Cabin Filter Change.

Looks like it needed it. A lotta dust, a few bugs. Replacement straight forward. Drop the glove box and easily unclip the cover plate. The only 'bug' was the replacement direction. Pics show air flow arrow and lettering the same. To us easily confused it puts the lettering upside down with the arrow down. A few have said it probably doesn't matter but I can see you prolly get a better seal with the correct placement. That is, sharp edge up.

 

I also just changed mine with a STP filter..the one that was there did not have any arrow so does the arrow point up or down?

 

I miss that style, I hate that the 2.5 has it inside the box. Way too easy to break tabs... Im still not sure if air flow up towards the dash or down towards the floor

 

That's pretty clean. Wait till you pull one out with mouse terds that's been half eaten threw.

 

The air definitely flows either up or down.

 

It could go sideways... Things usually do for me pretty quick. LoL

 

Pretty sure the air flows downward. If it didn't all of the leaves and other garbage will be trapped in the bottom of the air box.

 

@15whtrd

Which way does the arrow go?!????

 

So as they beat me with common sense and "witness identification" the air flows down (comes from the cowl into the box and down) ARROW should point in the direction of air flow, meaning down.

 

That's the new one.

 

Down

 

Arrow should point down. I confirmed by holding a sheet of paper in the slot while I ran the fan. The air flow pulled the sheet of paper down towards the fan. Very confusing. Most people put theirs in backwards.

 

That is Clean compared to several I've found, leaves, dirt, fuzz built up an inch++ or so, haha did we breathe better after that swap out....

 

I changed mine shortly after I bought my Tundra. Here is what it looked when I pulled it out.

 

Nice and clean!

 

HEPA quality filtration going on there. That thing was soooo nasty.

 

The arrow goes down unless it says this side up LMFAO!

 

I knew I had a mouse/rat issue and for the last 9 months have been spraying a peppermint oil/dawn/water mix inside the engine compartment at least once a week with good results; i.e., no visible poop and no chewed wires or tubes. I hadn’t changed the cabin filter for 2 years though. I pulled the filter and got this:


There’s poop in them thar crevices and I was totally grossed out. I vacuumed out the area from inside the cabin and got some more crap out but it seemed to me like this was a BS situation. How could rodents get into the vehicle? I did some YouTube searches and discovered there’s a completely open slot directly above the cabin filter underneath the windshield wiper plastic molding. Watched the videos and knew it needed attention to prevent future infestations.


The YouTubers I watched attached metal mesh over the openings using epoxy putty or drilled holes and zip ties. I didn’t want to drill holes if avoidable and the epoxy putty would make getting the mesh off a big hassle. I decided to use exterior grade tape materials to ensure that if I ever needed to get one off I would be able to do it without having to resort to a hammer and chisel. I got this:
The 3m mounting tape went down first against the body cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, then applied the 1/4” galvanized mesh, then covered the edges with the gorilla tape. Seems to be good. At least it will keep the critters out of the vehicle itself and future cabin filter replacements should not be nearly as hideous as this recent one.



I will still apply the peppermint oil mixture to protect the engine compartment wires and tubes.

 

Did you cover the vent hole on the D/S beneath the wiper assembly? I missed it the first time covering the vents and still had them getting in. Just a heads up, its easy to miss.

 

Yes, good call. I covered all 5 openings including the little 5/8” hole between the two bigger openings I had pictured. Every hole is covered. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

Thanks for the reminder