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Smoker's in-cabin air filter, WARNING: these images are disturbing

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by jesseyarnell, Nov 9, 2010.

  1. Nov 9, 2010 at 9:45 AM
    #21
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    That filter is one of the oder absorbing filters impregnated with charcoal. I use those in my Wifes car.
     
  2. Nov 9, 2010 at 9:59 AM
    #22
    GSRON

    GSRON Well-Known Member

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    Only outside air goes thu the filter. It gets bypassed on recirc......
     
  3. Nov 9, 2010 at 10:10 AM
    #23
    DeeKay21

    DeeKay21 Lieutenant Dan.

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    You can actually reuse your filter a couple of times if you clean them right. I cleaned mine for the first time a few months ago and its still holding up real well.;)
     
  4. Nov 9, 2010 at 10:17 AM
    #24
    GSRON

    GSRON Well-Known Member

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    Damnit, you made me go look..... You're right, the recirc door is above the filter. I just had the plastic cover under the wipers off on a customers 06 Prerunner the other day to clean the drains and remembered looking straight down at the filter.... completely spaced on the door being there....
     
  5. Nov 9, 2010 at 10:30 AM
    #25
    kessler89

    kessler89 Well-Known Member

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    heck they're only $12 i'll just be buying a new one again when this one gets dirty
     
  6. Nov 11, 2010 at 1:02 AM
    #26
    island808

    island808 Me l've got brains.

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    Think youll find smoker ac filter is yellow brown... Thats just the typical mold... Someone likes recirc
     
  7. Nov 11, 2010 at 9:13 AM
    #27
    Truckn4life

    Truckn4life Well-Known Member

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    I have replaced my cabin filter twice now and I have 21K on my taco. Both times the filter looked pretty nasty and they come snow white. I only run my fan on fresh air and never recirculate. prob why it get so dirty. i have had to pull out leaves and sticks 2. thinking of putting some mesh up there. I found a few that are scented with carbon online. The cheap filter is like $20 at the auto parts store which is 2x the price of my engine air filter and its like half the size. BS. My Advice change your air filter its easy easy easy. at least on an 09 i heard the older models are kind of a pain. And whats with every oil change place and shop, they all tell me I dont have one. Idiots if I dont why can I pull it out in less than 1min.
     
  8. Nov 11, 2010 at 9:17 AM
    #28
    Truckn4life

    Truckn4life Well-Known Member

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    do you guys think i should turn the air system to recirculate before turning off my truck to close the door and keep crap outa the filter??

    thanks
     
  9. Nov 11, 2010 at 10:21 AM
    #29
    Janster

    Janster Old & Forgetful

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    That's probably the original filter.....
    That filter is exposed to the outside air and filters the outside air coming in. I'm not sure (and doubtful) that is filters the air while its inside (on recirculate mode). So, the smoke probably didn't come in contact with it.

    My filter starts to get discolored & nasty after only 10K miles. I have two filters that I rotate/wash (about once a year). After about the 2nd wash, they start to fall apart and have to buy new ones.
     
  10. Nov 11, 2010 at 11:07 AM
    #30
    RCBS

    RCBS How long you willing to tolerate this crap??

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  11. Nov 11, 2010 at 11:32 AM
    #31
    island808

    island808 Me l've got brains.

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    The opposite. The crap grows in the filter. There are screens to keep things out of your heater box. You, if you're paranoid (you have the filter for a reason) should not run the A/C ever... If you do. never put it on recirc... if you do, make sure you turn off your a/c compressor and put the selector on fresh and try to dry out the heater box. If you are going to store the car, you can try to keep mice out by putting it on recirculate, but you may find them in the heater box, they probably didn't enter the car through the hood vents, unless they chewed in there.

    The little weep hole is frequently obstructed by algae or other debris and will not weep out all the water, much less dry out your evaporator. Its just like your house, cept in your house, the fan runs (if you have a digital stat anyway) after the compressor kicks off to try to warm up the coil and dry it off. (you do get your coil cleaned don't you, and your house is always on "recirculate")

    When you get in a car and turn on the fan to find it smells like a basement. Its because you had the A/C on last time you shut down, and its dirty enough to grow stuff in there. What you smell is mildew. The filter is in there because all the urban dwellers have allergies from their horrible lives in the city. Same as the mold inspectors and hepa filter vacuums etc. Just for the sick and disabled.

    I say that especially, since, in my experience, all the cabin filters are just that. They aren't A/C filters (protecting the a/c from clogging) but filtering the air POST conditioning. In my building, since I have a bunch of whiners, and some legitimately lung and immune system disabled, I have filters on the return air and (since I exchange fresh) the incoming air as well.

    Of course many factors can affect a/c filters and affect the way a/c works. There is no one set formula to make a system function best in every situation. But a DRY condensate pan is a happy condensate pan. My old toyota actually used to blow fog when I turned on the A/C it was so humid in the ducts if shut down with A/C on.
     

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