My 30k service tomorrow -- on my dime.

If the cabin filter is the same as in my 2005? I have washed it in a sink with warm water and with a small amount of dish soap, be gentel it is fragile. pat dry, let air dry. I have not looked at my 2012 yet, do not know if it is the same or not.

 

I use the Fram with Charcoal added, you can not wash them, just tap the dirt out. After a time however, the Charcoal dies and the filter needs to go!

 

Pat! Clean up that red wire in your engine compartment.

 

DUH....busted!

 

It must be a lot differnt on a Gen III. I have 100,000 miles and have been around alot of dirt and leaves. I have replaced the filter 3 times. It has never looked like that. I replace it when it no longer filters the smell of a skunk. It is my understanding on the Gen III that it is only used when you press the clean air button.

 

Judgeless said: This carbon filter? Its purpose is when you press the clear air button that it only filters the air in the cabin of the car?

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For the record: the cabin filter is always filtering outside air coming into the cabin. Even when OFF is selected there is flow from the car's airspeed.
When the Recirculate button is selected air is then coming from the passenger foot well and not passing through the cabin filter.

I have been told by a chemist that the carbon versions can filter out stink compared to the stock dust filters, but the carbon gets saturated in a few weeks and you then have a stock filter.
If you see stink ahead press the steering wheel mounted Recirc button in the center on the right side.
Practice. Do it without looking. Skunk season is approaching....

The 'Clean Air' switch (left of the AC button) is to turn on the " Plasmacluster ", (® of Sharper Image) which is 'a negative and positive ION Generator' located in the drivers vent. It only stays active for a few minutes, turns on the AC and increases the fan speed. (this is how it operates on my Gen3 Level IV).

RTDM as they say. It's in your Owner's Manual. Broken Engrish and all.

The Plasmacluster ® makes small snapping sounds and AM/FM interference,, sometimes.
But on the plus side of using it, I don't have bad dreams anymore, women flock to me and I lost 40 lbs. !!!!

 

and reversed baldness!

 

Just replaced my cabin filter and it was full of small leaves and debris...so I call no BS. Replaced with a Fram, perfect size and fit, and appears to be significantly better quality than OEM. Also replaced my engine air filter with a K&N, pretty slick! I couldn't believe how cheap the OEM cabin filter appeared to be...

 

Wait a min, what is the "clean air" button??? Am I missing something? I know of re-circulate and outside air, is there another mode that uses the filter?

 

I stumbled on a few threads addressing this after my initial confusion, info is scattered... As Bill Norton explains above, the clean air button makes the filter into a "scrubber". When you press it, the fan increases and sucks the recirculated air through the filter more than normal. It has a timed cycle, I think I read 3 minutes. This is supposed to further clean the cabin of pollen or allergens. The whole idea is cool but still confuses me when I try to figure out the hvac system.

 

I read the manual. Chris has described it (Better than the manual). The Manual doesn't really have a use case for it defined. It's just "there"

 

As I understand it The Plasmacluster ® Button ( aka clean air button ) is a negative ion generator located in just the drivers vent. And it does not 'scrub', does not effect the cabin filter in any way, but creates an ion charge in the air which makes air borne particles cling to surfaces. The dirt does not go away, it just sticks to everything more than normal.
Plus it provides all the magical properties mentioned above !!
Retired4999 may be right. I have been needing hair cuts more often since using the The Plasmacluster ® !!!!!

And as I understand the cabin air filter, all outside air passes through it. When Recirc is selected the filter is not in the air circuit.

On mine sometimes (?) it will go into Recirc and it always turns on the AC. I always then press the Outside air button, turn off the AC and slow the fan down. This way you get all the magical benefits without a MPG hit !!
I use it at first hint of boredom while driving and have to restart the cycle every ~3 mins.
But the benefits !!!! Oh,,,, the benefits ......