# Check your cabin air filter!



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

This what 19 years in ths car does to a cabin air filter. 2000 Avalon.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

YUK !! Better check wifey's Honda CRV if it has one. That's gross.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Let me run change mine
Hold on....mine does not have one! Darn, what to do, what to do....


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

ukrkoz said:


> Let me run change mine
> Hold on....mine does not have one! Darn, what to do, what to do....


Obviously, you should buy a 19 year old Avalon.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

It isn't hard to replace a cabin air filter on a 2000 Avalon.


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## sestivers (Aug 10, 2007)

ukrkoz said:


> Let me run change mine
> Hold on....mine does not have one! Darn, what to do, what to do....



Same for me. Look at all that crap that's been circulating through our cars :-/

I recall the dealerships charging a lot, like $119, for replacing them. Once you are good at interior trim, looks like a pure profit job.


I'd love to hear if you notice a significant difference in the air flow out the vents now.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

A lot of people don't even know they have one and a lot of quick lube shops don't check as part of their service. It is often confused in the owner's manual under (*if so equipped). On my previous truck, the manual clearly said my model didn't have on so I never thought of it until my shop 'changed' it. It never occurred to me that HVAC housing is all the same, they just didn't slide an element into my model.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

lenaitch said:


> A lot of people don't even know they have one and a lot of quick lube shops don't check as part of their service. It is often confused in the owner's manual under (*if so equipped). On my previous truck, the manual clearly said my model didn't have on so I never thought of it until my shop 'changed' it. It never occurred to me that HVAC housing is all the same, they just didn't slide an element into my model.



Hmmm...I'd be tempted to leave it out...obviously isn't needed to protect 
fan workings etc............


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

CodeMatters said:


> Hmmm...I'd be tempted to leave it out...obviously isn't needed to protect
> fan workings etc............



I don't know - for a few bucks they do stop leaf bits, small bugs, dirt etc. from entering through the cowl plenum. I suppose a lot depends on your operating environment. I'm in the country and usually park in the garage so the filters tend to last a good length of time. Of course, up here, winter is generally a pretty 'clean air' period.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Bigplanz said:


> Obviously, you should buy a 19 year old Avalon.



Meh.. I have 21 yo Mercury. Much better.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I changed ours about two months ago, they were nasty. I can't tell any different though. The one in the Sentra was hard to get to but the one in the Pathfinder wasn't real hard but it had two instead of the one. They keep your AC fins from getting clogged with crap.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

lenaitch said:


> I don't know - for a few bucks they do stop leaf bits, small bugs, dirt etc. from entering through the cowl plenum. I suppose a lot depends on your operating environment. I'm in the country and usually park in the garage so the filters tend to last a good length of time. Of course, up here, winter is generally a pretty 'clean air' period.


You can see that my filter definitely caught a lot of nastiness. That obstruction had to put a stain on the blower motor. If you have a cabin air filter, inspect and replace it if is filthy. Can't hurt. I just got curious, pulled it and went WTF? $20 and 5 minutes and it was changed


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

So Bigplanz got me motivated to change my cabin air filter. And for good measure, I changed my engine air filters too (I got 2 engine air filters).

So first I change my driver's side air filter --- and its dirty/oily as expected. Then I pull the passenger side filter and its got crud on it. I take a better look in front of the filter, and its almost clogged solid. Really not sure what it was --- seemed organic, probably some kind of insect nest, definitely gross.

Did not seem that anything got past the filter. Vacuumed it all out and finished replacing the filter.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Dealership wanted $49 to change mine. I did it myself. Filter was $12. Mine is behind glove compartment.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Startingover said:


> Dealership wanted $49 to change mine. I did it myself. Filter was $12. Mine is behind glove compartment.


I didn't know any dealer did anything for less than a 1 hr. charge.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

SPS-1 said:


> So Bigplanz got me motivated to change my cabin air filter. And for good measure, I changed my engine air filters too (I got 2 engine air filters).
> 
> So first I change my driver's side air filter --- and its dirty/oily as expected. Then I pull the passenger side filter and its got crud on it. I take a better look in front of the filter, and its almost clogged solid. Really not sure what it was --- seemed organic, probably some kind of insect nest, definitely gross.
> 
> Did not seem that anything got past the filter. Vacuumed it all out and finished replacing the filter.



Just curious - what vehicle has two? That's the first of heard that (although admittedly I don't spend much time dwelling on such things).


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

We have a 2000's Chevy Dually work truck that has 2, but they're next to each other on the passengers side. Being a diesel, we always struggled getting good heat out of the thing in Winter, so we got in the habit of changing them every fall. A clean, or better, no filter, makes a noticeable difference in airflow and subsequently heat. We bring a fair amount of mud and dirt into the truck through the year. A few years ago, we just gave up and took the filters out all together, problem solved.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

lenaitch said:


> Just curious - what vehicle has two?


Infiniti Q50 or Q60. Two turbos, two intercoolers, and two air intakes. I am talking of the engine air filters here ---- (one cabin air filter, but no story on that replacement - it only had dust on it).


.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Ha,
This was one item in a long pricey list of things they were doing.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

sestivers said:


> Same for me. Look at all that crap that's been circulating through our cars :-/
> 
> I recall the dealerships charging a lot, like $119, for replacing them. Once you are good at interior trim, looks like a pure profit job.
> 
> ...


This morning, driving my daughter to school, I didn't have to crank the blower all the way to high. Setting two was enough to distribute plenty of heat through the car. Less blower noise, better heat distribution, that is what I have noticed so far.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

Much like a furnace filter, these things are designed to keep the fan motor and heater code/AC evaporator clean. you can ignore the recommended change, have a look at them occasionally, and never pay the dealer price. They are pretty cheap at most places and fairly easy to install on most cars. I would recommend the one in the OP picture, definitely be changed. LOL


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

Fine then @Bigplanz , you guilted me into it! Pulled out my filter (from behind 
glove compartment) and it was covered with crud....mostly maple keys. Removed
it for now and will put a new one in...sometime before spring


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## rcpaulsen (Oct 17, 2018)

I suppose my 2012 Traverse has one, and my 2003 Toyota Solara probably does, as well. Since those are the newest cars I've ever owned, I may not have ever had a car with a cabin air filter before. How did people my age ever survive without them? Should we assume the insides of our lungs look like Bigplanz' filter? I'll have to check my cars so I can throw them on the pile of underhood plastic panels and screw covers collecting in the corner of my garage.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

I follow the the manufacture's schedule for both our Silverado and Altima. Takes me about 30-45 minutes each. I get my filters on Amazon for about $15 apiece.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

Just a reminder for wildfire areas.
If you have been driving multiple days in a heavy wildfire smoke area, change your cabin filter after the air has cleared. Vacuum out the filter housing before installing the new filter.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

^^ Good advice.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

rcpaulsen said:


> I suppose my 2012 Traverse has one, and my 2003 Toyota Solara probably does, as well. Since those are the newest cars I've ever owned, I may not have ever had a car with a cabin air filter before. How did people my age ever survive without them? Should we assume the insides of our lungs look like Bigplanz' filter? I'll have to check my cars so I can throw them on the pile of underhood plastic panels and screw covers collecting in the corner of my garage.


The cabin air filter mostly protects the blower motor and HVAC duct work. All the stuff in my filter would have ended up in the blower, destroying it. Same reason there is an engine air filter. You can't have that debris going into your engine.


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## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

I've replaced the cabin filters in our Tundra and Hondas regularly. Never seen them that bad but we don't keep a vehicle for 19 years either.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Hmm. This looks easy enough in the La La Lexus.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Just double check in your owner's manual or at least one more YuoTube video ----on my old IS350, the ventilation had to be set to recirculate, or fresh air in (can't remember which) before you pull out the cabin air filter, or else you would damage the mechanism.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

I don't consider myself a gear head or anything, but doing routine preventive maintenance on my car is something that I take seriously. Fortunately for me, my car's cabin air filter (two of them) are located under the hood right by the firewall, one of each side in front of the driver and passenger. All I need to do is flip a metal wire clamp, remove the cover and lift out the filter. Couldn't be easier. I change them out every few years.
My son has a Saab 9-5 Aero which has the cabin filter located under the dashboard by the center console, and is a major pain in the rear to change. 

I use a reminder program that I have on my computer to remind me to do oil changes, filter changes, battery top up with distilled water, etc. My car may be 19 years old but it looks and runs like new because I take care of it.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

SPS-1 said:


> Just double check in your owner's manual or at least one more YuoTube video ----on my old IS350, the ventilation had to be set to recirculate, or fresh air in (can't remember which) before you pull out the cabin air filter, or else you would damage the mechanism.


OWNER'S MANUAL? 

WHO HAS THAT? :vs_laugh: :vs_cool:


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

2008 Chrysler 300 here. No cabin air filter. There is a place for one but in 2008 Chrysler didn't put the filter holder in so, no filter. I found a couple leaves when I looked there a 2 or 3 years ago. No wait actually they fell in when I opened the cover, nothing was in there before that.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

DoomsDave said:


> OWNER'S MANUAL?
> 
> WHO HAS THAT? :vs_laugh: :vs_cool:



Blasphemy! :biggrin2:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Don't need no steenkin' owners' manual . . . .


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Checked the filter for the La La Lexus and

Eeew


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> Checked the filter for the La La Lexus and
> 
> Eeew



Dude! If auto HVAC blowers could get hernias . . . 



Not likely where you are but the colour reminded me that Cali folks in fire zones should be checking theirs.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

Oooo ick. More work for my husband.

I'm sure he'll thank you all after I demand he to checks the entire fleet :vs_laugh:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

lenaitch said:


> Dude! If auto HVAC blowers could get hernias . . .
> 
> 
> 
> Not likely where you are but the colour reminded me that Cali folks in fire zones should be checking theirs.


The new one is a nice, light shade of grey.

Keep in mind that the car's 19 years old, and I'll bet this is the first time anyone even looked at that filter. Those are elm tree seeds, I'll bet dating from a few days ago. 

Has it made a difference? Not that I can smell. So far.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I am glad my initial post spurred others to check their CAF. My Avalon is the first car I have owned that even had one. I bet 90% of the cars with them have never had them checked, let alone changed.

I think the CAF is intended more for blower motor/HVAC system protection rather than odor control. Since I changed mine, the car heats up faster and I rarely have to run the blower on 3 or 4.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

DoomsDave said:


> Checked the filter for the La La Lexus and
> 
> Eeew


The black is a good indicator of the same thing on the snow in this parking lot snow pic. That snow had only been there 3 days with very light traffic. Exhaust soot that we don't see from the tail pipe.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Bigplanz said:


> I am glad my initial post spurred others to check their CAF. My Avalon is the first car I have owned that even had one. I bet 90% of the cars with them have never had them checked, let alone changed.
> 
> I think the CAF is intended more for blower motor/HVAC system protection rather than odor control. Since I changed mine, the car heats up faster and I rarely have to run the blower on 3 or 4.


Hmm. Your post might be compared to an exhortation to examine an obscure, but vital bodily function.

Have to wait till the hot weather returns. The AC was getting a lot less cold and the heat a lot less hot than needed. Gonna test with a vengeance! :vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Might have to follow @Dave Sal's backhanded exhortation to get an owner's manual, too . . . .


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

SeniorSitizen said:


> The black is a good indicator of the same thing on the snow in this parking lot snow pic. That snow had only been there 3 days with very light traffic. Exhaust soot that we don't see from the tail pipe.



Our daughter calls that 'snirt' (snow+dirt).


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

lenaitch said:


> Our daughter calls that 'snirt' (snow+dirt).


Almost everyone I know in Alaska calls it snirt too.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Glad I'm in the land O'La La.

Snirt, up in the mountains!


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

DoomsDave said:


> Might have to follow @Dave Sal's backhanded exhortation to get an owner's manual, too . . . .


What vehicle do you have? You can usually find one you can download. 

Ktown


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

ktownskier said:


> What vehicle do you have? You can usually find one you can download.
> 
> Ktown


Yeah, just too lazy. Too much karaoke . . . :vs_cool:


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