Cabin Air Filter Deletion?

I drive with my windows open year-round, so the cabin air filter doesn't really do much of anything to keep the dust & pollutants out of the cab.

Is the cabin air filter strictly for passenger comfort? Or is it needed to protect any components inside the heating & cooling system, such as the heater core, or evaporator?

 

It can help keep the evaporator core clean…

 

I would not delete it.... I have seen air filters covered in leaves, rat/mice nests, dust, dirt and a quite a few other things in there. Stuff that you don't want in the system.

 

Isn’t it in between the blower motor and core?

 

When you say "delete", do you mean just remove the filter? If so that sure seems like a pointless thing to do? But hey, knock yourself out man!

 

If the cabin filter helps to keep dust out of the cab, leave it in. Your instrument cluster will love you for it.

 

It keeps dust and crap out of the blower wheel, core, evaporator and ducts. It’s more for the system than the driver. Just buy the K&N washable one if you are sick of replacing it a lot. Based on the amount of crap mine catches I would never delete it.

 

Yes, just remove it completely.

Why is it pointless? I drive with the windows open year-round, which means that the dust and pollutants are getting in the cab anyway.

What seems pointless is wasting money on a cabin air filter that isn't keeping the dust & pollutants out of the cab.... which is exactly why I'm asking if it's needed to protect any other components such as the evaporator or the heater core.

 

If I recall, air is brought from behind windshield cowl directly through filter, then blower, then pushed through the core/evap/dampers and finally ducts.

 

Well.. my bad ..actually it’s on the intake side of the blower motor.

 

As I said, I drive with the windows open year-round, so the dust gets in anyway.

I'm more concerned with the heater core, and evaporator, so it entirely depends on whether the filter comes before or after those components.

 

What the hell am i missing here? Then just don't buy any new filters!

 

Because this right here...just deal with it

 

the filter helps keep the dust and dirt out of the blower motor and heater/AC coils
if a $10/yr filter is to much wait until you have to take the dash out to fix the coils

 

Well.. before the Evaporator

 

X3

 

That would lead to reduced airflow as the filter becomes clogged.