Cabin Air Filter Deletion?

More foggy than rainy today, but I have them open at least a crack at all times. Rain. Snow. Highway. City. -30°C (-22°F), +30°(+86°F). I just enjoy having that breeze of fresh outside air.

The only exception is when it's a complete downpour, which doesn't happen all that often here, and rarely for more than a few minutes.

 

I just vacuumed a huge mouse nest out of that filter, soaked the new filter with peppermint oil in hopes it will prevent that again in the future.

 

I had my filter replaced once during my 2-year ToyotaCare Service.

The filter did not look as the photo captured! Yikes!!!

OP,

I read through this entire thread...geeze, lots of back and forth.

My forum days started on Gixxer.com in 2011...learned quite a bit there.

I'm also on a Suzuki GSResources site...learning more there too.

Then I logged on here in 2021...4 months after I bought my 2021 AT/DCSB/Sport.

My point is, I don't have a point. lol

Just kidding...life is too short to debate certain topics.

What are those topics?

Well, that's for you and I to learn.

 

You must live on the west coast.... yup. Me too. Doesn't mean I an going to just remove internal parts.

 

Been here almost 10 years. seen, read and watched things that will never leave the memory.

 

Prairies. It gets COLD here, but even then the windows are cracked, with the heat on the feet. I love it! Been like that since i

But yea. I could live with the dust and leaves if the filter was strictly for passenger comfort. All that stuff gets in the truck anyway. But since it seems to protect the heater & evaporator in newer vehicles, it doesn't seem smart to remove it.

 

All can say is....it's been fun, but good luck on whatever you decide

 

Oh OP is Canadian, this changes everything! The air up there is rarified, perfect, and particulate free! I apologize OP you are correct, no filter needed above the 49th parallel.

 

I wanna see black fly season

 

Maybe you haven't been around a lady bug spawning. Look a lot like a bee hive, but can't harm you.
But. They were every where. Have to say it's one of the best things I have ever seen
2 billion lady bugs all in the same place

 

Dude..that's pretty incredible, no kidding.

 

Only thing is, it was many years ago and can't remember where the photos are at.... but was like 10 phones ago

 

Yeah but that's still something you don't see..wow

 

It was not something I was expecting either. My 5 year old. Now 14 lead me up the path near our campsite. As I have stated. It was an amazing experience.

See @Okkine 2.0
I can derail a thread faster than lava.

 

@Rock Lobster

 

Now I itch

 

Then you have never had bed bugs????

 

Fellow Windows down lover checking in, no a.c. for me. Just leave it in for occasional times you may use the heat.

 

One point I would make is the OP may ride around with the windows open all the time but do you ever use the heat or defrost? The cabin filter system is designed to catch the dust and leaves at the filter, we all know it does that pretty well despite the amount of crap that gets in there. Without the filter that crap settles into the plenum that holds the evaporator and fan, turn on the heat or defrost and you're now pumping that dust and probably any leaves that aren't stuck or decomposed in your AC system out through the vents. Also any moisture that gets in there or drips off the evap coils (during defrost) now drips into dust and leaves in the plenum turning them into a composting experiment inside the dashboard. The crap could also get in the venting ducts and possibly hinder stuff like the recirc mechanism or the air control flaps. Toyota's design definitely lets allot of stuff into that area, possibly they realized getting foreign objects into the mechanism wasn't good and the filter serves two purposes, keep the air clean for the driver, and keep the mechanism from getting crudded up.