Some cars have a labor-intensive cabin air filter replacement. My Saab 93 is pretty easy and can be done without tools, from outside the car.
cabin air filter
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Actually, that picture is an evaporator, not a condenser.
But yeah, they can and do get really crudded up after awhile, especially on cars without cabin air filters. Only problem is there isn't any effective way to clean out the the evaporator without taking it out of the car.
But yeah, they can and do get really crudded up after awhile, especially on cars without cabin air filters. Only problem is there isn't any effective way to clean out the the evaporator without taking it out of the car.
Quote:
Some cars have a labor-intensive cabin air filter replacement. My Saab 93 is pretty easy and can be done without tools, from outside the car.
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
Some cars have a labor-intensive cabin air filter replacement. My Saab 93 is pretty easy and can be done without tools, from outside the car.
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If you change cabin filter every year, you may consider to buy it here if they have it: logical-source.com
The cabin filters they have are TYC, the filter media is not as good as OEM filter but a lot cheaper.
I make my own out of furnace filters. Comes out to $1.50 a pop.
Buy better-rated filters on sale at Lowe's or at Habitat Re-store for $6.00 or less. Makes 4 Toyota AC filters out of one large furnace filter
I am cheap
If you change cabin filter every year, you may consider to buy it here if they have it: logical-source.com
The cabin filters they have are TYC, the filter media is not as good as OEM filter but a lot cheaper.
I make my own out of furnace filters. Comes out to $1.50 a pop.
Buy better-rated filters on sale at Lowe's or at Habitat Re-store for $6.00 or less. Makes 4 Toyota AC filters out of one large furnace filter
I am cheap
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Originally Posted By: RacerE7773
I didn't even know our '03 impala had one until I checked the owners manual. Black as soot it was. I think I'll price a couple on fleetfilter and change at the beginning of June and check again in fall.
I didn't know my 2004 Impala had one either until you posted this. Mine was completely clogged up and had what appeared to be a mouse nest on top of it (I thought the car had a pi$$y smell to it when I first got it. Now I know why). 31 bucks at the dealer, but it looks like it's washable. It seems to be made of the same type of felty stuff that spa filters are made of. Next time I soak my spa filters, I'm going to stick the cabin air filter in there and see what happens. If it comes clean w/o falling apart, then I'll let it dry out and swap it out next year.
I didn't even know our '03 impala had one until I checked the owners manual. Black as soot it was. I think I'll price a couple on fleetfilter and change at the beginning of June and check again in fall.
I didn't know my 2004 Impala had one either until you posted this. Mine was completely clogged up and had what appeared to be a mouse nest on top of it (I thought the car had a pi$$y smell to it when I first got it. Now I know why). 31 bucks at the dealer, but it looks like it's washable. It seems to be made of the same type of felty stuff that spa filters are made of. Next time I soak my spa filters, I'm going to stick the cabin air filter in there and see what happens. If it comes clean w/o falling apart, then I'll let it dry out and swap it out next year.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Quote:
Some cars have a labor-intensive cabin air filter replacement. My Saab 93 is pretty easy and can be done without tools, from outside the car.
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
My Vitara/Tracker has one and I think it was also in the $40 range when I priced it out 80,000km ago... I guess I should atleast just remove it or use the chopped furnace filter idea to make the replacement.
I was thinking of getting the cabin filter, then going to a parts store and getting an engine air filter that was the same size and then take back the cabin filter. $40 isn't a ton of money but I hate getting ripped off like that, if my engine filter is $12 then the cabin filter should be very close to that unless there is something special about them? I doubt it.
Quote:
Some cars have a labor-intensive cabin air filter replacement. My Saab 93 is pretty easy and can be done without tools, from outside the car.
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
My Vitara/Tracker has one and I think it was also in the $40 range when I priced it out 80,000km ago... I guess I should atleast just remove it or use the chopped furnace filter idea to make the replacement.
I was thinking of getting the cabin filter, then going to a parts store and getting an engine air filter that was the same size and then take back the cabin filter. $40 isn't a ton of money but I hate getting ripped off like that, if my engine filter is $12 then the cabin filter should be very close to that unless there is something special about them? I doubt it.
Originally Posted By: JakeR22
Is the purpose of these cabin filters to keep junk out of the hvac system, or to give us cleaner air to breath?
Not sure but the biggest benefit by far is the filtering of allergens and dust. I never sneeze in the spring anymore with my car and I never have to dust it either, which is nice.
Is the purpose of these cabin filters to keep junk out of the hvac system, or to give us cleaner air to breath?
Not sure but the biggest benefit by far is the filtering of allergens and dust. I never sneeze in the spring anymore with my car and I never have to dust it either, which is nice.
Is there a website I can go to to find out of my 2004 Silverado has a cabin air filter? Or where would I look to find it?
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Is there a website I can go to to find out of my 2004 Silverado has a cabin air filter? Or where would I look to find it?
i show a listing, but if you call your GM dealer, angive your VIN to the parts dept, they can tell you for sure.
Is there a website I can go to to find out of my 2004 Silverado has a cabin air filter? Or where would I look to find it?
i show a listing, but if you call your GM dealer, angive your VIN to the parts dept, they can tell you for sure.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
Seriously, the Mazda 3 cabin filter location is horrible. I'm not looking forward to disassembling half the dash to replace it on ours. Conversely, in my Civic all you have to do is tip the glove box down, and slide out the filter, takes less than a minute.
Of course in the 3, I think this is the price you pay for that enormous glove box!
My Mazda 3 has one of these labor-intensive cabin filters. While I haven't had the pleasure to change it yet (I will do it this summer), I read on Mazda forums that it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to change it.
And if you think that changing it is bad, wait for the price shock you'll get, the filter is 40 bucks canadian, 40 bucks!!!
So much for Japanese engineering
Seriously, the Mazda 3 cabin filter location is horrible. I'm not looking forward to disassembling half the dash to replace it on ours. Conversely, in my Civic all you have to do is tip the glove box down, and slide out the filter, takes less than a minute.
Of course in the 3, I think this is the price you pay for that enormous glove box!
FWIW I soaked my filter in degreasing chemicals used for my spa filters. It came out fairly clean and didn't fall apart. I'll reuse it next year or two.
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