No charcoal/carbon just a plain filter. I have the charcoal filter in my wifes car and just a plain one in mine And theres no difference to me. Air quality is the same with my sniffer, maybe later on when junk starts to build up in the filter but I plan on changing it once a year so this wont happen

 

Any info on which cars have which? Is it based on build date? Auto vs. manual AC?

 

just installed mine today. For some reason, atozautolights.com wouldn't let me create an account, while logical-source.com wouldn't let me change the qty. I ended up creating an account on logical-source but placing the order on atozlights.com.

Mine was a really tight fit. The original filter had a plastic frame, but the new one is wider by ~2-3mm (I compared back-to-back with the original). After I shaved down the sides a little, no further problems.

This was on an 05 w/ auto-AC. From the looks of it, the filter is used on both fresh air and recirc.

 

Smart design. The air inside the cabin is sometimes more toxic... especially after a bean burrito.

 

After ordering two of these filters for my 08 S, turns out that the new filter was larger than the OEM by 1/4" in the width and 1" inch in the length. I called A to Z and they confirmed the part number and said that it should work. They measured another Mini filter that they use on pre-07's and that measured even larger. They are giving me full credit on my purchase plus my shipping cost to return the filters. The OEM filter is quite a bit heavier in weight and has carbon between the paper. I think I'll stay with the OEM on this one.

 

Thanks, just ordered 2 for my used stinky 02!

 

Ordered mine for an 04 MCS, arrived 3 days later with instructions included - looked exactly like the old one - just a lot cleaner - and a lot cheaper too. Good deal and great info to have.

 

couldn't get the http://www.atozautolights.com/ to actually checkout and take my money, i kept getting an error

but i found the exact same part on https://www.rockauto.com/

and actually a bit cheaper after shipping

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

Thread revival. Picked up a Purolator cabin filter from Advance Auto Parts for $15 (plain, no carbon). They also had a couple other options by Denso, one carbonless for around $13 and one with carbon but I forget the price.
Wanted to confirm what another poster already wrote, part # for the Purolator is C15537.

I want to confirm the direction of the airflow. Is it from the bottom up? As in, from the passenger well going up towards the roof of the car, or is it the other way around? I ask because I confused myself. It seems that the air filter was installed reverse by whoever did the maintenance previously. So which way should the arrow point? Up or down?

 

I was wondering, is there a test you can run with a flashlight to see how much life is left in the filter? I'm still on the original one but the cabin doesn't smell musty yet. I have no idea whether it will last until my first scheduled dealer visit, which is in 2 months.

 

2 months should be fine. I wouldn't worry about it.

I called my dealer and they said airflow is from the bottom up, so the arrow should be pointing up. Is that right?

 

Airflow is down. When you pull out the old one, I will make sense to you.

 

but you already make sense to me, so I'll leave it in for now.

 

The new one doesn't have a frame and it's really hard to tell which side is "up" without looking at the arrow. The old filter was installed upside down as it was, meaning the "skinny fins" pointing down. From the couple DIY pics I saw, the filter is supposed to be installed with the bulky part down and "skinny fins" up. If the direction of airflow is down-up, which means the arrow would be pointing up, then I installed it right.

 

Made a mistake. Airflow is actually top-down... unfiltered air goes through the top side of the element; bottom side should be clean.

Mine ('06 MCSc) has the plastic frame and the "skinny fins" point up. If your new one doesn't have the plastic frame, it might be incorrect.

The arrow indicates the position of the filter, not the direction of the airflow.

 

^ I went by the Purolator selection guide for the air filter. It is a perfect fit, just doesn't have a rubber frame. The arrow reads "Airflow" so that means I have it installed in reverse.

 

Duplicate post

 

Thanks everyone for the great info on these filters. I just ordered mine. I guess I lucked out - shipping was only $6, so my total was $14.50 :-)

 

I've had my TYC cabin air filter in for a year and a half and it works great! I noticed their price at AtoZAutolights has gone up .69 cents to $9.00 now. What a deal!!

So, there's your consumer review.

 

Thanks! I just ordered 2 for replacement. There definately is a foul smell coming from the A/C!

 

Be sure to check the drain for the A/C Condenser, it may be slightly stopped up and causing water to remain in the condenser housing and it is getting stagnant. There should be a pretty constant drip of water going on under the MINI with the A/C running. Also it may be wise to use a vacuum to clean things out when you remove the old filter.

Good luck!