How often do you change air filters?

when I got my Tacoma 4x4 (2008 Access Cab, 4.0L V6, 6-speed, TRD Offroad) a year ago, I put in new engine and cabin air filters. fast forward 12 months, about 8000 total miles, and the 3rd or 4th dusty 4x4 excursion, I thought maybe I should order new ones, and just go ahead and install them if they look like they need it.

cabin filter? ugh. changed!!

(Fram 'fresh breeze' w/ arm and hammer, snicker!)

engine filter? probably still OK for another year, but since I had the new one, changed!

(both are Toyota)

so how many miles do you guys usually go between engine/cabin air filter changes?

 

I usually change mine about once a year, twice a year if I drive down a lot of dusty roads

 

Once a year per the maintenance booklet. I usually do it at the end of fall, after all the leaves have fallen. Premier Carbon: http://www.premierairfilters.com/to...14-toyota-tacoma-carbon-cabin-air-filter.html

 

I go more by how it looks than miles or months. Engine filter looks like it needs to be changed. For the outrageous penalty they want for a cabin air filter I did this...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-washable-cabin-air-filter.90324/

 

Somewhere around there is a guide on how to make a washable cabin filter out of a residential one.

We went decades with no AC filters, but they do help keep crud out of the evap box. Stuff that normally makes muck and clogs the drain line.

Since you're not really impacting cabin air quality, just being able to wash the one that's in there makes sense to me.

EDIT: Whoops, looks like @robssol was thinking the same thing in the post above!

 

Cabin filter on Ebay... $5

 

the fram cabin filter is $17 on Amazon. big whoop. I won't put Fram on my engine, but I don't mind it as a cabin filter.

We were behind a line of big SUV/trucks on Soda Lake Rd in Carrizo Plain on Saturday for about 10 miles at 50-ish MPH eating their dust, and I noted how nice a cabin filter was for keeping that out of the cabin, didn't even smell that dusty smell. Thats what prompted me to order new filters, hah!

 

I inspect them about twice a year. While I have them out, I hit them with compressed air from the compressor (reverse direction of normal air flow) and wipe out the air box. On the cabin filter I do the same with the filter but I vacuum out where the filter goes. I then do the "hold up to the sun and see how much light comes through" test. If they look pretty clean I put them back, if not I replace them.

So far, I've replaced them twice over the course of 26k miles so about every 13k miles (or about every 2 years) seems to be my run rate.

 

Check Amazon, last time I needed cabin filters, I found them for $6.65 w/ free shipping (Tyco 800038)

 

Check them every oil change, change as needed.

 

X2 on the Tyco. I swap out both filters every 10k. The cabin filter gets amazingly dirty. Makes me wonder about all the vehicles I've had that didn't have cabin filters.

 

Once a year for both

 

This.

I found you can usually wash the OEM cabin filter 2-3 times before it starts falling apart. I rinse it, dry it, then hit it with Lysol and let it dry again then Fabreeze it before I reinstall it.

I have a K&N panel filter on my truck and it typically gets washed and recharged 2 times a year.

 

change them every ~12,000 like clockwork. I could definitely get more miles out of the air filter, but it doesn't hurt to have a fresh one in there. The cabin one actually gets pretty cruddy in that time, then again I used to have to park under a tree.

Personally, I go purolator for my air filters and purolator PureOne oil filters. They've always been good stuff. It seems the only reasonable cabin filter is a FRAM. I hate that brand, but its only $15 for a charcoal dealy filter and its not on my engine, so I let it slide.

 

I pulled my new OEM filter the first week I had the truck and installed my K&N that I bought new for my 2006. I put the OEM back in every time I wash my K&N and leave it in for a day till the other is dry.

I buy Cabin filters 3-4 at a time on EBay for about $5 each, i check it and swap as needed. I have a stock of them for both Camrys and my Tacoma.

 

Cabin filter I just take out and clean it; Tap all the loose dirt and whatever is on it off; Spray compressed air to clean it off good and re-install. I clean mine every month so it wouldn't get so dirty that I'll have to replace it; so far I haven't had the need to replace it yet.

I got the AEM Dry air filter for the intake; I spray that clean every month too; so far I'm saving money and a quick 15 minutes every month to clean them is paying off.

 

I inspect each with each oil & filter change (5K miles). With all the outdoor stuff I do, I end up changing each at least 2X per year, sometimes 3X depending on conditions.

Cabin filters are cheap. I just buy a bunch at a time.

 

Cabin filters are just as important as engine filters, for obvious reasons. We all want clean air.... there cheap so I have always replaced mine every year for all my trucks.

 

Once a year or 15k, sooner if I do a lot of dirt road driving

 

Are they? I better stop driving around with the windows open. It's unhealthy.

But seruiouly, only about half the cars on the road come with cabin filters and I'm convinced they serve two functions:
1) Keep twigs and crap out of the HVAC system.
2) Add a profit center for dealers.