Changed the cabin air filter in the Accord [PICS]

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gregk24

gregk24

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
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FL, USA
Got the itch to change the cabin air filter in the Accord today, picked up a Fram Fresh Breeze at Walmart. A Honda OEM went out, and the Fram went in. The Honda media seemed thinner but the overall construction was more "sturdy" I guess you could say. The Fram has thicker media but the glue holding everything together was not as hard and thick as the Honda OEM, and there was less of it. This wont be a problem though, just an observation. The Fram also had a tighter, better fit than the Honda OEM.

Here are the pics...did it look worthy of being changed? It was pretty full of debris, can you guess how long it was in?


HONDA

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HONDA

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HONDA

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HONDA

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HONDA

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FRAM

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FRAM

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FRAM

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FRAM

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FRAM

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FRAM

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I've seen much worse.. that one could have been shop-vac'ed or banged out and probably reused abit.

it all depends on the cost of replacement.
If its under 20$ might as well replace it

my subaru cabin filter costs 30-40$ even for aftermarkets.. no way I'm changing that every 8 months(as OM specifies)

I take it out twice a year and gently shop vac it. usually its not too bad... replacement every couple years.
 
The cost is under $20 at Walmart. The filter had about 2.5 years on it and 20K miles. Car is parked under a tree at night and is always outside. Figured ever 2 years is a good interval to breath fresh air. Im going to wait on the engine air filter though at least until the 3 year / 30K mile mark, because with engine air filters extra wear can be caused from the dirt ingestion from the removal of the old filter.
 
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Ty for info supply ,as for was it worth it?honda is annoying to judge because often they go very old school(best bang for $)
 
Originally Posted By: Roob
Stick with OEM in regards to the cabin filter, Fram Fresh breeze aren't exactly airflow friendly....


Is that really anything to be concerned about? Will it damage A/C or blower motor parts if it impedes flow? I don't really know how the system works.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewp1998
I got 2 wix for 15.85$ on amazon prime!


Nice deal! I am a FRAM guy myself though =P
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
I've seen much worse.. that one could have been shop-vac'ed or banged out and probably reused abit.

it all depends on the cost of replacement.
If its under 20$ might as well replace it

my subaru cabin filter costs 30-40$ even for aftermarkets.. no way I'm changing that every 8 months(as OM specifies)

I take it out twice a year and gently shop vac it. usually its not too bad... replacement every couple years.

I agree. Lightly tap the dirty side on a solid surface then vacuum with low setting on shopvac or household vacuum.

Using a pantyhose at the inlet will catch large debris, clean or replace pantyhose once a year will extend the life of cabin and engine filters up to double the recommended interval.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: Roob
Stick with OEM in regards to the cabin filter, Fram Fresh breeze aren't exactly airflow friendly....


Is that really anything to be concerned about? Will it damage A/C or blower motor parts if it impedes flow? I don't really know how the system works.


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)
 
Originally Posted By: Roob
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: Roob
Stick with OEM in regards to the cabin filter, Fram Fresh breeze aren't exactly airflow friendly....


Is that really anything to be concerned about? Will it damage A/C or blower motor parts if it impedes flow? I don't really know how the system works.


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)

Really? I would have never thought that. Guess next time I'll go with a Honda OEM. So your Ex Honda mechanic was just fiddling around and opened up your glove box to check the filter?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Roob
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: Roob
Stick with OEM in regards to the cabin filter, Fram Fresh breeze aren't exactly airflow friendly....


Is that really anything to be concerned about? Will it damage A/C or blower motor parts if it impedes flow? I don't really know how the system works.


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)
I don't know that I buy that rationale. The blower will run a certain speed based on the setting. It is all pre determined. If there is more restriction with one filter it might result in less air being pulled through the filter and into the ducts, but that is it. If a setting determined the amount of air flow, then yes the blower would have to work harder to get the same amount of air with a more restrictive filter. But air flow is secondary to the setting, not the setting secondary to air flow.
 
Originally Posted By: Roob


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)


Biggest crock of swill I've ever heard. Aftermarket cabin filters are OK, and the Fram Fresh Breeze is fine.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Roob


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)


Biggest crock of swill I've ever heard. Aftermarket cabin filters are OK, and the Fram Fresh Breeze is fine.


Glad you feel that way, hopefully your right. Either way Ill leave it in for 2 years at least unless I see some kind of problem forming.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Roob


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)


Biggest crock of swill I've ever heard. Aftermarket cabin filters are OK, and the Fram Fresh Breeze is fine.


Doubt it.
Not all aftermarket items are good, some are carp. In this case, the fram fresh breeze is a nice product, but it's built like a brick. The filtering element is like dense cardboard compared to the Denso OEM that is made of high flow paper.
Quite a few reviews online about the fram fresh breeze causing a less than stellar performance in air flow, but it smells nice.
Anyhoo, I listen to professionals like the master tech Honda mechanic, I'd be stupid not to. It makes sense and after switching back I did notice a difference, but I'm very particular with my car. Some will notice and some won't.
In my experience the fram wasn't as good and seeing as the OP has the same car, different year, I thought to notify him of my experience. Hopefully it aids him and gave you something to chortle at.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Roob
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Roob


In the long run it can shorten their life.
The higher restriction in airflow will cause your fan, ac compressor to work harder when using them. It can also cause an increase in gas consumption than normal when using the ac, as the compressor will be working harder due to the increased restriction of airflow.
I tried one a while ago and when my Ex Honda master mechanic saw it he almost threw it at me...
It made a big enough difference in my car anyways, but I'm pretty particular...(bad cabin air filter related joke)


Biggest crock of swill I've ever heard. Aftermarket cabin filters are OK, and the Fram Fresh Breeze is fine.


Doubt it.
Not all aftermarket items are good, some are carp. In this case, the fram fresh breeze is a nice product, but it's built like a brick. The filtering element is like dense cardboard compared to the Denso OEM that is made of high flow paper.
Quite a few reviews online about the fram fresh breeze causing a less than stellar performance in air flow, but it smells nice.
Anyhoo, I listen to professionals like the master tech Honda mechanic, I'd be stupid not to. It makes sense and after switching back I did notice a difference, but I'm very particular with my car. Some will notice and some won't.
In my experience the fram wasn't as good and seeing as the OP has the same car, different year, I thought to notify him of my experience. Hopefully it aids him and gave you something to chortle at.


I dont notice a difference, and I am pretty particular. Did your master tech actually tell you it would damage parts? Or did he just say it would impede flow of air? Really, I would like to know.
 
I just put a Fram Fresh Breeze in my Acura this week. The AC performance increased, not decreased. The old filter only had 30K miles on it and was not clogged up at all.
 
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