DIY Cabin Air Filter

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by talnlnky

i'd rather have cleaner air than more air.... the DIY way means you have the chance for better quality filter media. 3M Filtrete right here.

You won't get much better than OEM or WIX for quality filtering, and if you do then you can almost assure yourself that airflow, blower motor and resistor will suffer as the result.

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by 1stToyota

You won't get much better than OEM or WIX for quality filtering, and if you do then you can almost assure yourself that airflow, blower motor and resistor will suffer as the result.

Those are fairly broad statements without anything to support them. I do not recall ever seeing an OEM or Wix filter that was allergen rated but the 3M home filter I used in this DIY is. 18 months of usage without an issue shows that it doesn't hurt any part of the ventilation system.

Before the hack there were over 30 posts in this thread from folks that had done this DIY and were happy with it. I understand that some people prefer a custom made filter but that is no reason to malign a proven DIY version of it with fabrications and alarmism.

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Those are fairly broad statements without anything to support them. I do not recall ever seeing an OEM or Wix filter that was allergen rated but the 3M home filter I used in this DIY is. 18 months of usage without an issue shows that it doesn't hurt any part of the ventilation system.

Before the hack there were over 30 posts in this thread from folks that had done this DIY and were happy with it. I understand that some people prefer a custom made filter but that is no reason to malign a proven DIY version of it with fabrications and alarmism.

They call them pollen filters, and the WIX, Fram, OEM, and maybe another one or two have some sort of charcoal...mildew fighter...along those lines...and you know what you're getting. You don't know what you're getting if someone overdoes it with an expensive, dense home filter. I wouldn't want to be around if a vehicle was taken into the dealership with a ventilation issue and the tech finds a DIY project. I've seen enough resistors burned out to know that proper airflow is critical to their operation. They had cabin air filters that had never been replaced. Like I said before I don't know about the Yaris, but the Fords and Nissans that come to mind needed maximum flow, using a more restrictive approach wouldn't be better once the filter started getting dirty. Maybe that's why a lot replace them every 3 to 5K instead of the normal 15K reccomendation. It's not alarmism, it's just concern about people thinking they have the better than OEM answer for cabin air filters, but wouldn't dream of ever trying to show OEM how it's done when it comes to their other filters, like oil filter and engine air filter. You've just got two kinds of owners: ones that follow the rules and go by Toyota's standards for OEM parts, proper oil viscosity, tire pressure, etc...and those that will do it their way and not follow those rules whenever able.

NAPA Cabin Air Filters Are Treated w/ Enviro-Shield ! A Patented Chemical Treatment That Inhibits The Growth Of Mold, Mildew, Algae + Bacteria. The Media Traps These Harmful Microbes To Keep Your Vehicle 100% Odor + Allergan Free - EPA Approved