How dust gets into a vehicle, and how to slow it
Why your vehicle fills with dust, and how to slow it
Fine dust finds its way into a vehicle on unsealed roads. These pages start with the symptom and work through the usual causes: door and tailgate seals, the ventilation intake, air filters and the shape of the rear. Each one points you to your own maker's manual.
Made for owners fitting out a vehicle for gravel and dirt-road travel who want to understand where the dust comes from.
All the dust pages
- How Dust Gets Into a Vehicle
Why a vehicle fills with dust after a gravel road, and the usual entry points, from door seals drain holes, the ventilation intake and the rear.
- Why Dust Is Pulled in Behind a Moving Vehicle
Why dust collects at the tailgate and rear of a wagon or SUV even with the windows shut, and what the airflow research says.
- Checking Door and Tailgate Seals
How to tell whether the rubber seals around doors and the tailgate are worn, cracked or out of place, and what makers say about caring for them.
- The Cabin Air Filter and Dust
What the cabin air filter does on dusty roads, what two makers say about checking and changing it sooner, and signs it's clogged.
- Engine Air Filter in Dusty Conditions
What dust does at the engine intake, and what two makers' manuals say about checking and replacing the air cleaner filter on dusty or sandy roads.
- Finding Leaks With a Simple Dust Trace Check
A step-by-step way to find where dust is getting into a vehicle without taking panels apart, using a clean cabin and a short gravel drive.