Pollen filter - do without?

it is best to prevent as far as possible ANY dust getting on the air con evaporator, as it turns to mud (because the evaporator becomes damp in use) and then harbors bacteria and makes a horrible stench. I would not leave it out.

Replace it you cheap scrooge lol. Nah I would if I was you can help prevent condensation to I think.

Ah, ok, I'll definitely replace it then. Thanks.

...Nick.

Well yeah, saving a tenner or so did appeal! But the main issue I have with it is that the ventilation is a lot better without it, although that might be because it doesn't appear to have been changed in a long time so is rather clogged up (we bought the car around 18 months ago, and although there's lots of main dealer history and receipts, none of them mention replacing the pollen filter). I'll be replacing it though

- don't want any nasty smells due to condensation on the aircon evaporator as mentioned above by Mrcheerful.

...Nick.

Fuck sake, they're under =A310.

--=20 Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't=20 looking good either. - Scott Adams

What, 1997 Fiestas? I certainly wouldn't give £10 for one, but still...

As I said in my reply to Sarah, my main issue isn't the cost, but the apparent reduction in ventilation (especially if they're clogged).

...Nick.

a new one will make no practical difference to the air flow.

Thanks. Given what you said yesterday about the aircon generating smells if the filter is left out, I'll fit a new filter and just put up with the reduced airflow! Hopefully the airflow will be a little bit better with a new filter - the old one is really dirty.

...Nick.

Vacuum cleaner every now and again??????

There will be no significant reduction in airflow if the filter is replaced at the correct service interval. (For the OP, this is two years.) The system was designed to have a filter.

They cost a tenner or less; by the time access is achieved, it's much better to fit a new one surely?

Chris

The same happens on my car which has two - if they get blocked the airflow is reduced to the point where the heater etc is ineffective. I know this from the time when the car was serviced by a main dealer who charged to change them at the scheduled intervals... Now it's no longer service by a main dealer I give them a Hoover each time I clean the inside of the car. Ie not often. ;-) This certainly extends their life - and they cost about 60 quid the pair. But on this car they are very accessible and easy to remove. That's not always the case.

I'm not convince the filter makes any difference to the 'AC smell' that some cars suffer from. It's caused by bacteria that no filter could remove. And in any case I use recirculation with the AC - it's pretty wasteful trying to cool outside hot air. And on mine the filters are on the fresh air intakes. I do realise others use AC all the time - but I'm a tight Scot so only use it to cool the car.

A ridiculous price IMO. Like you I cleaned mine, except I used an airline. A reverse blowthrough at 80psi certainly shifted most of the dirt. Apart from a few persistant spots, their original colour was restored.. The high pressure didn't seem to harm the filter material itself, so I would assume that afterwards were almost as good as new. Mike. .

except that the activated charcoal will have ceased to have any function (assuming you have that type, which is very common on ford)

Car is a BMW 528i, same as Dave's. The cabin filter material appears to be similar to ordinary engine intake air filters. Rectangular 'rubber frame' with a simple stiff concertina filter. No sign of any activated charcoal. Mike.