A/C Filters Lasting

[fredob43]

Yes and before anyone asks I am referring to car A/C. 

I went into Toyota this morning for my usual 10K K/M Service that I do every 5K K/M. I always stand with my Tuna when it's serviced just to make sure they do things I require. 

Now we get to the heading A/C filters. They as  usual took my A/C filter out and showed me the state it was in. Of course I replaced it.  Question has anyone had the same problem with A/C filters lasting 10K KM? If this is the state of my filter after only 5K MK how can they last 10k. N/B and No it's not been eaten by anything it's just degraded.

[transam]

I take mine out every once in a while and run the vacuum over it.

 

Yours looks like something has been chewing on it, never had one look like that before, in fact the actual filter looks quite clean....

[bbko]

Looks like it's been chewed on,  a while back a rat chewed on some wires in our car and it needed to be towed to the shop for repair. They fixed to problem and I bought and used this rat repellent.

[fredob43]

If you read my post you would have seen that I stated that nothing had chewed on it. When they took the filter out it just fell apart or as I said degraded. If you look at the creases in the top of the filter you would see that they had already started to crack open. The thing was like tissue paper. No way would it have lasted 10K KM. Will be checking it after a few K KM to see if I was just unlucky or it's a normal thing with these new Toyota filters.

[HauptmannUK]

My family has a long established car dealership/servicing/MoT station in the UK. I am mostly retired from it now, however I have seen thousands of cabin filters over the years. Trust me, your filter is not 'degraded', in fact the filter material is still fairly clean. However the pleats are chock full of rodent droppings and the rodent has chewed part of the filter.  Be thankful you don't have a BMW or Mercedes, the latest BMs and MBs use biodegradable plastic insulation on the wires - its basically mouse food!

[transam]

6 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

My family has a long established car dealership/servicing/MoT station in the UK. I am mostly retired from it now, however I have seen thousands of cabin filters over the years. Trust me, your filter is not 'degraded', in fact the filter material is still fairly clean. However the pleats are chock full of rodent droppings and the rodent has chewed part of the filter.  Be thankful you don't have a BMW or Mercedes, the latest BMs and MBs use biodegradable plastic insulation on the wires - its basically mouse food!

Yep, a creature of some sort has been active, may be still in there...........????

[transam]

12 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

If you read my post you would have seen that I stated that nothing had chewed on it. When they took the filter out it just fell apart or as I said degraded. If you look at the creases in the top of the filter you would see that they had already started to crack open. The thing was like tissue paper. No way would it have lasted 10K KM. Will be checking it after a few K KM to see if I was just unlucky or it's a normal thing with these new Toyota filters.

My filters were never changed at 10km, and none ever looked like yours.

Make sure they are fitting a genuine Toyota filter, as you can buy copies on Lazada waaaaaay cheaper....????

[HauptmannUK]

3 minutes ago, transam said:

My filters were never changed at 10km, and none ever looked like yours.

Make sure they are fitting a genuine Toyota filter, as you can buy copies on Lazada waaaaaay cheaper....????

If he's routinely using a Toyota dealership they would be fitting branded Toyota filters.  A mouse/rat has been very active scampering about in there, urinating and damaging the filter material. I've seen this many times over the years. There is something about cabin filters that attracts rodents - its quite common to see rodent droppings even in city-based cars in the UK, although not usually the amount of droppings as in that filter..

[transam]

3 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

If he's routinely using a Toyota dealership they would be fitting branded Toyota filters.  A mouse/rat has been very active scampering about in there, urinating and damaging the filter material. I've seen this many times over the years. There is something about cabin filters that attracts rodents - its quite common to see rodent droppings even in city-based cars in the UK, although not usually the amount of droppings as in that filter..

The Toyota dealer "should" install genuine filters...............????

[bbko]

27 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

If you read my post you would have seen that I stated that nothing had chewed on it. When they took the filter out it just fell apart or as I said degraded. If you look at the creases in the top of the filter you would see that they had already started to crack open.

What's all the stuff in the pleats? Rat droppings? leaves? feathers? Was it given a smell test to check for mouse urine?

[transam]

Just now, bbko said:

What's all the stuff in the pleats? Rat droppings? leaves? feathers? Was it given a smell test to check for mouse urine?

May not be a mouse, there are many creatures in LOS to choose from.........????

[Fruit Trader]

I wonder how much crap made it through those holes to the evaporator. If it's not  chewed by a rodent there's something very wrong with that filter. 

[Jeff the Chef]

Back in the UK I used to restore old Saab's, most of which were over 20+ years old, still fitted with the original A/C filters mainly because they were a pain to change, even main dealers were known to avoid changing them. Never ever saw one that bad. Definitely had something in there having a party.

[fredob43]

17 hours ago, transam said:

My filters were never changed at 10km, and none ever looked like yours.

Make sure they are fitting a genuine Toyota filter, as you can buy copies on Lazada waaaaaay cheaper....????

If I remember correctly it's been some time since you owned a Toyota. Some two years ago they changed their A/C filters this was one of the new type. As luck would have it they left the new filter box in the boot. Snap of same. Seems they use them on Lexus as well. I'll report in a few months to see how the new one is doing. 

[perconrad]

Last year I went for a 10.000 km service at Toyota with my Fortuner (new model).

 

My filter looked like the one the OP list, but worse the critters had bite, <deleted> and peed a lot inside the AC unit, so I had to change it at 17.000 THB.

 

To prevent the rats access to the AC unit I had the shop install a guard plate with many small holes over the big hole where the air intake to the unit is. The hole is under the wipers in the upper of the engine compartment (just under the hood). The plate was bought from Lazada since Toyota do not sell that.

The mechanic said they had often Fortuners with this problem.

[perconrad]

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/new-fortuner-trd-2015-2022-dave-racing-i4083341153.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.5.58b35d66SzI3kL

 

Here is a link to the plate and a picture of where it is placed

[bluejets]

Looks like it's always out in the weather near trees and the chook run.

[steve187]

8 hours ago, perconrad said:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/new-fortuner-trd-2015-2022-dave-racing-i4083341153.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.5.58b35d66SzI3kL

 

Here is a link to the plate and a picture of where it is placed

the op will never solve the problem as he believes its normal use and not rodents, I believe that cover could solve the problem where did you get it from

[Ratman]

On 8/29/2023 at 2:34 AM, HauptmannUK said:

My family has a long established car dealership/servicing/MoT station in the UK. I am mostly retired from it now, however I have seen thousands of cabin filters over the years. Trust me, your filter is not 'degraded', in fact the filter material is still fairly clean. However the pleats are chock full of rodent droppings and the rodent has chewed part of the filter.  Be thankful you don't have a BMW or Mercedes, the latest BMs and MBs use biodegradable plastic insulation on the wires - its basically mouse food!

this works very well on car wiring 

[Sydebolle]

I think it is simply impossible after 10,000 kilometres only - although these air filters do not cost a fortune to replace. 

[brianthainess]

Can order from Lazada for a fraction of what dealers want, Nissan wanted 1,000b+ from Lazada 110b, same with air filters. 

[brianthainess]

On 8/29/2023 at 4:03 PM, transam said:

I take mine out every once in a while and run the vacuum over it.

 

Yours looks like something has been chewing on it, never had one look like that before, in fact the actual filter looks quite clean....

You can even wash them in water with a little detergent,  but for 100b a pop not worth the hassle.

[brianthainess]

On 8/29/2023 at 4:47 PM, transam said:

My filters were never changed at 10km, and none ever looked like yours.

Make sure they are fitting a genuine Toyota filter, as you can buy copies on Lazada waaaaaay cheaper....????

The ones I brought from Lazada look even better than the original and I doubt Toyota or any leading manufacture make there own filters and yes WAAAAAAAAY cheaper 115b a saving of 1000b could fit one 3 times a year and still be quids in. their weight is minimal so worth ordering at least 2 same shipping fee.

 

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

I think it is simply impossible after 10,000 kilometres only - although these air filters do not cost a fortune to replace. 

From dealers they do, as with everything from them. 

[kwak250]

If you look in the filter I am sure all those little black drppings are not chocolate. 

 

Get rid of the rodent and the filter will be good for way more than 10k with the occasional clean.

 

You are a really nice person you have just bought them a nice new bed.

[transam]

19 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

You can even wash them in water with a little detergent,  but for 100b a pop not worth the hassle.

100bht..........? 

 

Please tell us where..................

[transam]

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

The ones I brought from Lazada look even better than the original and I doubt Toyota or any leading manufacture make there own filters and yes WAAAAAAAAY cheaper 115b a saving of 1000b could fit one 3 times a year and still be quids in. their weight is minimal so worth ordering at least 2 same shipping fee.

 

Looks better doesn't mean filters better...........????

[transam]

1 minute ago, transam said:

Looks better doesn't mean filters better...........????

Someone is confused by my thought.........????

[kwak250]

If I keep my cars on recirculating air rather than outside air the air filters will never look like this.

I rarely switch to outside air unless I am on a trip on open roads otherwise I am just breathing in exhaust fumes.

[brianthainess]

8 minutes ago, transam said:

Looks better doesn't mean filters better...........????

It's only air into the cabin not a hospital ventilator.