Is the air quality inside a diesel car worse than a petrol car?

It is difficult to read any media article at the moment which doesn't demonise diesel engines and their effect on air quality. As a driver of a BMW 320d, bought new in good faith in 2015 (Euro5 compliant), I am particularly worried about the air quality inside my car. My wife has a chronic lung condition and I'm asthmatic. I read that the air quality inside a car is, to some extent, dependent on the quality of the filter fitted to the car to filter out pollen. Is there any way of finding out how effective the filter fitted to my car is? Also, does having a diesel engine significantly worsen the air quality inside a car, compared to driving a car with a modern petrol engine?

Asked on 22 May 2017 by Bradway

Answered by Honest John

As long as the engine is running as designed, all the pollutants come out of the exhaust at the back of the car and all the air admitted to the car comes in via the pollen filter via the vents at the base of the screen. In your case it would be a good idea to replace this yourself every six months. Find out how to do it because it is probably an easy DIY job.

Tags: exhaust diesel cars owning pollen filter consumer advice nox emissions pollution

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