Cabin Filter

[Pavilion]

Replaced Cabin Air Filter in Avalon today. Was going to order online until I saw they wanted $8.95 shipping and handling from a place only 80 miles from where I live. So I purchased at Toyota Store for virtually same price. The original filter was a nice heavy duty pleated filter as Toyota has always had in the past. The new one is also ribbed, but it is about as dense as a single sheet of cheese cloth. What a piece of crap. So if you are looking to replace in the near future check after market stores to see what the quality is like. The recommended replacement is every two years. The new one I got will most likely not make it through one year. And they are expensive ($35). Cheapest that I could find online was $27.49, plus $8.95 shipping and handling (better known as hidden additional profit.

[Tundradrenalin]

$35 that's crazy! Wow.
I bought a replacement cabin filter for my RAV4 from an autoparts store for $10. It was an ACDelco, and looked identical to the factory one. It was actually just a replacement filter element, and fit right into the skeleton of the factory filter housing.

Nice to see the filter was actually very dirty, gave me some quick gratification for changing it.

[benbeaux]

I made my own from a cheap, pleated filter from wallymart. I used the Arm & Hammer brand because it looked the thinest & was $5 to boot. Too thick may not flow enough air & may cause the evaporator to freeze over, like in a house unit.

Anyway, I placed the old OEM filter on top of the new filter, squared up the edges & cut to size with a razor knife. I taped the raw edges with aluminum foil HVAC tape & installed. Works fine. I'm now on my third filter from the same wallymart special. Be sure to keep the old OEM so you have a good pattern to use.

Now if I could only find a way around $60 wiper blades...

[haroldo]

Originally Posted by benbeaux

...
Now if I could only find a way around $60 wiper blades...

Don't drive when it's raining