FELLOW SMARTIES, YOU MUST CHECK THE CABIN AIR FILTER AT ONCE!
I reached the 10K and am doing the maintenance myself. when I opened and checked the cabin air filter, the filtering side was durty... as expected.. But then I turned it over to look at the side that, as indicated by the air flow arrows, is the CLEAN side... IT HAS MOLD ON IT! YIKES! how on earth can this happen. I am very angry at this and WILL get to the bottom of it..
I reached the 10K and am doing the maintenance myself. when I opened and checked the cabin air filter, the filtering side was durty... as expected.. But then I turned it over to look at the side that, as indicated by the air flow arrows, is the CLEAN side... IT HAS MOLD ON IT! YIKES! how on earth can this happen. I am very angry at this and WILL get to the bottom of it..
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on -
This is bad. I have never asked to see my filter before but this is bad. This just means mold can be present in the air system also. I guess the filter should be changed much sooner.
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It's in the driver footwell next to the accelerator pedal.
http://evilution.co.uk/index.php?page=modpage&id=480&men=se...
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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on
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Clean the Cabin Air from mold bacteria hay fever symptoms and other allergic reactions
http://www.commaoil.com/News/newsairconcleanhtm.htm
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Open your drivers door and kneel on the floor with your torso directed to the pedals. Behind the accelerator pedal is a space that the filter will slide out of its compartment into it.
If you look at the pic you can see two tabs , one near the top and one near the bottom closest to the firewall. they are to be pulled toward the pedals. then the lid hinges on the three tabs closest the pedals. the lid will actually come of and makes it easier to see the filter in there. I could not GRAB the filter so I used an exacto knife to grab onto it and slide it out until I could just grab it with my hand. It slides out about 10 inches or so. please make note of the airflow through the filter... it comes from the firewall side toward the cup holders. the OEM filter is very cheap and as you can see mine was perturbing. The replacement one that the dealers sell has a carbon filter in it as well that should be a VAST improvement... than again it should be for the price (ouch!)
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the mold is caused by moisture and spores. it could be from you living in florida, a very humid place (and hot) and running your AC a lot. i rarely use my AC and living in the midwest, we don't have the oppressive humidity that you have.
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Your theory is well founded but then how would you explain my other 2 cars having similar filters and not harboring mold growth... It is perplexing as well as worrying... And just to clarify non of my cars have been smoked in and are stored inside at home (3 car garage) so condensation from morning dew is not possible.. Come on MrBE.. put your analytical mind to work.... Lets crack this one!
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that is weird. this is my first car with a cabin filter. i rarely run the AC, at night i run the windshield defogger/defroster when it's humid. as you have stated, the replacement filter has a carbon element in it.
i have an idea for "filter maintenance"... maybe putting it in a microwave once a month with a cup of some disinfectant or something that kills mold, the microwave heat (microwave ovens excite water molecules to make heat, so any moisture would become superheated and kill whatever is living in it) this is just off the top of my head...(ummm... did you notice a lot of metal in the filter element? or is it like plastic frame with paper? too much metal will make the microwave spark)
a simple thing like leaving the element out in the sun on a dry day might do the same thing. the main thing is you're sucking in humid air with spores, and the filter is in a box that is stagnant when the car is not running, so the filter becomes an incubator when the car is parked.
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i plan on replacing my filter every 2 years or so (i'll check mine next week) i think people in desert environments will not have this problem. if i win the lotto (under 20 million) i'll move to the las vegas area (over 20 million, i'll relocate to europe)
my later thoughts... maybe installing a UV light bulb in that filter housing would kill mold when the car is running (i'm not familar with this yet, so i'm just guessing) i'm only on my third lite beer, so my brain isn't totally "in gear" yet...
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third thought, get a nylon mesh bag and put the filter in the dryer with a load of laundry. what you want is HOT and DRY. mold likes warm/cool and moist. extreme heat/cold and dry will prevent/kill mold.
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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on
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To clean mold from your car's air conditioning system,
use comma air which will fully clean, sanitise and refresh, the air ducts cleaning any fungus and air born bacteria making it healthier, safer inside the car to breath.
http://www.commaoil.com/News/newsairconcleanhtm.htm
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