I guess the air's not as clean here as I thought

[RJM62]

Cabin air filter on my car. Ten months and 12,200 miles.

The engine air cleaner was just as bad. I guess I'll have to push them onto to the semiannual replace list.

Rich

 

[Zeldman]

Yikes..... you live on a dirt road..??

 

[Sac Arrow]

I've always wondered about that. When I ride a motorcycle, it seems like I reek of exhaust fumes afterwards if I've been riding in traffic. I generally like to ride with my window down vs. the AC if it isn't too hot (or too cold.) Maybe I'm better off using the vent since my current vehicle has a cabin air filter.

 

[rtk11]

That's mostly road residue that's being kicked-up by the cars in front of you and being sucked into your cabin filter. Things such as dirt and dust on the road, along with worn tire dust, etc. all contribute to that stuff. Not a bad idea to change the filter on a regular basis. Better if you can get a activated charcoal version of the same filter (but it's more speedy.)

 

[RJM62]

Yikes..... you live on a dirt road..??

No, but the paving on most roads around here is crushed stone that may or may not be steamrolled. Sometimes I think they just let the traffic tamp it down.

I was pretty surprised because we've had a lot of rain this summer, so there weren't too days when the dust was dry. Maybe the dampness of the filter media from the high humidity resulted in their trapping more debris than they would have if the air was drier. I don't think I've ever seen one that dirty after such a short time.

Rich

 

[Matthew K]

At least you have an airfilter...the 99' ram 2500 I drive never came with a cabin air filter from the factory. I hear leaves flipping around inside from time to time that eventually make it to the airvent lol.

 

[RJM62]

That's mostly road residue that's being kicked-up by the cars in front of you and being sucked into your cabin filter. Things such as dirt and dust on the road, along with worn tire dust, etc. all contribute to that stuff. Not a bad idea to change the filter on a regular basis. Better if you can get a activated charcoal version of the same filter (but it's more speedy.)

The new one on the bottom is charcoal coated, on the opposite side from the side shown obviously.

I'm just going to change the air filters when I do the spring and fall oil and filter changes from now on. They're cheap enough, and it takes about two minutes on the Kia. They have an access hatch inside the glove box, so you don't even have to pull the glove box out to reach the cabin air filter anymore.

Rich

 

[rtk11]

They have an access hatch inside the glove box, so you don't even have to pull the glove box out to reach the cabin air filter anymore.

Kia is doing things right. My former Altima required dropping the lower dashboard, removing the glovebox, removing the side of the center console, assuming the Apollo astronaut launch position (or prison "catcher" position for those that can envision that better), and working to remove a screw from the interior cabin fan's housing in order to squeeze and pinch out the filter from a rectangular opening that is roughly half it's the size of the filter.

So glad it's my "former" vehicle...

 

[GRG55]

Kia is doing things right. My former Altima required dropping the lower dashboard, removing the glovebox, removing the side of the center console, assuming the Apollo astronaut launch position (or prison "catcher" position for those that can envision that better), and working to remove a screw from the interior cabin fan's housing in order to squeeze and pinch out the filter from a rectangular opening that is roughly half it's the size of the filter.

So glad it's my "former" vehicle...

Seems like good preparation to work on little airplanes.

 

[Matthew]

I got in the habit of changing them at every oil change.

 

[Zeldman]

No, but the paving on most roads around here is crushed stone that may or may not be steamrolled. Sometimes I think they just let the traffic tamp it down.
Rich

The county road folks just did that to the road I live on. They poured a thick oil down, then dropped the crushed stone down and rolled it. And yes, traffic did most of the work...

I have 4 vehicles and now all four have cracked and dinged windshields. The county is trying to tell me that the broken windshields are not their problem.

The county might win, But they will spend a whole lot more than 4 windshields worth to get that decision.

So far everyone on the road is putting in a written complaint on the now poor road condition. The road is as bad as it was before, but now with loose gravel on top. Glad I am moving soon.

 

[cowman]

My road isn't even paved.

 

[asicer]

Kia is doing things right. My former Altima required dropping the lower dashboard, removing the glovebox, removing the side of the center console, assuming the Apollo astronaut launch position (or prison "catcher" position for those that can envision that better), and working to remove a screw from the interior cabin fan's housing in order to squeeze and pinch out the filter from a rectangular opening that is roughly half it's the size of the filter.

So glad it's my "former" vehicle...

First gen Acura MDX (and Honda Pilot too, I think) requires someone to cut the trim pieces with a hacksaw to change the cabin filter. And that's the official factory manual procedure.

 

[Bill]

Just did the wife's Fusion, as the book calls for it to be changed every 20k. About a 15min procedure. Have to remove two trim pieces, then remove the glove box, then a few more screws, open an access panel, then the filter. It goes smoothly, but I cringe every time I have to pry apart panels held by those cheap plastic fasteners. It sounds horrible and sooner or later they break.

 

[steingar]

Rich, I thought you were retired and raising turtles. What are you doing driving 12K miles a year?

 

[tspear]

Rich, I thought you were retired and raising turtles. What are you doing driving 12K miles a year?

My parents are retired and drive between 40-50K a year. Retired has nothing to do with it anymore. They are always busy.....

Tim

 

[RJM62]

Rich, I thought you were retired and raising turtles. What are you doing driving 12K miles a year?

Well, Michael, first of all, I live a mile from the Middle of Nowhere. Look:

My credit union and the nearest decent supermarket are 27 miles away. Once my credit union finally gets the remote check deposit functionality working, that should shave a lot of miles off. Right now it's a 54-mile trip every time I have to deposit checks. Pretty much everything else is at least 50 miles away. So routine errands become cross-country journeys.

Secondly, some of my family are scattered throughout Long Island, Philadelphia, and Connecticut, so those trips add some miles. I also go down to The City once in a while to see shows, visit old friends, and remember why I moved. The last time I was down there my ex flew over me on her broom. She still hasn't fixed the turn signals.

Finally, I occasionally drive to visit clients and do local occasional local jobs, usually POS system installations and the like. I'm only semi-retired. I still work about four hours a day when I feel like it for clients who pay their bills on time and don't annoy me.

Other than that, I raise turtles and frogs, tend to my own sites, fish, fly ultralights, and spend the rest of my time talking to my local friends and the resident wildlife. Except for the red squirrels. I shoot them. I hate those little commie bastards.

Rich

 

[Norman]

Damn, Rich, I could tell you tales about owners who ignore their bills but I think they would bore you.

 

[spiderweb]

Cabin air filter on my car. Ten months and 12,200 miles.

The engine air cleaner was just as bad. I guess I'll have to push them onto to the semiannual replace list.

Rich

Stupid question: where is the cabin air filter located, generally? I'd like to replace it myself.

 

[Timbeck2]

Not all vehicles have them. Look in your owner's manual.

 

[Matthew]

Stupid question: where is the cabin air filter located, generally? I'd like to replace it myself.

You may or may not have one.

Some models seem to have them in tough parts to reach - in one of my vehicles (200x Ford), it's underneath the cowl at the base of the windshield, below the pax side windshield wiper. That requires tools to remove, takes about 15 min.

On the other two vehicles I have, later models (2009 Toyota and 2013 Subaru), it is behind the glove box. Remove everything from the glove box, snap off the box at its hinges, then pop off a cover and slide out the filter. Takes about 3 min.

 

[RJM62]

Stupid question: where is the cabin air filter located, generally? I'd like to replace it myself.

Depends on the car. Some don't have them at all. On those that do, it's usually somewhere upstream of the blower fan. That way it keeps the dirt and grit out of the blower motor as well as out of the cabin. I think the commonest places I've found the cabin air filters have been either up behind the glove box right upstream of the blower motor housing, or under the hood somewhere in the path from the air inlet vents.

I have a 2016 Kia Soul that replaced a 2012 Kia Soul. The 2012 required taking out the glove box, but it was easy to do. The 2016 glove box is much more difficult to remove, so they built a hatch into it for easy access to the cabin air filter. I've found Kia and Hyundai to be pretty good that way. They seem to build their cars with maintenance in mind. Saturn was the same way. Their cars were, for the most part, easy to work on.

For cars that have them, cabin air filters need to be checked and replaced regularly. Not only do you not want to be breathing whatever's breeding in the schmutz on the filter, but the reduced flow can cause premature failure of the blower motor and the resistor (as well as just reducing heating and cooling efficiency).

Rich

 

[RJM62]

Damn, Rich, I could tell you tales about owners who ignore their bills but I think they would bore you.

I fire them now if they persistently don't pay on time. Once in a while a client will run into problems and I'll work with them. I'll also break up payments into small chunks if they need it. But clients who are persistently late don't get renewed.

Rich

 

[spiderweb]

Depends on the car. Some don't have them at all. On those that do, it's usually somewhere upstream of the blower fan. That way it keeps the dirt and grit out of the blower motor as well as out of the cabin. I think the commonest places I've found the cabin air filters have been either up behind the glove box right upstream of the blower motor housing, or under the hood somewhere in the path from the air inlet vents.

I have a 2016 Kia Soul that replaced a 2012 Kia Soul. The 2012 required taking out the glove box, but it was easy to do. The 2016 glove box is much more difficult to remove, so they built a hatch into it for easy access to the cabin air filter. I've found Kia and Hyundai to be pretty good that way. They seem to build their cars with maintenance in mind. Saturn was the same way. Their cars were, for the most part, easy to work on.

For cars that have them, cabin air filters need to be checked and replaced regularly. Not only do you not want to be breathing whatever's breeding in the schmutz on the filter, but the reduced flow can cause premature failure of the blower motor and the resistor (as well as just reducing heating and cooling efficiency).

Rich

Thanks!