vs
Cabin filter K&N or OEM Volkswagen
Reviews
A fix is buying the k&n cleanable filter. It’s less restrictive but filters good enough.
Pros: less restrictive
Vehicle:
Mazda
Buy a K&N engine air filter and cabin air filter and replace them. They’re good for like 100k miles, you just have to take them out and bang them off in the trash every so often.
Pros: lasts 100k miles
Cons: more expensive
Mileage: 100000 km
However I actually use washable K&N cabin filters. You buy once and of course it is more expensive than disposable but it pays for itself and you can easily clean whenever you want.
Pros: washable, easy to clean
Cons: more expensive
Been using it for the past 10 years on my Toyota. You must wash it only one way. Cannot have the water flow through it both ways. Also there is a k&n spray (pink/hot red) that you spray on the filter again every time you wash it. To me it's worth it
Pros: worth it, long lasting
Cons: one way water flow
Vehicle:
Toyota
we have one. i just washed it. i use the dawn powerwash spray. first, tap against a hard object like the wall, to get out the big stuff, then spray, rinse. comes out nice and white/clean. then i hit it with my ryobi blower to push out all the excess water, and put it back. you might notice a slight increase in airflow thru the vents. i have been using the k&n cabin filters on several cars, they work well
Pros: easy to clean, increased airflow
So every car I get an in cabin K&N filter which is washable lifetime guaranteed as well as either a drop in intake filter or one for whatever aftermarket intake I go with. It will pay for itself in like two washes plus better gas mileage.
Pros: washable, lifetime guaranteed, better mileage
Besides the need for washing and re-conditioning, these filters also have the drawback that they were originally designed for increased airflow to the engine. For one, we don't have an engine to begin with. What we need is good cabin air. In this sense, the increased airflow is counterproductive as it lets more "stuff" through than regular filters. If you want the best cabin air, I would recommend a carbon-coated cabin filter. I have been using and have had no issues with air restriction, and I believe the air is better air compared with the other two vehicles in our family (but they are ICE vehicles, so who knows).
Pros: better air quality
Cons: increased airflow, needs washing
Vehicle:
Hyundai
I have one. I clean it when it starts to smell. I just use simple green to clean it. Now, does it let more particles in that I breathe in? Probably, but no worse than breathing in the air outside. The worst cabin filter I used was the Bosch HEPA. Too restrictive and as soon as 12,000 miles hit, it was clogged and I was miserable for a few days in the summer heat
Pros: easy to clean
Cons: lets in more particles
Mileage: 12000 km
I've used them in past vehicles - in my opinion, not worth it. No amount of cleaning will truly remove fine particles that the filter captures. I'm more comfortable using cheaper disposable filters.
Cons: not worth it, removes few particles
I replaced the cabin filter and it is still there.
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Mileage: 10000 km
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