Anyone here retrofit or fabricate cabin air filter?

[DBMaster]

I recently replaced the cabin air filter element in my girlfriend's '03 Highlander. Such a simple piece of technology. I wish our cars had them. I read an article about a year ago and the result was that I cut pieces of an odor absorbing A/C filter and taped them over the grid on the underhood cowl. Needless to say, it didn't work all that well and replacement of the filter material is a pain.

So, I was wondering if anyone here has found a retrofit kit, or attempted to retrofit parts from another car to create a cabin air filter. Just curious. A lot of stink gets into the car when sitting in traffic (landfill stink, cars burning oil stink, diesel stink). I have some ideas, but before I mess with it I thought I would ask if anyone here has found an easy method.

Thanks!

[labeledsk8r]

i have allways thought about this... should be interesting to see what can be come up with..... wouldnt it be easyer to place a smaller filter down by the air box just before or after ? or would that be to far down in the system to do any good

[DBMaster]

The cabin filters I have observed have the filter position just "above" the evaporator. Our cars have what looks like a foam "filter" in this area. It could be as simple as cutting a slot above the evaporator and locating a filter tray either from a newer Honda or Acura, or another car manufacturer. I am must not sure about what I might be cutting into.

[nfs480]

I would be interested in doing this as well if someone figures something out.

[Vanilla Sky]

Hmm, I might try that on one of the cars I have removed the dash in. I think you're onto something. I hate breathing crap in that I don't have to.

[Dr_Snooz]

(landfill stink, cars burning oil stink, diesel stink).

Good Lord! Where DO you live???

Just kidding. I posted this very same question some months ago and didn't get a good answer. Placing a filter above the evaporator is a good idea, except that that air in our cars blows in from the side. There is a coupling between the blower fan and heater core and you might be able to put something in there. Bear in mind, however, that airflow out the vents isn't exactly hurricane force as it is. Any filter medium is only going to slow that down more. The more restrictive (ie: higher filtration) the filter, the less air at the vents.

[Civic Accord Honda]

(landfill stink, cars burning oil stink, diesel stink).

add burning brake fluid and replace the diesel with gas and you just described my car

[carotman]

Newer cars have a bigger vent motor and a double "hamster Wheel". We have only 1 wheel.

Like DR Snooz said, it might restrict airflow too much. The only way to check this is to actually test it.

Fitting the filter before the motor might help keeping the airflow to a decent level.

[Oldblueaccord]

I think you could get something between the air box and the evaporator box. I think you are talking HEPA filter right? Maybe try some of the other auto brands.

On rec. there two vents that air sorta filtered anyway you could easily out something on the outside of those vents. The fresh air side might be the trouble.

I redid all the sealing on mine this summer with foam insulation and i did the wifes 92 accord too when I replaced the air box. The motor was bad. It is duel cages.





heres all the rest of my pictures.

https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64774


wp

[DBMaster]

I didn't even consider that the CFM rating on the blower for a car with a filter would probably need to be higher. The filter I changed in the Highlander was not HEPA. HEPA is already pretty restrictive even when clean so I am thinking this might be an idea left on the drawing board. As far as the different types of "stink" I mentioned go; these are just a few of the things that you get to smell when driving around an area like this. I wonder if those HEPA filtered cars filter out the smell of dead skunk...

[Oldblueaccord]

I like the smell of skunk!


We use this filter material at work for all the Hvac's its light a light blue and then white sided. It comes in a big roll and we cut fit the filters on alotta intakes. You could use that over the intake and on the output side it catches alot down to pollen and such.

Kinda like this stuff here:

http://www.airfilterusa.com/bulk-media.html

wp

[DBMaster]

I like that kind of material. I have used synthetic "hog hair" for a lot of things, including the air intake on my computer case. It catches a lot of dust, especially once it's primed. It doesn't do much for odors, though.

[lostforawhile]

a lot of the airflow restriction in the system is probably crap in the evaporator, there is nothing to prevent leaves and debris from being sucked into the fan and being blown into the evaporator,where it stays forever. after 20 plus years,that's a lot of crap. a screen of some sort above the blower intake, is a great idea. also,the heater speed resistors are in the airstream of the blower,they are located in a plate that sticks into the blower housing. i've had leaves get wedged in there and catch fire before. they also can be damaged easy,and this will prevent speeds on the fan from working. I'm actually working on the cabin air filter at the moment. I replaced the plastic fasteners holding the cowl cover,with riv nut plates. this gives me the option to use threaded fasteners. the bottom fasteners are all like this,and the upper are push nuts,that have the centers that pop up. you pop the center,and the pushnut comes right out. this all makes it really easy to remove. the best place for a filter,is right at the air opening under that cowl cover. another thing as far as air flow,if you have removed the evaporator core, your air flow should increase a lot. I took out the entire dam box, and i made an adaptor for the side of the heat control unit,for three inch silicone hose. the other end goes in the blower opening. a lot of people don't realize that the airflow is also slowed down on air conditioned cars for a reason. you want high velocity air in at high volume,and low velocity air out at low volume,this gives the freon in the evaporator core time to absorb the heat. thats why the opening on one side of the evaporator is huge,and one side is small. it slows down the air velocity. as far as mine, the air coming out of the hose and slowing down entering the heater box,should give good heat transfer.

[Vindicted_Reprise]

i've been trying to figure this one out as well. so far i have decided that i am going to put some window screen and that hogs fur where the cowling opening is, on the inside of course, for leaves and other heavy debris, which, has built up in my core before :'( as far as the filter goes, my main concern has always been flow as well, that single hamster wheel, really isn't all too great DX

[lostforawhile]

i've been trying to figure this one out as well. so far i have decided that i am going to put some window screen and that hogs fur where the cowling opening is, on the inside of course, for leaves and other heavy debris, which, has built up in my core before :'( as far as the filter goes, my main concern has always been flow as well, that single hamster wheel, really isn't all too great DX

pull all the crap out of the fan and out of the evaporator core, you might be suprised how much air it flows.

[lostforawhile]

I think if you have removed the ac evaporator core you could get away with it thats the biggest restriction in the system.

[2ndGenGuy]

i've been trying to figure this one out as well. so far i have decided that i am going to put some window screen and that hogs fur where the cowling opening is, on the inside of course, for leaves and other heavy debris, which, has built up in my core before :'( as far as the filter goes, my main concern has always been flow as well, that single hamster wheel, really isn't all too great DX

https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67287

Check out that thread. I've already got the screen installed, it's mouse and large-debris proof. And I'm installing a hypoallergenic filter tonight. I'll have the pics posted tonight when the filter is done.

[DBMaster]

How easy is your filter to access when you need to change it? I changed the one in my girlfriend's 2003 Highlander recently and you can get to it by pulling down the glovebox - no tools required.

[lostforawhile]

How easy is your filter to access when you need to change it? I changed the one in my girlfriend's 2003 Highlander recently and you can get to it by pulling down the glovebox - no tools required.

i changed all my push in plastic things to nut plates, now the cover attaches with machne screws. pop off the wipers and a phillips screwdriver. of course i have a lot of plumbing in there too

[russiankid]

Put a filter between the air duct inside the car and the blower motor. That way, the motor sucks through a filter.

[lostforawhile]

Put a filter between the air duct inside the car and the blower motor. That way, the motor sucks through a filter.

sounds easy until you see how tight everything is in there. It was a complete nightmare for me to even move my blower a 1/4 inch for antenna motor clearance.

[russiankid]

sounds easy until you see how tight everything is in there. It was a complete nightmare for me to even move my blower a 1/4 inch for antenna motor clearance.

Well you can cut the duct to fit a filter can't you? On my BMW, I had to remove the glove box, side panel, foot air duct, a control module, then a cover, then finally I can get the filter. Its a pretty tight squeeze non-the-less.

[lostforawhile]

Well you can cut the duct to fit a filter can't you? On my BMW, I had to remove the glove box, side panel, foot air duct, a control module, then a cover, then finally I can get the filter. Its a pretty tight squeeze non-the-less.

there is no duct,i have one,but only because i got rid of the ac system and fabricaed my own, the blower is attached directly to the underside of the dash,the evaporator to it,and then right to the side of the heater box. there is no duct.

[2ndGenGuy]

Mine isn't too hard. Pop out a few clips and pull the cowl cover off. I dunno if you guys can get in there that easily...