Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

I just ordered the combo package; cabin and engine airfilter.

CABIN and AIR FILTER PRIUS 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009:eBay Motors (item 120363801911 end time May-14-09 18:14:17 PDT)

I'll report on it when I get it. This is for my 2008 Prius with 14000 miles.

Kelvin

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Got these pretty fast after ordering. Air cabin filter and engine air filter for about $20 shipped. Ordered on the weekend and got it by the end of the following week. Here's the new parts, the dirty cabin air filter and the new one installed. This is from a 2008 Prius purchase December 29, 2007. This is the first replacement. Car has 14000 miles is garaged and uses covered parking when I'm at work. The filter was dirtier than I expected.

Kelvin

Nice work, Kelvin.

What does the used engine air filter look like? (Note that the dirty side is face down so you'll have to remove the filter for inspection. Also note the rubber tab that fits into the slot at the rear of the air filter housing.)

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

The engine airfilter was no where near as dirty looking as the cabin air filter. I've already removed some of the dirty from the airfilter with my shop vac. It really could last 30k with just vacuuming. I was afraid to ask the dealer for prices on these parts. A flyer from my Toyota dealer mentioned air cabin filters starting a $24. Too expensive for the quality of the filter.

Kelvin

I gather a large part of the air filter span of prices I saw when I was shopping had to do with filtration size. I think the OEM is HEPA. I have my doubts whether it is worth paying for a super small filtration size, but consumers should at least know there may be differences.

make me wonder what the filter costs and options will be for the 2010 since it has an ionization setting to it.

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

This by far the best deal I have seen. Did I miss another post? Also, are all the engine air filters the same for GEN2?

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

I just ordered the same filter set off Ebay as did KJR. I called my dealer here in Walnut Creek Ca and they quoted me 35$ for cabin and 25$ for the engine air filters. Then I asked how much to install them. 55$ I'm sorry, for 110 $ for 5 minuts total work time and 2 air filters?!? Seems kinda high.
Wow, both for less then 20$ including shipping off ebay. I couldn't resist. When they arrived I couldn't wait to check them out. Imagine my surprise when everything looked identical to the OEM. I counted the pleats and carefully looked at the media filter material to see if I could spot any differences. None that I could see. Lets see, 60$ vs 17$. I ordered 3 sets because I have 2 priuses and they give you a great break on shipping when you order 3 sets. I know this is not scientific with air flow testing but I trust my eyes and my ability to spot small idifferences between the two filters media capability. Again, No obvious differences. In fact, the only differences I could see was that the Toyota filters had a printed # on the media. The ones off ebay did not. Every other detail was the same and what about the delaer asking 55$ for installation?? I did them both in under 5 minutes! How do they get off demanding 55$ for that??
For my $ you sure can't beat these filters for the price and ease of getting them shipped directly to your door within a week.
-Paul R. Haller-

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

It's a good profit maker for the service bays

My mother suggested I mist some Lysol spray disinfectant under the dashboard while the A/C was running internal, to "clean and freshen" the A/C system. Probably saw it on Oprah. After I did that I also popped open the cabin filter and had to go find a brush to get all the junk off it. Pollen and twigs. My self-directed replacement schedule for the cabin filter isn't due until 90,000 miles but I think it'll come earlier...

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

That link no longer works for $3.73 so I went the e-bay route that KJR went and orderd two sets.

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

I could not get this link to work.

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Does the instruction work for 2009 model? By "pulling inward" it means pulling left/right toward the inside of the glove box, right? Thanks!

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Just looked at the filter at about 3K miles. Sure enough there were quite a few small fragments of natural material and even one good size leaf. Vacuumed it and put it back. Vacuuming removed about 2/3 or 3/4 of visible pieces of stuff. The rest seems lodged pretty well in the fibers and won't come off. The fan and the housing for the filter assembly above the fan seem pretty clean.

There should be a screen to catch/stop these big chunks, preferably more upstream. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

If you're serious about this, then you could remove the two-piece black plastic cowl housing that runs across the bottom of the windshield, after first removing the wiper arms, the two plastic fasteners on either end of the cowl housing, and the rubber trim strip that runs across the cowl housing.

Once the plastic housing is removed, you will see the large rectangular holes in the bulkhead that allow airflow into the cabin. If you place mesh screening across those holes, you will keep large leaves out (and also mice, for that matter.)

Yes, covering the HVAC intake holes in the cowl would be effective with rodents and leaves. You would have to regularly remove the cowl to clean the screen though.

Not a perfect solution, but I doubt we will ever find one

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Ditto, these were fast and the product was perfect. I still like the idea that someone posted about buying a large trim and fit house filter and make 8-16 of these for the cabin.

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Just found this photo



from here:
Prius heat-efficiency mods

I assume those are the rectangular holes I need to put screen on? What is the frame made of? Metal or plastic? I would like to get as much planning done as possible before actually opening it up. Thanks!

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Yes. The frame is sheet steel, so you will have to drill small holes and use self-tapping metal screws to secure the screen.

Re: Check your Cabin Air Filter Today!

Thanks! I was wondering whether sheet metal screws would be secure enough in a car. Would it work itself loose with all the vibrations in the car?