First time checking/changing cabin filter...

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Yeah, I think I'll do it more often now. I haven't had a vehicle with a cabin air filter before, so it wasn't really on my radar. I knew that my 2012 Highlander had one and had been changed when we bought it almost 3 years ago, but I didn't think about it being necessary for a while. I went ahead and ordered a Denso replacement from Amazon. Fast forward to this morning...




Yeah, I think it was time. I'll check at the 2 year mark next time unless most people think it is necessary even more often than 2 years. It makes me wonder how climate control systems functioned before all this [censored] was kept out!
 
They all do that due to poor design. If the air went up into the filter rather than down like everything that hits the wiper area of your windshield and down it would be better.
 
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all depends on where you park. air intake is the windshield cowl. if you're in a garage then youre going to get less debris.

the other part is the actual road dust and fine particles which is a function of how much you are using the fan and how long you drive.

fyi, the denso replacement can be inferior id its labeled as a denso part. you are better off getting the toyota genuine part (which may say made by denso) there are plenty of toyota parts depts either on ebay or amazon playing the internet market.
 
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This came out of my Sonata the first time I checked - I let it go way, way too long.

Since this was taken, the cowl at the bottom of the windshield was replaced due to hail damage and the air intakes are now small squares rather than long slots so the elm seed-pods don't make their way in. And I'm much better about checking the thing...
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I try to change mine twice a year. For some reason it gets really dirty and fast. I use cheap replacements and I figure its the air I breathe in, so its worth keeping clean. I change the car engine air filter once a year now and cabin twice per year. I notice that the ventilation works better after changing it too.
 
I priced the OEM cabin air filter for the Aveo at 30K miles which was the recommended CI. No aftermarket available at the time. I think the OEM was about $40 so I let it go. And go, and go. Around 150K I noticed the heat wasn't working all that well.
 
As stated above, the change interval can vary.

In my world (a drab and repetitive place) I've settled on 20K for EVERYONE'S CAFs and 30K for my Engine air filter (EAF?).
 
Every time I buy a car, I change the 15+ year old cabin filter. Then I'm good until the car dies.
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For some reason, probably due to my particular locale and commute, I get really long life out of OEM engine air filters too.
 
Fudge cake that's some nasty cabin filters.

I don't know about you guy, but I change mine out frequently. I pull it out every few months and tap out loose junk to keep air flow close to 100%.

I also don't buy the El Cheapo version. I buy the Charcoal infused one that help to remove allergens, smell, etc so my family breaths fresh air.
 
Originally Posted By: raytseng
all depends on where you park. air intake is the windshield cowl. if you're in a garage then youre going to get less debris.

the other part is the actual road dust and fine particles which is a function of how much you are using the fan and how long you drive.

fyi, the denso replacement can be inferior id its labeled as a denso part. you are better off getting the toyota genuine part (which may say made by denso) there are plenty of toyota parts depts either on ebay or amazon playing the internet market.


I'd heard that (after I ordered the part). Strangely, I compared it to the Toyota OEM filter that came out and it was absolutely identical as far as I could tell. Maybe some Denso are OK.
 
There are some REAL CHEAP CAF's out there.

Every TYC I've seen has been nothing but 1/16" (if that thick) filter paper merely zig-zag pleated with no frame. At $7 they are a TOTAL rip-off.

A garage will charge much more. Gimme WIX, Hastings, OEM, Corteco, Hummel-Mann, Fram
 
Originally Posted By: totegoat
Check every 6 months, change or vacuum as needed.

I've gone the same route. Especially since I buy cheap filters from Amazon, been changing at 6 months.
The wife's Lexus RX330 although she doesn't drive it much (less than 1k a year) gets bad during the fall thanks to the neighbors tree and the intake cowl design that let a lot of tree debris in/on the cabin filter.
I drive mine near daily (2 hours per work day) and get a lot lot less debris but might as well change it with a cheap filter.
Sometimes I'm shocked at what places charge to change a cabin filter. I just buy cheap filters and take a minute to change em myself as our vehicles are easy to change em out.
 
I changed my wife's out on her 2017 Chevy Impala last week-end. Last November, when we purchased the car, I checked the engine air filter and since it was clean/new looking, I assumed the CAF likely was as well.

I learned last weekend, this isn't necessarily the case. Although it is not overly bad, I think it was due for a change. The car has 24,000 kms on it.
I think now it will be changed once a year or less but I won't know for sure until I gather some info on it by checking it every few months.



 
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