Hey! Sports Fans! It’s been a while since the last post and today I have an exciting service to review – installing a cabin air filter in a 2024-2026 Subaru Impreza!
I mean,
what could get more exciting?
Cabin
Air Filter: Do I Really Need It?
No.
The idea of
an air filter for a car is a bit silly, really. There are probably plenty of
entry points for air other than the ventilation system, especially if you open
the windows or sunroof, thus making the need for a cabin air filter pointless.
In 1989, Mercedes (of course!),
introduced the cabin air filter in a response to… Wait for it! More profits.
The off-cited
reason of the decrease of air quality and increase in pollution are not
resolved by this system. It may reduce pollen and dust, but as it cannot be a
totally closed system, and from the two vehicles I have owned, the filter and
housing system does not offer an assured seal.
By 1990,
the Opel Astra, a mass market car, had introduced the cabin air filter.
So, Hans
Freudenburg, in a bid to prevent dust getting on his clothes while he drove,
developed the idea of the cabin air filter. That must have been one hell of a
long drive or one motherfracking dusty road. Was he commuting on the Dawson
Highway?
Anyways, my
2013 Hyundai Accent was the first car I owned that had a cabin air filter. I
never changed that filter until I had but 300,000 kms before I changed it. I
really should have changed it sooner, but do you need to change it as
frequently as the recommended service interval?
In the case
of my Hyundai, the long time before the change found that filter had distorted
and was not sitting in the housing properly, negating any filtration effects. I
have no idea of how long the filter had not been doing its job, but it was a
lesson in considering making changes of the filter to keep the car in good
shape. I mean, you change the oil and filter but leave other items that degrade
and if you have any pride in ownership, you think an owner would at least put a
good filter in, or remove it altogether if you think having a cabin air filter
is pointless.
Though I
question the real utility of a cabin air filter, is now a part of the car’s
maintenance regime and an understanding of this part and its place in the
service life of your Impreza.
As to
profits…
Google the OEM part number and you will find a PLETHORA of 3rd-party
providers offering solutions at a wide range of price offerings. Some are basic
filters and some offer, I don’t know, protection from Anthrax or Nuclear
fallout.
It’s a
filter, damn it. Its primary role is to prevent PARTICULATE intrusion into the
car’s cabin. It is a paper accordion pleat with a paper frame. Probably about 0.32
cents manufacturing cost. $1.01 landed cost in Canada in its box. These aren’t
real numbers, but I am sure the profit margin on this part is ginormous.
Changing Your
Filter
Below are
the instruction for the current body style of the Impreza (2024-2026). Other
Imprezas are probably similar, but CHECK your manual for correct procedures and
fitment.
Replaced
with FRAM CF12157 (est. $25.00 to $39.00 CDN).
Condition
of Removed Filter
Why
Change Your Filter?
It was
evident from changing out the original filter it was picking up debris. Was
this debris, if it passed unfiltered into the passenger cabin? Probably not,
but it does prevent contamination of the ducting and fan, and that does keep
the efficiency of the HVAC system intact during the life of the car.
Seriously,
if you drive with your window(s) open, you are fully defeating the purpose of
the filter.
Plus, for
those with OCD, changing stuff related to your car’s care will be a soothing
balm as each item gets done.
Do you need
to change it as regularly as Subaru recommends?
Depends,
Sports Fans. If you live and drive in a dusty climate or desert area, I would
do the first change at the recommended interval and then amend the frequency of
the changes. You could check the filter at intervals, but I think the effort
outweighs the result. Plus, if you are not careful, you could introduce containments
into the fan and ducting.
I would not
leave it for more than 2 years, regardless of mileage, as it may start to warp
and deform in the housing, preventing it from doing the job it was indented
for.
Definitely
do it yourself, and save some money, and learn a bit more about you car.
What Does
Subaru Say?
Subaru
recommends replacing your cabin air filter every 12,000 miles / 20,000 kms.
As this is
a recommendation, your mileage/kilometerage may vary. If you drive on dusty
road regularly, you might consider a more regular maintenance interval.
The OEM
part number is 72880FN00A and its price is $30.00 USD MSRP.
There are
plenty of 3rd-party providers with Fram being one of the more
recognizable brands.
Conclusion
So, a bit
of contradictory information...
I think car
cabin filters in most North American environments are silly. They are another
high margin part that fixes a problem that does not really exist.
However,
with my last car, I totally neglected the filter, and paid for it with fan
noise, which potentially could have led to fan damage or failure.
My goal is
to change the filter at an interval that is double that of the recommendation,
and to source a filter of reasonable cost.
So, Sports
Fans, take these wizened words into consideration when you consider doing a
filter change.
Remember to keep the rubber on the right side of your
vehicle. Drive safely and practice the Subaru Salute.
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