So I took out my cabin air filter yesterday that had been in my v50 for almost 3 years, it was mostly just dusty. The big issue that I have with these filters is that mine started to smell like crap from mildew in the filter. after I took it out the odor went away and I decided to not put a new one back in. It just doesn't seem to be worth the hassle for a little dust and such an awful smell.

I'm wondering if there are any potential majors issues with this that I may have over looked? I really doubt i'm going to cause damage by not having a dust filter but i wanted to hear some opinions.


just a side note but when i first got the car some a$$ holes poured flour in my AC as a joke. I've been cleaning flour out of my dash ever since. It's mostly gone but that was the initial reason I changed the filter in the first place 3 years ago.

 

It depends on the area you live in, but I have seen more than a few AC drains get clogged because people decided not to change the cabin filter. I've even seen them clog with people who change it on time, so I'd keep one in there. Usually the odor is from the evaporator and not the filter. There are odor treatment kits to clean the evaporator fins which may help.

 

Make sure the drain under the evap housing is clear too. Water backing up from a clogged drain will smell like hell after a short time.

 

Well I'm currently in Waco Texas but I drive to Oklahoma all the time. I never really thought of this area as really dirty but I do most of my driving on the highway. I don't think my AC drain is clogged or backed up, The odor really did just go away when i pulled the filter.

But now that you mention that would it become clogged or backed up without the filter? the last thing I want to do is trade a small problem for a bigger one

I really thought that not having a filter would be a non issue. I was under the impression that most Volvos before 2000 really didn't even have cabin air filters. I know there are plenty of brands of other cars that don't even put them in some of their new models from the factory.

 

Another though I had, was is there any way to flip the cabin air box to the passenger side? or even retrofit a filter somewhere else. it is just hell on my back trying to change the thing from the driver side of a LHD model

 

So I went ahead an installed a new cabin air filter. its a different brand but i can see all the little activated carbon bits in there that should help with the sent. I then went to home depot and got a cheap house air filters. I cut it to size and sat it in front of the cabin air filter. hopefully this will keep the carbon filter cleaner so i don't get an awful odor again.

 

any picture for changing cabin air filter in 2006 s40? My drain has been backing up for years without us knowing. Trying to fix that issue. As long as I have the seats and carpet ripped out, I thought I'd change the cabin filter, too.

 

Is there a tube that runs down and out of the bottom of the s40 on the other side of the white 90 degree elbow that drains out of the housing? It looks to me that the insulation is pressed up against it so that the A/C condensation can't drain out freely. Wondering if there was a second elbow on the other side that unseated when I pulled the elbow out to unclog the drain tube.

 

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...rcomingout.jpg

 

Yeah, I'm afraid the the cabin air filter also acts as a final screen for everything, not just dust. I found leaf parts in mine. I like the idea of a supplemental screen. It should help.

As for nasty odors, remember Febreze! It really works. I rejuvenated a car where mice had been living in the air vents using generous amounts of Febreze. Better living through chemistry!