So I just bought a used 2004 MC, my first Mini ever! The air conditioning smelled funny, so I bought a new cabin air filter. Check it out...I don't think it has EVER been replaced before. The air smells sooo much better now, I highly recommend changing it if you never have.



One thing to mention: I also recommend getting a non-OEM one, because the OEM ones have brittle plastic ridges on the edge that snap very easily when installing, it did on mine. You can get one I just ordered made by TYC for like $13.50 on eBay that has soft edges.

 

OMG

 

When my MINI was about a year old, I had the plastic cowl out to install gage wiring. I found a squirrel's nest in the cabin air filter! I vacuumed it out and it looked good as new. I put a bar of Irish spring soap under there, I haven't had squirrel problems since!

Dave

 

I have a 2003 MC and need to change mine...Not looking forward to it! lol

 

first time I pulled mine



this was two years into ownership, having had 2 pre-pay maint visits where replacing this filter WAS on the schedule
...
I replace mine annually now

 

Nasty..lol. I have to look at mine, they are a year old in both cars and they are probably OK since I am a low miles guy, but I will look just to make sure.

I am wondering what kind of schedule I need to keep.

 

Wow, sounds like a lot of people have the same story as me! I'm definitely going to keep an eye on mine from now on. It's such an easy fix too, only about 10 minutes.

I will probable replace mine at least once a year, maybe more though. I'm kind of freaked out after seeing the one I pulled and hearing these other horror stories!

 

I replace mine annually. Builds up lots of junk in a year too.

 

Mine looked about like yours when I changed mine a year and a half or so ago, when Nudnik had about 40k miles. I suspect the filter was original equipment (just like the air filter for the engine!! ). The air blowing from the ducts smelled like a dirty vacuum cleaner.

The air has smelled much better since the new filter went in.

C ya,
Dutch

 

That is exactly what it smells like, a dirty vacuum! Thankfully it smells nice and clean now

 

How do you access the filter to change it?

 

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-k8nf-OMU

It's very easy and you can get filters on ebay very inexpensively.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

 

Mine looked exactly the same (except for the leaves) when I finally changed it about a month ago. I am surprised I got any air in the cabin at all, that's how filthy it was...

How often do you guys recon it actually should be changed? I was thinking of doing it every 10-15K miles or so from now on. This time I splurged on the OEM carbon-activated one, but will get the eBay one in the future.

 

I would say every 15k unless you live in a very moist environment. And there are carbon acitvated on eBay, I got one. It doesn't matter too much though if you don't have allergies to anything, but on eBay the two are pretty much the same price.

 

I think how dirty this gets has a lot to do with your driving area in addition to frequency/miles. When I liven in Norfolk I'd change mine every 12 months (after I found what some have described as a rack of BBQ ribs in there) and it was always dirty but not horrible. (more upsetting was the fact that this should have been changed under pre-pay maintenance by what was thought to be a good dealer but that's a different discussion)

Subsequently I moved and bought an 07. On my first service visit - a good 18 months into ownership (oil had been done b4 ... don't panic) I was happy to see that the filter had been changed (or at least they listed a new one on the invoice). Now that pre-pay has passed I pulled the filter and it looked fine - easily 18 months later. I put the new clean one back on the shelf 'til next year but tend to take a look at 6 months

BTW almost all cars have filters like this today - cabin air filters that is - both my Hondas do (as old as 2003), as does my new KIA. They get just as dirty . . . worth a check and a replacement now and then.

 

True that! I think a lot of people overlook this small but worthwhile bit of maintenance.

 

Is that a giant furry caterpillar or a filter?

 

Hahaha I believe the former.

 

Gross!! Got the new filter off Amazon for 15 dollars.

 

I just had mine changed this past week. I have to agree that it smells much better inside