Mercedes Cabin Air Filter Question

[IndyFan]

I've got a 99 E430. I can find nothing in the manuals about the location of or how to change the cabin air filter or activated charcoal filter. (I'm guessing the latter might come in handy when driving past a dead skunk or sewage treatment plant )

Any clues would be appreciated. I'm guessing it will involve taking parts of the glove box off??

 

[Quattro Pete]

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w2...ox-removal.html

 

[HTSS_TR]

Charcoal filters are located behind the passenger kick panel. The OEM charcoal filters is expensive at more than $150 a pair, you can buy it for a lot less from Amazon. Search for Wix 24778, I installed this filter in my '00 E430 last year, they are identical to the OEM removed from the car.

Caution: they are slightly different shape/size, when you remove the old one leave them on the floor side by side the way you remove from the filter holder, have the new filters on top of the old filters then re-install accordingly.

Cabin filter pair is about $10-20 from Amazon, Rockauto and AAP.

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
http://www.mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w2...ox-removal.html



Thanks! That was VERY helpful! I'm going to drive around and find a dead skunk to test it out, and see if it needs replaced!

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Charcoal filters are located behind the passenger kick panel. The OEM charcoal filters is expensive at more than $150 a pair, you can buy it for a lot less from Amazon. Search for Wix 24778, I installed this filter in my '00 E430 last year, they are identical to the OEM removed from the car.

Caution: they are slightly different shape/size, when you remove the old one leave them on the floor side by side the way you remove from the filter holder, have the new filters on top of the old filters then re-install accordingly.

Cabin filter pair is about $10-20 from Amazon, Rockauto and AAP.


I picked up the charcoal filter(s) from O'Reilly for around 40 bucks or so. Are there screws for the kick panel, or is it fastened another way?

 

[HTSS_TR]

IIRC it is fastened. The cabin filters behind the glove box is for filtering dust/dirt and it is on all the times. The charcoal filters behind the kick panel is for filtering odor, and it is used only when you press the button on the control panel.

 

[dparm]

You can make your own filter. Take the existing one, cut out the dirty element, and glue in a piece of furnace filter. I did this for my S2000...$5 for the filter, and about 20 minutes of my time. Much better than the stupid $30 dealer one (which wasn't even charcoal).

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
IIRC it is fastened. The cabin filters behind the glove box is for filtering dust/dirt and it is on all the times. The charcoal filters behind the kick panel is for filtering odor, and it is used only when you press the button on the control panel.


I've got both. I just don't know how long the charcoal filter lasts, even if the button was never pressed. I'm just replacing it for good measure. Unless, of course, I find that dead skunk, hit the button, drive over it, and smell nothing! I think that would be the ultimate test to see if this is a good feature, or just a gimmick. Either way, I've got the new filters. I'm sure the regular cabin filter is ready to be replaced, though, after 12 years.