Forester cabin air filter

Dealer wants over $50. Terrible rip off. Injection molded plastic housing and pleated paper. I said forget it. I'll clean the old one. Frank

Reply to
Frank Logullo
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Reply to
Edward Hayes

I just touched the filter and it looked just like a non-woven type. There is no way in my thinking that there is more than $1 worth of stuff in it. No stickiness like the one in my '98. Good idea though to just replace with home made if too dirty to reuse. Reminds me of time with '98 where hardware store could not find blanks for extra keys and dealer charged me about $17 for two keys. Frank

Reply to
Frank Logullo

Yes, it specially-hermetically filters money out of your wallet!

Just cut up a $4 20x20" home filter with tin snips.

Reply to
CompUser

I agree with you 100% Frank. Subaru corporate must have inflated the price of that $9.00 filter several hundred percent. I told my subaru dealer to go pound sand if he thought I would pay $49.00 plus tax for a "genuine" replacement.

Instead I carefully cut out the filter media and made my own from a HEPA Certified filter with activated charcoal impregnation, and slipped it into place using a hot glue gun to secure it.

Works fine. My cost: $11.00 plus 1/2 hour work on a weeknight and a very happy camper. :)

Reply to
Paul B

Why does this even have to be replaced at all? What does the filter do? I've never heard of the need to replace cabin air filters in any car but the Forester.

Reply to
BRH

Reply to
Edward Hayes

heh, at ~$80 an hour for a subaru service, it just cost you an extra $2 :)

Reply to
Dave - Dave.net.nz

You don't have to keep a filter in there.

However, if you do have a filter in there, once you look at it, you'll see why it needs to be replaced. You'll also have the answer to "what does the filter do".

Reply to
CompUser

The reason I asked the question is that my 2001 Forester came with this cabin filtration system (although I didn't want it). The car now has

60K miles on it and the filter has only been changed once (by the dealer). Needless to say, I don't want to pay dealer prices to have it done again.

So, what ill effects, if any, can I expect if the filter never gets changed again?

What do I need to do to take a look at it on my own?

Finally, if the filter is filthy, what's worse in terms of cabin air quality? -- Leaving it as is, or removing it altogether? I wouldn't have thought that this filtration system really accomplishes anything, since other cars I've had didn't have one. But if the filter does trap all sorts of junk, maybe it really is important to change it.

Reply to
BRH

If you have the cabin filter, it needs to be checked and replaced periodically or it will eventually clog and seriously reduce the airflow through the vents. The owners manual should have the maintenance interval and procedure for removing/replacing the filter. If you live and drive in areas with high amounts of dust and pollution the filter will need more frequent service. In the event you do not wish to deal with the filter as a service item, it's best to remove it completely rather than leave it in place and ignore it.

Reply to
mulder

Hmmm...if it's been in there for 60K miles, it should be...**nasty**. Loaded up with dirt, dust, black-sooty looking stuff, and all manner of organic plant material (much of which looks way to large to fit into the vent system)...probably enough crap to absorb moisture and support mold & mildew growth on the filter itself, definitely enough to reduce air flow thru your vents.

Eventually the accumulation will probably cause the filter media to collapse into the fan housing, stalling the fan or making a lot of noise.

Read the section in your owners manual that tells you how to get to it.

Worse to leave it in.

Well, why don't you check yours out, then come back here and tell us what you think? ;-)

Reply to
CompUser

Reply to
calhoun

OK. Thanks. I'll take a look at it this weekend.

Reply to
BRH

OK. I pulled out the filter. It wasn't dark black (totally clogged) but it was pretty grey. Apparently it has been changed once by the dealer and was due for a 2nd change a year ago.

So, at the moment, I have no filter installed. I assume that I can leave it like this without suffering any ill effects? (Note: I don't have allergies, etc).

Or am I better off replacing it?

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has it available for $32.98)

Thanks!

Reply to
BRH

For you tinkerers or entrepreneurial types out there, here is an idea. I'm an HVAC guy certified in air distribution so I know much about moving air whether in a building or in a car. When the air filter loads up with material, two things will happen. First, the blower motor for any given speed will actually speed up! The amperage will also be reduced. It's like taking your vacuum cleaner hose and holding your hand on it. You hear the motor speed up not because it is working harder, but you've removed the load from the motor. Nice to know but not much for checking the air filter, though this principle is how the compression is tested on an engine via starter amperage.

The second thing that happens is that the airflow decreases. This can be tested. In the building trades we use a device called a flow hood. It measures the velocity of the air and calculates the volume of the flow. A simple device can be fabricated to measure the airflow with a clean filter and used to visualize the decrease in airflow until it is determined that the filter should be changed.

You can make a very simple device by using a small box the size of one of the dash vents. At one end of the box is a foam gasket and at the other end a piece of material that blows out a certain distance. The distance is measure and compared to future readings. Or you can just go to an HVAC distributor and buy a velometer such as one made by Supco.

Reply to
Steve Bukosky

On the topic of Soob cabin air filters: I'm in the market for a new Soob (I have a great '92 Loyale now... my 3rd Soob), so I want one with a cabin air filter (and PZEV, but that's another topic). Can someone tell me what models and years had cabin air filters? I like the Forester or Outback wagons. Also, is there a quite way to verify that it has a cabin air filter?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
popeye22202

One way would be to checkout

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and see for which models/years they offer replacement filters.

Reply to
BRH

Reply to
Ray

The cabin air filter gets remarkably dirty over a year of use, even if your car is garaged at night and not parked under trees. This dirt would normally get blown over and collect on your A/C evaporator. This attracts constant moisture and in some cars (Volvo for example) has been known to lead to premature evaporator corrosion and leaks = $$$ replacement costs. I keep the filter clean and change it regularly on my Volvo and change the filters on my three Subies regularly as well. I make my own Subie filters from high end 3M filters as has been described previously

Reply to
DG

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