DIY Cabin Filter / Pollen Filter replacement

Great info! Thx

 

Surprised Ferrari did not spec a filter with activate charcoal in it, to reduce odors. Very common amongst most other car manufacturers.

 

Do what I did....don't buy new. Just rinse them out with your garden hose. My came completely clean and did not lose any shape! Worked like a dream!!!!

 

Just a couple of things to add. Firstly, note the direction arrow of the filter when fitting.

Also, over here (UK) we can buy aftermarket filters for £17 from eurocarparts. They are made by Corteco. Part numbers are:

507580410 (standard)

507580420 (activated carbon)

EDIT: I have now read the entire thread. Sorry for the duplication.

 

I buy these on ebay from Italy, EUR 14.50 + shipping. The seller is called mondoautoricambi

 

Thanks Dan, great to know the aftermarket has addressed the deficiency!

 

Thanks for the post and DIY instructions, Dan. I was wondering how to remove the pollen filter. Placed my order through Ricambi, pollen and also intake filters. Will be performing this work over the weekend. Thanks again!

 

What the advantage of carbon activated ?

 

Activated charcoal will absorb odors in the air, although not totally/completely. Most cars like BMW an Mercedes use them. For the small additional cost, I believe they are worth having when available.

 

I would like to put my thoughts on cabin air filters ....

Now, first, let me say that I have driven cars for nearly a half century. During this period I have managed to drive cars with and without A/C. Only in the last few years have any of the cars I have driven were equipped with cabin filters ... some with activated charcoal, some without. My thoughts on this:

Activated charcoal is overkill. Don't pay more for it as the filtering quality is not any better.

About 85% of my driving in the 360 is with the windows down. I run the heater or A/C ... even with windows down ... for comfort purposes. The cabin filter is useless when the windows are open.

Certainly, if the filter becomes too dirty, it will impede air flow to the A/C blower and reduce its efficiency. So it should be cleaned or replaced if it becomes dirty.

How many miles do you put on your car every year. Most cars recommend annual cabin filter change, but your filter should last at least 15,000 miles or so. This will depend on where you are.

What are the possible detriments to merely removing the cabin filter. IMO, only that dust may accumulate on the blower motor fan ... not really a big deal. If you drive 100% of the time with the windows up, then the cabin filter will reduce the amount of dust accumulating on the interior. Any other factors are inconsequential. I don't buy into the argument about filtering air before you breathe. If the environment is that bad, you should be wearing a respirator all the time.

So, in summary, I have decided I do not need a cabin filter on the 360. But, on my Acura MDX, I drive almost 100% of the time with windows closed so I think it is a good idea to keep the interior a bit cleaner. But, on the 360, if only a few dollars, then no biggie. If it is $100 or so, then to hell with it.

Regards,

Steve

 

Thanks for the great practical post. Have been meaning to replace mine!

 

To each their own Steve....but with all the crap I see in the filter, it is obviously doing it's job on my Scud (bugs, a few pine needles and a lot of dust and dirt). Activated charcoal indeed works. I work for a medical device company, and our machines are used for cleaning and disinfecting medical devices. We have the supporting studies to show the effectiveness of activated charcoal filters used in our machines to filter out harmful vapors from the disinfectants.

Agreed, they do NOT need to be changed often. Since we now know that the oem or aftermarket activated charcoal filters can be obtained for around $65 delivered, and only need to be changed every two to three years, seems totally fine by me. But each can make their own decision. I would prefer not to have all that crap blowing into the HVAC system and into the car.

 

For me, it is that I rarely drive with the windows up ... so not a big factor in my book.

OTH ... in my MDX, I almost always drive with windows up. Dust filtration is nice, but just a not big deal in my book.

Steve

 

Curious if anyone has bothered to measure the dimensions, and find an alternate that will fit? Might take some doing at the local autoparts shop opening boxes...but there has to be a close fit for $15, over the $65 to $100 alternative.

 

Knock yourself out but that is a lot of work for something that last so long and costs so little.

 

Well, you can take the Saturn VUE off the list. It is about 2" longer and about an inch wider, but of the correct thickness, than the 430 filter. It is $12.60 for NAPA's cheapy and $17.55 for their best grade of pollen filter for the VUE.

Something could be said for cutting the VUE pollen filter down to fit the 430. That would be a savings of about $80.

Tom
07 F430 Coupe

 

It is only work the first time. Once it I figured out, the savings can be shared amongst all 360 an 430 owners forever. /

 

Dan and Others,

Per my suggestion, above, I bought a NAPA 4872, cut it down, glued it back together and came up with a spare cabin air filter for a 430.

The NAPA 4872 normally fits a Saturn VUE. Lucky me, we happen to have just such a vehicle right next to the F430. The VUE filter is roughly 1” wider, 2” longer, but, most importantly, precisely the same thickness.

Using the OEM filter as a template, I marked the VUE filter where to cut, taking into account the thickness of the end and side pieces. I took care to mark accurately since the filter needs to fit in the filter mount with little or no gap on all sides. I made the long cut with a band saw so the cut edge would be perpendicular to the inlet and outlet sides of the filter. Other cuts were made with scissors or tin snips. The 1” of accordion-fold filter material just pulls off the side piece. I glued the modified pieces back together with the long side piece turned inside out since the formerly “in” side had a bumpy texture after the accordion-fold filter material was pulled free. I used Loctite Plastic Bonder 20-minute epoxy.

The cost of the NAPA 4872 (better quality Enviroshield) filter was $21.24 to me and I used about $2.00-worth of epoxy. I probably spent 2 hours making the new filter. I did it mainly for the challenge. It might be more efficient if I made six or eight at one sitting. The new filter has a little tab (black) that makes it easier to pull out of the mount.

Tom
2007 F430 Coupé
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login