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Save cash on air filters

9K views 51 replies 18 participants last post by  Blue Angel 
#1 ·
I went to buy a cabin air filter at Walmart and it was 50 bucks! I just got a k&n for 41.00 which will last forever. I also got the engine air from them also for 54.00 both delivered for free from the factory.
 
#4 · (Edited)
You can buy the ACDelco OEM air filters on Amazon for $11.58. Link

Personally, I wouldn't use any aftermarket filters, including K&N. For $11.50, there's no good reason to unless you've got an aftermarket intake.

Edit: I need to work on reading comprehension. I didn't realize K&N made cabin air filters.

The charcoal filter used to be ACDelco part# CF176, but it was discontinued around a year ago IIRC. There was no ACDelco part for a while, but it looks like it was replaced with CF184 which runs around $22 in various places on the internet (amazon, ebay).

I've been sticking with the ACDelco charcoal filters. I tried a $10 TYC replacement filter and it was crap. It was as thin as the plain paper filters with a very small amount of charcoal that was embedded with most of it being little black balls stuck on the outside that fell off.
 
#5 ·
The original cabin air filter AC Delco brand can be found in the Rockauto catalog for about @20.00. I did order one of the $9 cabin air filters, and it was shipped with other parts in the box that crushed it. I was able to make it work, but it was leaking carbon dust everywhere.

Definitely not the quality of the AC Delco one, but not the full price either.
 
#7 ·
I never could understand the purpose of a cabin filter. When the weather is nice 8-9 months of the year I drive with the window down or part way eliminating the purpose of a cabin filter. I installed rain guards on the cruze just for that reason.
 
#19 ·
Useful when it's too cold or hot to have the windows down. I only need my cabin air filter about half the year for the same reason - my windows are down.
 
#10 · (Edited)
You think you're saving money with a K&N, but you're really not. You're getting an inferior product.

K&N filters pass nearly 50x more dirt through than OEM filters do, so you're kind of defeating the purpose of a cabin air filter by using something with a low filtration efficiency. Furthermore, the carbon-filled OE filter has the secondary benefit of reducing cabin odors, which the K&N filter will not. In addition, they clog up and become restrictive 3x faster than OEM filters, so you're servicing them 3x as often, and it isn't a simple "out with the old, in with the new" process. You have to buy the cleaning kit (more $$), wash the filer, rinse the filter, wait for it to dry completely, then oil the filter, carefully.

A $11.50 ACDELCO filter will filter out FAR more contaminants, need servicing 1/3 as often, and will be far more convenient to service.
 
#11 ·
You think you're saving money with a K&N, but you're really not. You're getting an inferior product.

K&N filters pass nearly 50x more dirt through than OEM filters do, so you're kind of defeating the purpose of a cabin air filter by using something with a low filtration efficiency. In addition, they clog up and become restrictive 3x faster than OEM filters, so you're servicing them 3x as often, and it isn't a simple "out with the old, in with the new" process. You have to buy the cleaning kit, wash the filer, rinse the filter, wait for it to dry completely, then oil the filter, carefully.

A $11.50 ACDELCO filter will filter out FAR more contaminants, need servicing 1/3 as often, and will be far more convenient to service.
SHHH, don't tell people that the engineers that designed the system knew what they were doing. K&N all the filters!!
 
#12 ·
Have replaced my air filter twice in 60K miles, paid only $22 so far. would have to drive 120K at that rate just to break even with the K&N, but would be using an inferior product.

Have not paid more than $12 a piece for a cabin filter online either, used the AC delco CF184 for the cabin filter both times and the A3144C air filter.
 
#13 ·
No problems with a TYC 800149C carbon air filter from rockauto.com For $7.15 plus a couple of bucks extra for shipping. Does make a difference from detecting gas odors from that guy in front of you.

Really appreciate these things if you spent hours trying to clean out all the debris that builds up on your evaporator, heater core, and all over the insides of your vent duct work.

One sure sign besides debris buildup caused by a poor filter, is restricting vent air flow. Rockauto put mine in a box wrapped in bubble wrap, if any other, would complain about this.

Welcome to this board JerTM, need more people on this board with some technical expertise.
 
#20 ·
All you have to do is buy aftermarket charcoal filter sheets (about $6) , cut it to size, place it over the top of the cabin filter and just replace the sheet when needed. I replace the sheet every year and have only bought 1 (cheap) filter which still looks like new.
Amazon.com - Aftermarket Holmes HAPF60PDQ-U 4-pack Air Purifier Carbon Replacement Filter - Holmes Arm And Hammer Filters
Ha, you are even more frugal than I am. Do these carbon sheets add restrictions?
 
#17 ·
When I went back to look at my order from December where I bought the air filters, I noticed something new: There is now a line in the description (which wasn't there in December) on the CF181 that indicates "Except Reinforced Electric Heating/Defroster System(C32)". There is now a new part number CF197 with the added description "REINFORCED ELECTRIC HEATING/DEFROSTER SYSTEM(C32)," It appears that those of us with Diesels might have a different cabin filter number now, but I wonder what the difference is between the two.
 
#21 ·
I changed out both filters last night and the cabin one was caked with leaves and debris. I don't smoke so as far as "odors" I don't think that matters much. I keep my cars until they die so the cost savings to me is great. Also you think that your filter catches 50 percent more dirt which you could argue then is restricting air to the engine. I have four cars all with k&n and have had no running issues or dirty throttle etc. after changing the cabin air I recommend everyone check it every twelve months. It is such a tight fight you can't help but drop leaves down into the fan as u pull it out. I'm not saying to change it, but at least get the debris out before it piles up.
 
#23 ·
There hasn't been one thread complaining about the lack of flow through the OEM filters or the HVAC system. Furthermore, the K&N filter becomes restrictive with 1/3 the amount of dirt as the OEM filter.

I don't think; I know for a fact, because this has been ISO 5011 tested. I can post the results if you need to see them. That was ~50x more dirt in the coarse particle test.

It isn't about filtering air from the inside, but from the outside. The cabin stays cleaner and accumulates less dust with a better filter. In addition, the blower motor's vanes don't become clogged with dirt particles either.

K&N's usefulness in modern vehicles is coming to an end and they know it, which is why they bought out AEM, a dry filter manufacturer.

I can purchase five OEM filters for the price of one K&N filter and a cleaning kit. Those will last me well into 150k miles with 5 replacements while you will have to service your filter 15 times during that same period, and somehow I don't think one cleaning kit will be enough.

The extra work involved in addition to the poor filtration efficiency makes K&N filters a poor choice for this application.
 
#26 ·
Where is all the gmpp intakes and exhausts and stage Kits for the cruze!? They were supplied for the cobalt so why not the much better cruze? I don't want to buy aftermarket performance parts, I'd rather buy gmpp and not have to deal with warranty issues


Sent from the sexy electrician
 
#43 · (Edited)
Ha, finding this long extensive tread about a piece of paper receiving so much attention. Possibly the cheapest part you can buy for your vehicle.

If you know automotive history, air filters weren't even used until the late 30's when the oil bath filters came along. Not very effective, but had to be darn careful when removing them or would spill oil all over the place. Paper came out in the late 50's.

But this wasn't the main cure for getting dirt into the engine, main one was the breather pipe for crankcase ventilation. Would have positive pressure by hitting the gas pedal, blowby, but would suck up road dust like crazy when you took your foot off the gas. Then this pipe became a vacuum cleaner sucking up tons of dust.

The major souce of crap getting into the engine is that stuff we are paying a fortune for at the gas pumps. Now this has to be cured.

Nothing was done about this to some time in the 60's with positive crankcase ventilation, returning this crankcase garbage through a check valve back into the engine. Ha, still a problem because with more blowby, sucking up oil fumes that carbon up the intake valves, injectors, even the throttle body. Ha, should put this in a tank so you can take it someplace and have it recycled.

Check my air filter every oil change, so far with 34K on it, just a couple of dead flies, and maybe a tad of dust that I clean with a vacuum cleaner. Can still see bright light through it.

Sure interested in finding ways to save money, but the air filter is the last place I would look.
 
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