Replaced Cabin Air Filter @ 15K Miles / 15 Months - Check Yours

I checked mine the other day at about 17k miles, and was surprised at how dirty it was, and I don't use the climate control that much...and the car is garage kept.

 

Does it also mean you keep your windows and outside vent open a lot of times?

 

yes

 

It very well can be dirty but keep in mind that the filter is likely to be the charcoal filled type and it will look "dirty". Thinking that myself, I washed mine... that was a mess and a mistake.
I think it was this thread where I posted a picture of each type of filter.

 

It's very easy to change, I replaced mine with a third party brand and it seems to work fine. Also easy to inspect and shake it out every once in a while.

 

I don't think that shaking it will do much; I shook mine which was "black" and nothing came down. The paper fibres make even bigger particles (e.g. tree seeds and similar) stick to the filter - you need to take them out with the hands (my personal experience). No wonder the owner's manual says to clean it with a compressed air stream (which I unfortunately cannot find anywhere...).

PS: to my knowledge this filter (I mean the Toyota original one) does not have any active charcoal filtering

 

I got my last filter from LubeUdo.com They have complete oil change kits you build for any car. For my 07 Prius, a oil and filter kit was only about $18 with 4 quarts of Kendall GT-1 Synthetic blend in their eco-pouches. The cabin filter was only $5.94 and with free shipping on orders over $20 and no tax, it worked out great. They have the engine air filter too.

 

On that site Mobil 1 advanced syn.(green label) would cost me $42 compared to $26 for five quarts at walmart.

 

Replaced mine this morning. Only took a few minutes to swap out. Mine was pretty dirty and I only have 7500 miles. I do live in LA .