I have a couple of working dogs that ride with me, my CAF change schedule is, ah, somewhat accelerated.
The ones with the charcoal in 'em are worth every dime.
The ones with the charcoal in 'em are worth every dime.
True Story about Cabin Air Filter
- Thread starter Smokescreen
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Change mine twice a year when I change the engine air intake filter and the oil.
2005 was the 1st year of a generation change for the Toyota Tacoma. They have a spot for a CAF behind the glove box, but none came with a filter installed. Just buy a CAF for a 2006 Tacoma and it fits perfect. Don't know what Toyota was thinking. If you go to an auto parts store and ask them to look up a CAF for a 2005 Tacoma they will tell you their parts system doesn't show one.
I didn't think too much about my CAF because it was supposed to be replaced at 30k and 60k when I went in for major servicing, but I bought one to get free shipping on an order for a engine air filter and a PCV valve. The old one should have had only 12k on it, but it was black with crud and also had about 50 small leaves jammed in it...I wonder if it ever got changed before.
Absolute cake to change, just pop the glove box out...
Absolute cake to change, just pop the glove box out...
Originally Posted By: loneryder
My VW Jetta has one but there is not a word in the manual about it. Only way I found it was seeing screws in a panel under the hood on the cowl.
LOL they want to keep you coming to the dealer. But say that's why UTUBE is so great!
My VW Jetta has one but there is not a word in the manual about it. Only way I found it was seeing screws in a panel under the hood on the cowl.
LOL they want to keep you coming to the dealer. But say that's why UTUBE is so great!
This thread has changed my mind about at least looking at the CAF in my wife's new Impala. It only has around 20,000 km's and when I checked the engine air filter and seeing how clean/new looking it looked, I didn't even bother checking the CAF thinking it was likely just as clean or cleaner?
Has anyone noticed if the 2 go hand in hand? Dirty engine filter = more than likely a dirty CAF, or the opposite?
Has anyone noticed if the 2 go hand in hand? Dirty engine filter = more than likely a dirty CAF, or the opposite?
Kestas
Staff member
My experience shows the cabin filter gets used up much quicker than the engine air filter.
My experience with 5 cars also shows the cabin filter needs to be changed every 15K on average.
My experience with 5 cars also shows the cabin filter needs to be changed every 15K on average.
I change mine yearly, usually something between 20 and 25 thousand miles per car/year.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
My experience shows the cabin filter gets used up much quicker than the engine air filter.
My experience with 5 cars also shows the cabin filter needs to be changed every 15K on average.
Thanks guys.
Guess I had better take a look see and see for myself what shape it is in? Getting cold/snowy out now so I will wait for a warmer day or just wait until the spring now, especially since all the pollens and many of the other summertime type contaminants are all done for the season.
We purchased the car with 20,000 km's on it so it's likely not too bad, hopefully?
My experience shows the cabin filter gets used up much quicker than the engine air filter.
My experience with 5 cars also shows the cabin filter needs to be changed every 15K on average.
Thanks guys.
Guess I had better take a look see and see for myself what shape it is in? Getting cold/snowy out now so I will wait for a warmer day or just wait until the spring now, especially since all the pollens and many of the other summertime type contaminants are all done for the season.
We purchased the car with 20,000 km's on it so it's likely not too bad, hopefully?
Originally Posted By: oilmutt
The 2005 Malibu does not come with cabin air filter,through trial and err i found the 2005 Saturn Ion, Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G6 fit just fine.To this day when the wife takes the Malibu to the dealer they refuse to install a cabin air filter because GM says they don't make one for her car.
My mother in law has a 2004 Kia Optima. It didn’t come with one, either, but it has a slot for it. The filter is completely different than AZ or AAP recommends. The slot is about 2”x6”, but the filter is 1”x10”. Oddly enough, Amazon recommended the two-pack of filters for a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. I put them in side by side and they fit!
The 2005 Malibu does not come with cabin air filter,through trial and err i found the 2005 Saturn Ion, Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G6 fit just fine.To this day when the wife takes the Malibu to the dealer they refuse to install a cabin air filter because GM says they don't make one for her car.
My mother in law has a 2004 Kia Optima. It didn’t come with one, either, but it has a slot for it. The filter is completely different than AZ or AAP recommends. The slot is about 2”x6”, but the filter is 1”x10”. Oddly enough, Amazon recommended the two-pack of filters for a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. I put them in side by side and they fit!
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Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Moral of the story, when you acquire a used vehicle, check the cabin air filter along with all the other items in the once over.
Excellent advice!
Moral of the story, when you acquire a used vehicle, check the cabin air filter along with all the other items in the once over.
Turns out my friend's 1997 Ford F-150 has a recess in the glove box floor.
There's a kit Ford has whereby you cut the floor recess away, disconnect a duct, add a few parts and VOILA', you have a cabin air filter.
There's a kit Ford has whereby you cut the floor recess away, disconnect a duct, add a few parts and VOILA', you have a cabin air filter.
This is the old and new filter on our 2016 Subaru Forester XT. We change the filter every year. The dirty one was 50 weeks old and had 11,700 miles on it. 
Originally Posted By: machfive916
This is the old and new filter on our 2016 Subaru Forester XT. We change the filter every year. The dirty one was 50 weeks old and had 11,700 miles on it.
Thanks for sharing that.
I am more curious now than ever what my wife's Impala looks like? I was going to wait until the spring but I may just check it sooner if I get a decent day between now and then.
This is the old and new filter on our 2016 Subaru Forester XT. We change the filter every year. The dirty one was 50 weeks old and had 11,700 miles on it.
Thanks for sharing that.
I am more curious now than ever what my wife's Impala looks like? I was going to wait until the spring but I may just check it sooner if I get a decent day between now and then.
As of last year my brother-in-law never heard of a cabin air filter. He is 55 years old. Most people just have no clue.
Originally Posted By: sgtrockjoe
As of last year my brother-in-law never heard of a cabin air filter. He is 55 years old. Most people just have no clue.
If you keep your cars a long time, and not all cars have a cabin air filter, it's possible to not know about them. The fact that you can actually get by without a problem shows that it's not a huge deal anyway unless you live in a dusty climate.
As of last year my brother-in-law never heard of a cabin air filter. He is 55 years old. Most people just have no clue.
If you keep your cars a long time, and not all cars have a cabin air filter, it's possible to not know about them. The fact that you can actually get by without a problem shows that it's not a huge deal anyway unless you live in a dusty climate.
I have a 2014 Ford F-150 4x4 crew cab and it doesn't even have a cabin filter and a lot of people drive these Ford F-150' s on gravel roads all the time. Now on the other hand my 2005 Cheverolet Corvette has a cabin filter and it doesn't go on gravel unless it's under about 10 miles per hour. I wish the Ford F-150 had a cabin air filter especially since it's not that old. The Jeep has one and so does the Honda Civic.
I live in the boonies, and there's a lot of dust. This is what mine usually looks like after six months:
That may not look horrible, but bear in mind that it's only six months of schmutz. I wouldn't want to let it get much worse than that, so I just change it when I change the oil filter and engine air filter, which I do twice a year.
Richard
That may not look horrible, but bear in mind that it's only six months of schmutz. I wouldn't want to let it get much worse than that, so I just change it when I change the oil filter and engine air filter, which I do twice a year.
Richard
Originally Posted By: GeekOnTheHill
I live in the boonies, and there's a lot of dust. This is what mine usually looks like after six months:
That may not look horrible, but bear in mind that it's only six months of schmutz. I wouldn't want to let it get much worse than that, so I just change it when I change the oil filter and engine air filter, which I do twice a year.
Richard
Yuck!
You may wish to consider Bosch's HEPA cabin filter, if they make one for your car
I live in the boonies, and there's a lot of dust. This is what mine usually looks like after six months:
That may not look horrible, but bear in mind that it's only six months of schmutz. I wouldn't want to let it get much worse than that, so I just change it when I change the oil filter and engine air filter, which I do twice a year.
Richard
Yuck!
You may wish to consider Bosch's HEPA cabin filter, if they make one for your car
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