Some cabin air filters come with activated charcoal and can appear dirty right from the start. I was surprised to see how dirty my wife’s Ioniq Hybrid’s filter looked but later realized that was just how it is.
@Dolph
I thought about that but these filters have the same model number
You should change your cabin filter at least every 12 months. I change mine every 6 months and it usually looks pretty dirty by then
LebronJames said:
You should change your cabin filter at least every 12 months. I change mine every 6 months and it usually looks pretty dirty by then
I do my cabin filter and engine filter at the same time around 10k miles. It can vary based on how dirty the air is where you are
It really depends on your environment. If you’re driving in a dusty area or a polluted city, your cabin filter will get dirty quickly.
I’ve never seen a filter like this on a SG2 Niro. What kind of air quality do you have where you are?
DolphGabbana said:
I’ve never seen a filter like this on a SG2 Niro. What kind of air quality do you have where you are?
Exactly right… Normal air. I live in northern Poland. No coal mines or anything around here. Actually, I live about 50 kilometres from the sea in a small city
@esleystanley
How do people around you heat their homes? Gas, electric, wood? All of this can affect air quality. What are the common cars in your area? Old diesels?
DolphGabbana said:
@esleystanley
How do people around you heat their homes? Gas, electric, wood? All of this can affect air quality. What are the common cars in your area? Old diesels?
I live in a small apartment block. Everyone uses city heating. There are tons of old cars and diesels around, that’s for sure
@esleystanley
That’s probably why your filter is so dirty.
I noticed a big difference in size between the old and new cabin air filter in my '23 Kia Ceed too… Is it normal for them to bloat a bit while in use, or is something wrong?
Vince said:
I noticed a big difference in size between the old and new cabin air filter in my '23 Kia Ceed too… Is it normal for them to bloat a bit while in use, or is something wrong?
Not sure. Seems fine. Just a bit squished.
That looks like a flying ant, you can tell by its mandibles… That makes much more sense than having fruit flies in the car.
gabu said:
That looks like a flying ant, you can tell by its mandibles… That makes much more sense than having fruit flies in the car.
Yeah, that is definitely not a fruit fly. The bugs and the cabin filter could be completely unrelated… I remember my mom parked near a grassy hill. Her vehicle was on pavement, but the undercarriage was overlapping grass. She parked on top of an anthill and ended up with an infestation of ants in her car.
@Kashton
We had a similar issue after hurricane Helene hit. Our cars were overrun with ants displaced by flooding. They would crawl out of the vents and were everywhere. It was terrifying, but after about 10 days, they disappeared on their own.
gabu said:
That looks like a flying ant, you can tell by its mandibles… That makes much more sense than having fruit flies in the car.
Good observation… I wouldn’t have known that.
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana
In Minnesota, I change mine every year. It usually looks pretty dark. The road construction seems to kick up a lot of dirt.
Mine looked like this too after 18 months. I was shocked and wasn’t sure if it was darker than the OEM replacement right from the start.