Cabin air filter

[dkad260]

Think about what your HVAC ducts at home would look like if you drove your house on the road, in the rain, behind other cars for 10+ years without a filter

I can attest to this.

I just did mine, after 11 years I knew it would be a wise thing to do. I've only owned this for 2 years and the HVAC didn't smell bad, but I couldn't let it go knowing there was no filter.

This was the evaporator when I cut open the slot.





I went with the OE cover, definitely built well.





I bought the conversion kit last year I believe from Amazon, but no idea where the cover went so I went with OE. Filter was a single filter with notches to bend for installation.

Spent some time cleaning the coil, lightly agitated the crusty area with a brush and used some mild cleaner as I didn't have the foam cleaner.

Airflow was reduced slightly, but barely noticeable, I'll take the clean air over a slight bump in airflow.

Hope this helps others decide.

 

[TXbarney]

I don't know when GM started installing cabin air filters but today they are hyped as giving you cleaner air....
The real reason they were installed... on GM cars with automatic air (where you set a temp and the system maintains that temp)
all the incoming air goes thru the evaporator (during A/C and heat) so dust, dirt, leaves, animal hair etc was getting collected on the front
of the evaporator. The cabin air filter was invented to solve that problem.
See picture of a 1991 GM vehicle without cabin air filter.

 

[alpha_omega]

The cabin air filter was invented to solve that problem.
See picture of a 1991 GM vehicle without cabin air filter.

Very true! The real question is, were they invented to solve the problem or to help sell vehicle owners another filter?
The number of vehicles on the road that still look this way, regardless if they have a CAF or not is probably an overwhelmingly high number. Especially if you live anywhere near cottonwood trees.

 

[OR VietVet]

Very true! The real question is, were they invented to solve the problem or to help sell vehicle owners another filter?
The number of vehicles on the road that still look this way, regardless if they have a CAF or not is probably an overwhelmingly high number. Especially if you live anywhere near cottonwood trees.

Lot's of cottonwoods around here in the PNW. When I was in the shops and even now at my house, I see lots of cottonwood and dried leaves bits in the CAF's and in the evaporators and anywhere that the CAF resides.