Cabin Filter Tip

[cool vibes]

I took my cabin filter out the other day and it looked very dirtyif i should buy a new one or could the old one be so i tried soaking it in water and the dirt didn"T come out .I used Orange Blast on the filter and guess what it came out like new""""" so i guess i can save my dollars on a new filter. this product really works well

[ragingfish]

Yeah, but it may weaken the integrity of the filter material...IMO, if they were washable, the would've been designed that way.

[ragingfish]

My guess is that it is the competitor's version of the "Orange Clean" product which we often see on TV...

[NacolAnt94]

I know this might sound like a dumb quesiton but, Where is the cabin filter?

[joatmon]

It's behind the glove compartment (passenger side) You have to use a screw driver to undo one phillips screw to get the glove compartment to drop down enough, and then there's a flap that covers the cabin air filter. It filters the air coming into the car throught the ventilation system, kind of handy for keeping the interior clean , especially if you're driving in a dusty area. Might be something about it in the owner's manual.

[ragingfish]

Helps allergy sufferers too!

[NovaResource]

quote:Might be something about it in the owner's manual.You think?!

[joatmon]

Well, I was trying to give a gentle reminder about the owner's manual, trying to be nice, and bored with RTFM. But, after seeing your comment, I had to look it up. Imagine my surprise to find that it IS in the 2003 Vibe owner's manual, on pages 6-22 and 6-23. In the 2004 Vibe owner's manual, it's on pages 3-23 and 3-24. It's called the "Passenger Compartment Air Filter" I checked mine a month ago, and it was getting dirty, but since I never thought about washing it, and didn't have a replacement, I just put it back in. A different maintenance philosophy than for the engine air filter.The owners manual pretty much says to just replace the engine air filter. I was checking mine (no CAI, just stock) and wondered how many people open it up, look at it and see it looks ok, then close it back up without realizing that the dirt is on the bottom and you have to pull the filter out to check it.

[NSimkins]

I had posted an error in the 2003 Vibe owner's manual about the procedure to gain access to the filter here:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=982Upon further inspection, it looks like the 2004 manual is also flawed with the same error.Check out the post above for further information.

[cool vibes]

Orange Blast is a degreaser for auto etc,this product was shown on TwoGuysGarage so far i have checked the filter and its holding up. I will keep you posted if it should fall apart which i don"t think so''''''''

[cool vibes]

Yeah, but sometimes as you know alot of things are not mentioned for ovious reasons so you can go out and buy these expensive filters you got to experiment sometimes with things.

[NacolAnt94]

Thank you for being nice about it...in response to the smarta**, I thought this was a site where people wanted to help other Vibe owners. I would RTFM if I knew WITF it was, so that I would know where to look.

[NovaResource]

quote:in response to the smarta**, I thought this was a site where people wanted to help other Vibe owners. I would RTFM if I knew WITF it was, so that I would know where to look.Reply from the smarta**:Yes, this is a place where people help other Vibe owners. And I'm glad to help you.Here's my help for you: Read your owners manual.Hope that helps. Have a nice day!

[ragingfish]

My take on it is that Nova wants to help people help themselves.He isn't here to tell people to go away and get their own answers...He can be very helpful at times -- but when a question is asked and the info is covered in the manual, he likes to make sure the asker knows it is in the manual...I'm sure if the asker read the manual, and still was confused, Nova would be more than happy to assist them further...

[joatmon]

Enough, don;t need to be making excuses.. Nova's a great source of accurate info, and people should read the manual. Now, back on topic, or at least closer to it. Hey cool vibes, after you run your washed filter for a while, can you check it out and let us know how it's holding up?There was some other discussion about replacing this filter (and some geography lessons) in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5345. Seems like the filter can be pretty expensive, depending on where you get it. If washing it works, even if not designed for it, then maybe I'll do that instead. I figure mine must be getting dirty by now.

[kaybeejay]

That's right. Nova likes to help people, to help themselves.When I used to work at a large sporting goods store, everyday someone would ask me "Excuse me, where is your shoe department?" My reply was sometimes, "See that really really big 'ol sign there hanging on the wall that says SHOES? - that is the shoe department."****************************As for cleaning the filter with water and a simple cleaner. It is not recommended. Ask any HVAC professional. The filter has oils in it that help to stop the dust and other contaminants from getting past the filter. When you wash it, you also wash away the oils rendering the filter useless. Unless the filter specifies that it is washable and comes with instructions to do so, fork out the cash and buy a replacement.Questions: Would you just take off your oil filter and rinse it and then put it back in? Would you take off your intake filter, wash it and put it back in? Would you take your coffee filters out, wash it and put it back in? (Right, I didn't think so)Filters are not expensive. Just buy a replacement.

[joatmon]

quote:Questions: Would you just take off your oil filter and rinse it and then put it back in? Would you take off your intake filter, wash it and put it back in? Would you take your coffee filters out, wash it and put it back in? (Right, I didn't think so)No. No. Yes, I have actually done this when I ran out and either didn't remember to buy some more, or was too cheap and poor and needed the money for something else (like coffee). To me the cabin air filter is more like the coffee filter than the oil filter. The owners manual specifically says "Once you remove the old air filter, if you choose not toreplace it, it will not damage your vehicle. "Not going to find a statement like that for the oil filter.

[ragingfish]

quote:Filters are not expensive. Just buy a replacement.Actually, I paid $60 for this filter. Quite expensive by my tastes.On another note, my climate control system smells like a$$. It's horrid. Anytime I turn it on, I got a waft of this horrid stench. Is there anything I can do to "flush" the system or get that stench outta there? (AND NO, it's not me!)

[joatmon]

quote:Actually, I paid $60 for this filter. Quite expensive by my tastes.Yeah, but you got ripped off.

[ragingfish]

Some people had talked of getting a home heating filter @ Home Depot or WalMart and cutting it to fit...has anyone done this, and if so, how is it working out?

[kaybeejay]

The filters for my Nissan (I think they are bigger, than for my Vibe) were only $25-30. They recommend to change it every 6 months, so that's $60 per year. To put it into perspective, I pay $20-30 per week for gas. (that's $1,040 - 1,560 per year)As I understand it, the Vibe filters are more expensive than the ones for my Nissan.To relate to my previous example: Oil Filters are what?..... $5-10 per 3,000 miles. Say you change your oil 4 times per year. Thats $20-40 per year on oil filters. Would you really just rather rinse/clean the oil filter (and resuse it) just to save a few bucks? Of course not! Just pay the money, and get a new one.

[kaybeejay]

quote:The filters for my Nissan (I think they are bigger, than for my Vibe) were only $25-30. They recommend to change it every 6 months, so that's $60 per year. To put it into perspective, I pay $20-30 per week for gas. (that's $1,040 - 1,560 per year)As I understand it, the Vibe filters are more expensive than the ones for my Nissan.To relate to my previous example: Oil Filters are what?..... $5-10 per 3,000 miles. Say you change your oil 4 times per year. Thats $20-40 per year on oil filters. Would you really just rather rinse/clean the oil filter (and resuse it) just to save a few bucks? Of course not! Just pay the money, and get a new one.That is cheap for gas.I do that in 2 days usually. Gas for me is currently at $2.30 per gallon for 92. Thats nearly $30 per tank. For just a little bit more I can buy a micro filter. And (some of) you guys are complaining about the price of the micro filter?

[kaybeejay]

quote:Filters are not expensive. Just buy a replacement.Actually, I paid $60 for this filter. Quite expensive by my tastes.On another note, my climate control system smells like a$$. It's horrid. Anytime I turn it on, I got a waft of this horrid stench. Is there anything I can do to "flush" the system or get that stench outta there? (AND NO, it's not me!)You may have moisture in your system from the AC. A few suggestions:1) Turn off the AC and let it run for a few minutes anytime you reach your destination. Then turn off your car. When you just pull up and park and turn off your AC and your car at the same time, there is residual moisture in the ducts and pipes and that becomes mildew. If you let it run and "dry off" and then shut down the car, this reduces the mildew.2) With the AC running, and the "Fresh air" button activated (not recirculate), spray lysol or some anti-mildew spray into the cowl. Turn the fan on a medium intensity. The Cowl is located between the windshield and the hood. I think the evaporator is on the passenger side (any know for sure?). That is where you will want to spray the lysol or similar.This should kill off the bacteria/mildew in your system and take care of the smell.3) check for dead animals in your AC system. Maybe something crawled in and died.4) When was the last time you changed your micro-filter? I recently changed mines, and I swear the "Air is fresher and sweeter".

[kaybeejay]

quote:Some people had talked of getting a home heating filter @ Home Depot or WalMart and cutting it to fit...has anyone done this, and if so, how is it working out?I would think the thickness is different. Also the "fineness" might not be the same.Before anyone gets creative and comes up with their own solution to the microfilter substitute question, please consult an HVAC specialist. I am not sure, but I would venture to guess that a home filter from Home Depot is VERY DIFFERENT than an in cabin micro filter. They are designed for different purposes and you may be doing harm (possible warranty void?) to your Vehicle in the process.I wonder how long until someone figures out a way to mount a jar with a sock in it, to the engine. That way they can cut corners and save the $10 per oil change on the filter.