Does road salt shorten the life of cabin air filter?

Asked by drj888 Feb 28, 2014 at 03:26 PM about the 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited AWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I recently had my car serviced and the service manager showed me my cabin air filter and
asked if I wanted to replace it since it was dirty.  I said yes.  Afterwards, he explained that
due to the excess road salt from this harsh winter we're having, the cabin filter gets dirty
faster.  Does this make sense?

2 Answers

2,035

Sure does. That salt turns into dust, and dust gets sucked into the filter no matter what kind of dust it is. You can buy a replacement filter inexpensively online and replace it yourself. if you don't know where it is or how to remove it, stop back by the dealership and have them show you where it is, ask them how they do it.

1 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful

Thanks for your answer ... it's starting to make sense. I guess that's why car exteriors are dirtier in the winter months than other times during the year. My initial thought was that the manufacturer recommends replacing the filter after 12 months or 20,000 miles and I would have thought that included periods of driving through dusty environments. After that incident with the dealer, I went on-line and purchased several filters. I also watched a video on how to replace it myself. I'm amazed at how easy it was and I'll deal with it the next time this issue happens again. Thank you.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    TLX_4765
    Reputation
    2,050
  • #2
    Mik00000
    Reputation
    1,930
  • #3
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    1,710
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Honda Odyssey
48 Great Deals out of 972 listings starting at $2,495
Used Toyota Highlander
32 Great Deals out of 738 listings starting at $2,495
Used Toyota Sequoia
4 Great Deals out of 69 listings starting at $16,489
Used Honda Pilot
40 Great Deals out of 1,271 listings starting at $4,495
Used Chrysler Pacifica
49 Great Deals out of 1,199 listings starting at $13,999
Used Toyota Highlander Hybrid
16 Great Deals out of 259 listings starting at $8,995
Used Toyota RAV4
108 Great Deals out of 2,083 listings starting at $3,888
Used Toyota Camry
52 Great Deals out of 985 listings starting at $2,212
Used Toyota 4Runner
10 Great Deals out of 304 listings starting at $9,700
Used Toyota Tacoma
55 Great Deals out of 1,071 listings starting at $8,708
Used Toyota Tundra
35 Great Deals out of 1,184 listings starting at $8,500
Used Chevrolet Suburban
10 Great Deals out of 550 listings starting at $7,500
Used Dodge Grand Caravan
101 Great Deals out of 1,943 listings starting at $3,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.