[Shop-talk] Cabin Air Filters

[Bob Spidell]

I'll bite.  First, what do you mean by 'due?'  Is your current one 
sprouting new life forms?  Or is it just 'cause the owner's manual says 
'Change thy cabin air filter every 30,000 miles, else Thor will come 
down from Olympus and smite thee with his hammer?'

Seriousness aside, if your cabin HVAC system is functioning properly; 
i.e. no unintended holes, oil leaks, etc. a filter will keep some dust 
and dirt out of your cabin, so it will stay just a bit cleaner.  If you 
live in a dusty environment; say, the Mojave or parts of Nevada, you'd 
probably want to change it more often than the 'book' says.  If you live 
in a really humid place; say, Seattle you might want to change it more 
often too, to keep mildew spores down.  Otherwise, you can probably go 
100K miles without messin' with it (esp. if it's a PITA to get to--most 
are).  I've tried the ones with activated charcoal embedded in them, and 
I did think the cabin air smelled a bit fresher for a while--placebo 
effect, maybe--but it's just a little bit of charcoal and probably gets 
saturated in a couple hundred miles anyway.

Also, it's fourteen bucks!  You can probably get them in bulk for 
cheaper from RockAuto, Amazon, etc. (but you DO get what you pay for).

Bob

On 3/8/2019 11:29 AM, eric--- via Shop-talk wrote:
> OK, so my Ford Explorer is due for a new 'cabin air filter.'
>
> It's $14 bucks, so I got it.  But my question is, do you really need 
> them?  Can I just remove it and leave it out?  I'm not allergic nor am 
> I needing to have 'filtered' air.  In fact, I think the whole idea of 
> them is insane.  But is there anything it is protecting?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>
> Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
> Tech Viper
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a 
> rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your 
> territory." Ralph Waldo Emerson
> -Who is John Galt? 
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