Even when driving in tunnels and in traffic jams the filter provides noticeably purer air in the passenger compartment. This improved air quality increases the ability of the driver to concentrate. A new filter also ensures that there is less of a film build-up on the windscreen, thereby improving the view by reducing the glare.

Reader contact:
Robert Bosch GmbH
Automotive Aftermarket
Phone +49 (0) 9001 942010
E-Mail: Kundenberatung.KFZ-Technik@de.bosch.com

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI6948 - March 2010