been searching but can't find any serious problems with installing it yourself. anyone have any good reason to not to diy?

 

the main reason why they didnt put the cabin filter in cause then they would have had to put the SC in at that time..........duh. I heard if you buy the cabin filter from toyota they give you a 75% discount on the SC........ hahahaha.

 

the main reason why they didnt put the cabin filter in cause then they would have had to put the SC in at that time..........duh. I heard if you buy the cabin filter from toyota they give you a 75% discount on the SC........ hahahaha.

 

no, i think the reason scion does not put one in when you buy the car is because *most* people would never get it changed. it's not as simple to check it as say it would be to check your oil level or windshield wiper level. and if they never get it changed, it would obviously decrease the performance of the blower unit as it fills up with dirt.

also, consider that most people in the beginning of having their car serviced will probably take it to the scion/toyota dealership and the techs there may know to check it/change it out. but perhaps people will go to those 3rd party service places later and i'm sure most of them would be clueless about ever needing to change out an air filter.

i believe they sell it as a separate option to people who would actually check it. i mean, if we are going to go through the "hassle" to get it installed, then we would probably also go through the "hassle" of checking it to see if it needs replacing or not.

i don't think it has to do with money at all. i think it has to do with scion's view of people and how most of them don't even read the manual let alone would bother to take apart their glove compartment to check/change out an air filter regularly.

 

None that I know of. Mine works great. If you buy the right one from Home Depot it will have a filter layer and an activated charcoal layer. You get about 6 out of one filter so it works out to about $1.50 per filter. Much better than toyotas $20 filter that I cant tell does any better of a job.

 

I installed my "aftermarket" (read homemade) filter maybe 4 months ago. I haven't checked it since. I'll check it today or tomorrow and if it's filthy, maybe I'll post pictures. I do notice that my AC isn't that cold, but I seriously doubt the filter is doing it - I don't think dirt can warm up air - it can just reduce the air output which isn't the problem. If there was an AC problem with the filter in, they'd just fix the problem, not ship it with an empty filter but a box you can easily stick one in!

 

just installed mine and it worked out great

 

I think some of the tCs have an issue with the AC. Refer to this:

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/87/05870302.html

Mine works great so far, but I have heard others complain to varying degrees. I think some may not realize to close the sunshades when it is hot. That glass roof is like a big magnifying glass in the sun on some days

But, like I said, mine is working perfectly, so no issues with the filter. I am going to check mine today to see how dirty it is though.. it is about time.

 

Ok... like I said, I went home and checked my filter - Goddamn it was dirty! Keep in mind that my car has 5,300 miles on it (mostly city) and that filter has probably been in for 3 or 4 months. Here are the pictures - the filter next to the clean filter media and a closeup - there were even little tiny bits of flowers and leaves and stuff in there. If you put a filter in, especially a couple months ago, CHECK IT NOW! I haven't driven since I changed it but I'll try and report if there is any noticable difference in AC temperature or anything now. I don't exactly think there will be (maybe it will blow a bit harder) but I'll let you know.

 

Wow, that is a lot of crap that you would have been breathing and that would have been collecting in your car!!! I will be checking mine tonight!

 

Totally - I don't know what I was expecting, but everyone here has seen the engine air filter and an engine sucks up more crap than the AC, I'd think. This thing was WAY dirty. I haven't been driving around in a dust storm. I almost always have the vent on (AC off, but fan on) but like I said, I just don't drive that much. I guess city streets are pretty dirty. As someone who has at least mild allergies, I was pretty happy to find out that we had a filter in the first place and now that I've seen what it was catching, I'm even more happy.

 

xx

 

That part number is for a $10 air filter. That IS NOT the filter you need for your cabin air. There is a correct part (or a part that will fit) but you don't see it on Scion pages - for some reason they seem to only list it for Toyotas. And it costs about $25. After seeing how dirty they get, it seems like you should probably change it every 3 months or so. At that cost, it only makes sense to make your own.

 

I bought mine locally from a dealer. I asked for the filter that fits the Rav4, and it cost me 16 dollars. It's been a while, I should probably replace it.... thanks for reminding me. =)

 

holy hell your filter is nasty! now i'm afraid to go look at mine. i've had mine in for bout 4-5 monts and i drive mostly freeway. i'll check tomorrow and post a picture of mine. good to know you didn't have to breath in all that ****.

 

Totally - on the one hand I'm super happy the filter kept all of that crap out of the cabin. On the other hand it means i'll be ripping my glove box out every three or four months forever. I figure every oil change or so. My miles are mostly city - I wonder if your filter will be as dirty. I don't think I live somewhere extremely filthy, but I guess only time will tell.

 

Checked mine and it is relatively clean. Still the original color with normal dust and a few peices of leaves. It will depend a lot on where you live I would imagine as well. I live in Minneapolis (in the burbs of minneapolis actually), which is actually a very clean air place for a city. I also do most of my driving around the loop, not through the city, so I am sure that makes a difference (not pulling in a lot of exhaust from other vehicles). By the looks of mine I will probably change it in another month or so.

 

Yeah... I think that I might have caught a bunch of road dirt driving up to the mountains for snowboarding, but I only did that a few times. There is a lot of leaves and crud on the streets up here at the right time of year so it could have been that too. Either way, if it caught what it caught, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. The funny thing is the engine air filter looks nothing like that.

 

i heard that when u do the DIY air filter, it makes ur car smell like mildew..is that true?

 

Um... not at all. Maybe if you soaked it in water first. Honestly, this is just a furnace filter - it takes things like dust and mold out of the air. If it makes your car smell bad, you're doing something wrong. Lots of people use the AC all the time and don't let the duct work dry out. That might give you a mildew smell. It sure isn't the filter.