Cabin Air Filter

Gee, all those years people drove cars without filters--it's a wonder everyone on the planet isn't DEAD by now!

I concur... personally I think their primary purpose is to generate an additional revenue stream.

Erik

indeed.

the only [and the real] reason it's there is to keep the a/c condenser clean of the detritus that typically builds up in moist a/c evaporators

- which is responsible for the stink those things always used to have.

I didn't know that.

I'm surprised it works, which I guess it mostly does.

J.

If you ride with the window open, why is the ventilation system on? I tend to use the auto-AC a lot (wife has allergies) and when I change the filter yearly, it is generally full of junk - pollen, dust, pieces of leaves, etc . I would rather have that stuff caught in a filter rather than deposited in the air ducts. To answer an early question, I have never seen any diffe rence between $10 and $20 filters, have used them both.

Not sure whether to splurge for the OEM filter from the local dealer for well over $20; spend just under $20 for a Fram or NAPA Gold; or cheap out at $10 for the plain vanilla NAPA base model. Lots of them for under $10 on Ebay too.

Is carbon/charcoal/baking soda-impregnated filter media worth the extra cost? I mean, if you ride with the window open, the filter doesn't do anything anyhow!

Better have the dealer do it otherwise they will claim it is dirty which they can do without even looking at it. I just had a service at 103k miles where the mechanic stated I needed to have my sparkplugs replaced on my 06 I4 Accord because they were in "poor condition" -- even though they had changed them just 5000, miles earlier at 98k miles. I guess they have some sort of intuition or magical ability to make such a determination.

friend of mine just got charged for a power steering belt as part of a service. his vehicle doesn't even have one. as you may guess, yes, this operator also charged for a bunch of stuff he never touched.

friend of mine just got charged for a power steering belt as part of a service. his vehicle doesn't even have one. as you may guess, yes, this operator also charged for a bunch of stuff he never touched.

You absolutely have to watch them. They will also continue to tell me that my filters a dirty (without checking them) after I have changed them myself.

Wow, that's the exact opposite of the shop where I used to work. I would see cracked & frayed belts, black air filters, grooved brake rotors, brown coolant, useless radiator caps, and Valdez-like oil leaks, but the customer would say they had no money, and the poor car would go out the door one day closer to death. (with brand new oil to leak all over the environment....but the car had a "save the whales bumper sticker" ?!!)

GW