Changed my cabin air filter today... 😳🤬😳

[Danimal]

Lay a folded bath towel over the door sill before laying your precious ribs on it. Or suffer bruising as I did… Or I guess another options is to think that filters are a govt. conspiracy

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[GMsuperfan]

Lay a folded bath towel over the door sill before laying your precious ribs on it. Or suffer bruising as I did… Or I guess another options is to think that filters are a govt. conspiracy

Padded exercise mat IMO FTW.

 

[jchadwell]

I understand your point but let me ask this, have you also never changed the filter in the HVAC system of your house? Opening windows, opening doors to enter and leave creates the same result as you’re describing with a car.

I do. However, I absolutely do not change them every 30 days as is “recommended”. Again, another gimmick to make more money selling filters. I change mine once a year at Christmas time. I do the filters and smoke detector batteries together since it’s easier to remember. And here’s the thing, based on how dirty (actually how not dirty) they are, I’d bet I could go many many years never changing them before they’d clog enough to actually make a difference. The other difference is the hvac in a house runs significantly more hours than a cars does. Depending on climate, a home heat or air system could damn near run constantly a lot of the year whereas some days we don’t drive our cars at all. In other words, it might realistically take 10 years (just a guess) in a car to run the hvac as many hours as a house system does in a year. Finally, there was a time, not that long ago, when cars did not have a cabin air filter. I’m old enough that I drove quite a few of them and for many many years and upwards of 150 to 200000 miles with zero problems. The air was the same then as it is know. Just my opinion based on life experiences.

 

[J29DB03]

I do. However, I absolutely do not change them every 30 days as is “recommended”. Again, another gimmick to make more money selling filters. I change mine once a year at Christmas time. I do the filters and smoke detector batteries together since it’s easier to remember. And here’s the thing, based on how dirty (actually how not dirty) they are, I’d bet I could go many many years never changing them before they’d clog enough to actually make a difference. The other difference is the hvac in a house runs significantly more hours than a cars does. Depending on climate, a home heat or air system could damn near run constantly a lot of the year whereas some days we don’t drive our cars at all. In other words, it might realistically take 10 years (just a guess) in a car to run the hvac as many hours as a house system does in a year. Finally, there was a time, not that long ago, when cars did not have a cabin air filter. I’m old enough that I drove quite a few of them and for many many years and upwards of 150 to 200000 miles with zero problems. The air was the same then as it is know. Just my opinion based on life experiences.

And typically the dirtier a filter is the better it does at, well, filtering.

 

[Teleguy11]

I do. However, I absolutely do not change them every 30 days as is “recommended”. Again, another gimmick to make more money selling filters. I change mine once a year at Christmas time. I do the filters and smoke detector batteries together since it’s easier to remember. And here’s the thing, based on how dirty (actually how not dirty) they are, I’d bet I could go many many years never changing them before they’d clog enough to actually make a difference. The other difference is the hvac in a house runs significantly more hours than a cars does. Depending on climate, a home heat or air system could damn near run constantly a lot of the year whereas some days we don’t drive our cars at all. In other words, it might realistically take 10 years (just a guess) in a car to run the hvac as many hours as a house system does in a year. Finally, there was a time, not that long ago, when cars did not have a cabin air filter. I’m old enough that I drove quite a few of them and for many many years and upwards of 150 to 200000 miles with zero problems. The air was the same then as it is know. Just my opinion based on life experiences.

Obviously you don't have 3 cats like us which requires me to change all 3 of my HVAC filters twice a year.

 

[Danimal]

I feel like home HVAC filters are supposed to be changed every 6 months, not 1 month…. I do it yearly.

Also, I think you’re underestimating the volume of air your car HVAC pumps through the cabin. I bet it fully exchanges the air in the cabin pretty frequently even on a lower blower setting. Yes, you open the doors often, but I bet that your HVAC filter is filtering like…at least 90% of the volume of air going through your cabin, not 1%… All depends on the amount you drive, of course, but I think cabin air filters are a huge benefit to air quality and health, allergies, etc. And we probably don’t have to guess - I’m sure there are plenty of studies evaluating the same which has led to the ubiquitiousnous of cabin air filters. And I change mine about every 2 years - NBD, it just makes my little wimpy side ribs bruised on the Supra

 

[jchadwell]

I feel like home HVAC filters are supposed to be changed every 6 months, not 1 month…. I do it yearly.

Also, I think you’re underestimating the volume of air your car HVAC pumps through the cabin. I bet it fully exchanges the air in the cabin pretty frequently even on a lower blower setting. Yes, you open the doors often, but I bet that your HVAC filter is filtering like…at least 90% of the volume of air going through your cabin, not 1%… All depends on the amount you drive, of course, but I think cabin air filters are a huge benefit to air quality and health, allergies, etc. And we probably don’t have to guess - I’m sure there are plenty of studies evaluating the same which has led to the ubiquitiousnous of cabin air filters. And I change mine about every 2 years - NBD, it just makes my little wimpy side ribs bruised on the Supra

Or, just putting this out there. The profit margins in cabin air filters drove studies that demonstrate “improved air quality”. I’m sure my cabin filter removes some stuff. I’m also 100% sure when I step out of my car, no matter how many hours I’ve been driving and how many time the air has been turned over, I cannot tell even the slightest difference from the unfiltered outside air. Again, just my opinion but I think cabin air filters are a profit center gimmick. Kinda how Jiffy Lube says you gotta change that oil every 3 months or 3000 miles. Of course they do. And Toyota says you gotta change that cabin filter. And we’ll be happy to charge you a huge margin on it as well as an hours labor. Of course they do!

 

[concept]

I do. However, I absolutely do not change them every 30 days as is “recommended”. Again, another gimmick to make more money selling filters. I change mine once a year at Christmas time. I do the filters and smoke detector batteries together since it’s easier to remember. And here’s the thing, based on how dirty (actually how not dirty) they are, I’d bet I could go many many years never changing them before they’d clog enough to actually make a difference. The other difference is the hvac in a house runs significantly more hours than a cars does. Depending on climate, a home heat or air system could damn near run constantly a lot of the year whereas some days we don’t drive our cars at all. In other words, it might realistically take 10 years (just a guess) in a car to run the hvac as many hours as a house system does in a year. Finally, there was a time, not that long ago, when cars did not have a cabin air filter. I’m old enough that I drove quite a few of them and for many many years and upwards of 150 to 200000 miles with zero problems. The air was the same then as it is know. Just my opinion based on life experiences.

I wished I had a cabin filter that got rid of unburned hydrocarbons coming from big-cammed cars in front of me during the 70s and 80s.

 

[Danimal]

Or, just putting this out there. The profit margins in cabin air filters drove studies that demonstrate “improved air quality”. I’m sure my cabin filter removes some stuff. I’m also 100% sure when I step out of my car, no matter how many hours I’ve been driving and how many time the air has been turned over, I cannot tell even the slightest difference from the unfiltered outside air. Again, just my opinion but I think cabin air filters are a profit center gimmick. Kinda how Jiffy Lube says you gotta change that oil every 3 months or 3000 miles. Of course they do. And Toyota says you gotta change that cabin filter. And we’ll be happy to charge you a huge margin on it as well as an hours labor. Of course they do!

Wait, you don’t wear a mask to filter outside air!?!!??!

All fair points, btw.

 

[FLtrackdays]

Or, just putting this out there. The profit margins in cabin air filters drove studies that demonstrate “improved air quality”. I’m sure my cabin filter removes some stuff. I’m also 100% sure when I step out of my car, no matter how many hours I’ve been driving and how many time the air has been turned over, I cannot tell even the slightest difference from the unfiltered outside air. Again, just my opinion but I think cabin air filters are a profit center gimmick. Kinda how Jiffy Lube says you gotta change that oil every 3 months or 3000 miles. Of course they do. And Toyota says you gotta change that cabin filter. And we’ll be happy to charge you a huge margin on it as well as an hours labor. Of course they do!

Everything depends on where you drive, what you can tolerate, no one person or driving environment is the same. Most the time my AC points directly right at me. The way my schweaty ass likes it. Last thing I want is the majority of the air blowing bug guts and other dust mite on me. We all can tolerate some. But after a while, no thanks….

If I have the choice to buy a cheap filter online & change it, I’ll do it.

However, you are right. On the flip side, like everything, they will over do it and people will charge hundreds of dollars to change them. Hence this great post on how to contort yourself, maybe even take out the seat and save a few bucks

 

[Andrew4Supra]

To aid those on the cost fence ... the filter is about $30 at the dealer.

 

[FLtrackdays]

To aid those on the cost fence ... the filter is about $30 at the dealer.

Damn that’s cheap! Or could get one that even says Premium on the box for under $17

I do get the point of diminishing returns. Changing it monthly would be stupid. Annually for me yields a pretty dirty looking filter. So that’s when I change ours.

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