2017 Air Cabin filter

You don't typically find much "premium quality" on eBay.

 

I do not know. I have definitely seen some premium prices on ebay where it was cheaper elsewhere.

 

In some instances yes, but when it comes to something as simple as a paper air filter impregnated with charcoal the ones the stealership rob people $60 for are identical to some of the ones I've seen sold for as low as $8 on Ebay... It's all about being smart enough to know the difference between fakery and quality. Also in general, Ebay is better than retail because if you have any problem with a product they'll refund your money and you don't have to return the item because their customer rating is important to them and they will eat the loss to avoid a negative transaction. Also Ebay will refund you full amount for items up to I think it's $200 if seller doesn't respond to your complaint. So as far as I'm concerned ebay is way better than retail, or even Amazon.

 

Yeah, I know. I went with cheaper after market charcoal filter on my previous Prius. Did not keep the car long enough to notice any difference after 30K maintenance. If my PRIME starts smelling, I will go with cheap Made in China version. LOL

 

It really comes down to how sensitive your nose is... I'm super sensitive, as well as chemically sensitive and that first month or so with brand new cabin filter is a huge difference to me. I replace about every 6months to a year.

 

If I had to replace mine that frequently, I will definitely go with cheaper after market filters. I did not have any problem with two years old original filter, and I could probably have gone longer if I wanted. That goes with any other pats and fluid, OEM vs aftermarket. I could have saved $20 by using non Toyota oil and filter, but I decided not to, since it only needed to be changed once a year.

 

In the PNW you get lots of tree debris that builds up in cabin filter and once that air flow gets low, the vents will start sticking when you switch between air flow options... And sometimes I do just shake out all the debris and keep using, but once I shake it out, I usually order another one because I enjoy that first month or so of clean smelling air.

 

I have had good success with Amazon for cabin air filters. This WIX unit, as an example. Name brand, good quality. There are numerous other similar offerings at Amazon under $10 or so.

This would not be an item I would purchase from the dealer - their markup is quite high. Same with air filters and (sometimes) oil filters. Cabin air filters seem oddly expensive at dealers, along with their quoted labor to install one.

 

Does it, or does it just say to check them? Either way, I would not change a filter just because the schedule said too. For sure check them, but change only as warranted. Your cabin filter looks near-pristine too; I would just swap back, wait a few years.

Ditto for the engine filter. Our 2010 is still on original filter, both engine and cabin, at 83K kms. The engine filter looks virtually like new: you can see a slightly carbon bloom, if you look at it on-edge, but no way I'm going to replace it yet.

The cabin filter is somewhat knackered, but we tend to ventilate with just the windows dropped a bit, maybe 8 months of the year. I suppose I should haul it out and knock the cooties off again...

 

That was an example. The Amazon site and WIX say it fits a Prius to 2019, but there is also a slightly different size WIX WP10320 that is specifically called out for the Prime. The 10320 is 1 mm longer, 10 mm narrower and the same thickness as the 24483. The O'Reilly auto site says that they both fit the Prime.

Before ordering, I would pull your existing filter and measure it, then buy something the same size.

 

It filters as well and does not cause too much back pressure?
Engine air and oil filters are "just paper" too but quality makes a difference. I remember comparing a cheap Fram air filter to a better quality one. From then on I bought quality. When I changed to a quality oil filter, the oil was noticeably cleaner the following oil change.
Just because it's paper does not mean quality does not matter.

 

Yea, engine oil filters are different / more nuanced... Catch is some of the "quality" brands are just the cheapest brands that have been given a nicer package and paint job because it's an easy way to rip people off... There's some good videos on this... Trick is to buy the very best high quality brand from the cheaper brand that sells their filters wholesale to the over-priced ones.

 

By what standard was the cleanliness measured? It wasn't as dark? There was a particulate test run on the oil?

 

Well, actually in our region, we have pollen to contend with. We have vast areas of coniferous forest all around where we live. During a pollen season, my dark gray car turns yellow by just parking for half a day on nice sunny not so windy day.

Being different types, it is difficult to compare. But at first, when I pulled out the old filter, I thought the darker filter was due to dust and dirt. I then realized what I had on was a charcoal filter. Now, it may look pristine at the low mag, but zoom it in, there is definitely an accumulation of dust, pollen, some floating seeds of a dandelion. Air filters (both cabin and engine) are the lowest cost maintenance item. I have no reason to second guess the changing interval. At manufacture recommended every 30,000 miles, I will spend less than $100 total for the life of the car.

Engine filter by comparing to a new one was dirtier and showed quite a bit of dirt, debris, and pollen in between filters. I felt it was a good thing to change it at this interval. And again, it is only $15.

 

I think too: west coast, the air is a lot cleaner? You're getting air that's blown all the way across the country?

 

Have you been to LA recently on a smog day?

 

It is true... The world's largest ocean does much to make the air blowing in from Asia much cleaner than air further inland, but even though this Summer has been beautiful, the previous two Summers had so many catastrophic wildfires that we had weeks on end where air quality was worse than Bejing... Cabin air filters are fairly worthless under those conditions. But don't tell Toyota they can help us stop climate change related air quality issues by rapidly shifting to a 100% electric vehicle product line because they're far to interested in maximizing short-term profits rather than improving long term planetary survival services.

 

I'm pretty sure that's not what their shareholders are asking for their investments in the company. "Take our money, lose a lot of it, but we'll be content that you are saving the world."

 

Yea, that's why we have governments that are supposed to look out for common good to benefit everyone rather than personal greed... Of course in the past couple decades the quarterly profit driven folks have captured the regulatory process in insidious ways that are rapidly beginning to accelerate and the backlash against it is innevitable....

The days of deregulated capitalism and companies like Amazon not paying a penny in taxes on $11 billion in annual profits will soon be down for the count and socialist-bound constraints on greed will be declared the new champion. It's inevitable... The only question is how much of the world will be lost during the transition.