Nasty Cabin Air Filter!

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I perceive the dirt in automotive environments to be finer-grimier and leaf bearing.

Home filters are for pet hair, human hair, dust bunnies and are finished flat. Leaves and pieces of leaves would cover the flat surface area quickly and choke off airflow. Their coarseness wouldn't catch the powdered grime of roadways. Also, fitting a frame to a hunk of cut HVAC filter stiff enough to withstand insertion into many auto CAF frames would destroy any $ benefit.

Also, the difference in air velocity between the two types of systems equates the use of HVAC filters in a car to stopping bullets with chicken wire.

Inspiring minds are glad to illuminate.
 
WOW that is the worst I have ever seen....... Now i do know a guy that has a 2000 Honda and he has never had his changed and he refuses to change it.. I even gave him new filters b/c the air from his A/C vents just bearly comes out... However I guess he says he cant afford to pay someone to do it and his car is very dirty and IM NOT GOING TO DO IT...... I really want to see how bad his are... his a/c vents are plugged.... however as of now those are the worst i have ever seen.

I change mine each year....
 
Just removed the factory original from our 2016 Mazda3 @ 22,009.

'Twas a cheap, easy to access/withdraw panel. Knocking didn't loosen any of fine dirt deep in its 30 pleats.

I tossed it. RockAuto's Syracuse warehouse was the single source for all 3 wiper blades and the CAF.
 
I have to agree that filtering outdoor air and it's contaminants is quite a different thing from a home unit. Cowl is a high pressure zone. It's ram air outdoor dirt. Cabin filter probably more resembles an auto engine air filter than a home HVAC filter. Seems to be quite a bit stiffer than a home filter too.

At the end of the day, cabin filters are cheap enough that I can see no benefit to hacking apart a home filter.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by LazyDog
[Linked Image]



This is what I took from my sisters van, more than just dirty.


What.

The.

Hades.

What is her occupation? Street sweeper? She tows a tree shredder? Tornado chaser? Ditch witch observer? Does security patrols at a saw mill? Seasonal park ranger in the fall? Drives in a biomass road train?


LOL... Still waiting on LazyDog's reply to all these speculated occupations!
 
Hola Guys,

Sorry for the late reply. I was out of the country visiting mom. The minivan is 2006 Montana that my sister bought in 2015. The previous owner used to haul stuff for a small Mexican store not sure who did the PM's. My sister just drives her kids around in the van nothing special but she does park outside with lots of threes near by!
 
I always try to at least vacuum or tap the old ones and keep in shed if salvageable just for the JIC moment.Got the KN Cabin for almost 200k now.Warm water and simplegreen work.
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted by Kira
Someone will be along with their "knock loose and overnight soak" method of revitalizing CAFs.


LOL now that's a good one.



Not quite right... knock out the debris, then blow from the clean side to the dirty side with compressed air, then overnight soak, air dry in the sun, then reinstall....Good as factory installed.
 
I just R&Red the CAF in my sister's 2012 Mazda3.
No pics but there were leaf pieces and fuzzy seeds impacting the whole thing.
I hadn't seen her or her car in a while and noticed the air conditioning was real weak.
The airflow has returned.

The thought of digging the crud from and washing the filters (2 stacked style) made me smirk.
 
Never thought about of had any desire to try to clean a cabin filter. I imagine the effectiveness of the charcoal diminishes over time as well.

I just toss them out.
 
Yeah $10 or 20 every year or 2 is not much besides keeping crap from getting drawn in. You can knock crap out but there's still a lot of small particles pulled into the material you can't get out. Eventually the charcoal does become ineffective esp important if you've got allergies. Any little bit helps besides protecting the blower and HVAC from debris. I've had bees, feathers, cigarette butts things I'd thought wouldn't make it past the cowl and screen.
 
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