Organic matter collects and rots. The more crud accumulated, the more a dirty filter will retain moisture.
I change mine annually in the fall.
I change mine annually in the fall.
Cabin Filters...what's the deal?
- Thread starter dx92beater
- Start date
Automakers have to come up with some standard interval because everyone has a subjective opinion of what is/is not considered dusty.
My main objection to these filters is that it can be a somewhat invasive procedure to even check them. If it is behind the glove box, the tech at the dealer is emptying the glove box, removing/dropping the glove box, removing the filter and then evaluating it. If it is fine, they are having to put it back, fasten everything back up, and put everything back in the glove box.
If it is a car like a late model Ford Fusion, it involves actually disassembling some of the dash to get to the filter. Again, really kind of invasive just to check something that might not even need to be replaced. Then there is Nissan who has the filters wedged behind the center console on some models.
Too much opportunity for busy techs to break things. My parents had a 2010 Ford Taurus at one point, and the dealer replaced the cabin filter during one of the services. When we went to replace it ourselves a year later, that was when we discovered the dealer had actually destroyed the glove box damper the previous time and didn't bother to fess up to it.
If it is a car like a late model Ford Fusion, it involves actually disassembling some of the dash to get to the filter. Again, really kind of invasive just to check something that might not even need to be replaced. Then there is Nissan who has the filters wedged behind the center console on some models.
Too much opportunity for busy techs to break things. My parents had a 2010 Ford Taurus at one point, and the dealer replaced the cabin filter during one of the services. When we went to replace it ourselves a year later, that was when we discovered the dealer had actually destroyed the glove box damper the previous time and didn't bother to fess up to it.
If your gonna pull it to check it then replace it. How cheap can you be ? The price of a filter is a lot less than a restaurant dinner that your gonna crap out in the morning. At least the filter will last a year.
I do mine every year once pollen season dies down.
I do mine every year once pollen season dies down.
I see you are new here—you might be in for a shock as to how cheap we are...
Nah, long time lurker. Just had to vent I guess.
I had a B in law that used to rinse/repeat condoms, that's being cheap...
Wasn’t that common a century ago? Pretty sure they got cheap since then, and given the risk involved, much cheaper to not use twice! That is indeed cheap.
Just got done dropping the HVAC blower motor in the one car I have that doesn’t have a cabin filter. Someone made a nest in it... I’ve cleaned out a few messes this year but all on the much easier to R&R cabin filter.
Which would you rather run on your home's HVAC system, dirty and caked up filters or new filters?
How's this take....I checked my CAF at 15K and it had a pattern of thick dirt and quite clean. I replaced it as I was, "in there".
I checked the new one at 20K and it was, guess what, dirtier with a smaller clean zone. I replaced it as I was,"in there".
OK, for a new car and a house in the south of France, guess what I'm doing at 25K. You have 10 seconds and no, you cannot call anyone.
See, that wasn't so hard! We CAN harness our tremendous intellects to determine when something visible is....dirty.
And look at the second picture. It works for small engine air filters too!
For a pair of socks or public restrooms, the sense of smell is a tool we can use.
And for a joke, we listen to it. That's auditory.
But there's one thing these examples have in common. That's our capacity to determine HOW dirty a thing is.
And unlike a decision to strangle your mother-in-law, the penalties for replacing a filter 2 days early aren't that severe.
I checked the new one at 20K and it was, guess what, dirtier with a smaller clean zone. I replaced it as I was,"in there".
OK, for a new car and a house in the south of France, guess what I'm doing at 25K. You have 10 seconds and no, you cannot call anyone.
See, that wasn't so hard! We CAN harness our tremendous intellects to determine when something visible is....dirty.
And look at the second picture. It works for small engine air filters too!
For a pair of socks or public restrooms, the sense of smell is a tool we can use.
And for a joke, we listen to it. That's auditory.
But there's one thing these examples have in common. That's our capacity to determine HOW dirty a thing is.
And unlike a decision to strangle your mother-in-law, the penalties for replacing a filter 2 days early aren't that severe.
