Pollen filter - how often do you change?

HoneyBadger · 13 Feb 2018 at 14:13

I tend to change it every year on all my cars but when I told a mate this, he looked at me as if I was mad.

He reckons he changes his every 4 months!!

Thoughts?

bloodiedathame · 13 Feb 2018 at 14:16

I don't bother, I just take piriton instead.

Raymond Lin · 13 Feb 2018 at 14:26

Change it at the annual service.

Cookeh · 13 Feb 2018 at 18:15

I change it every 10k.

robj20 · 13 Feb 2018 at 18:37

Every 4 months. Lol on mine it's part of the dash off, glove box out, then some awkward screws.

Gets done once a year.

Flibster · 13 Feb 2018 at 18:58

Every spring.

Because hayfever.

HoneyBadger · 13 Feb 2018 at 19:01

He drives an Audi A1 S-Line - probably easier just to get a new mate!

Phemo · 13 Feb 2018 at 19:02

Depends how many miles I do. On my cars that I don't use often I just do it every time I change the oil so once a year. On my previous car I did it 2 or 3 times a year depending on how many miles I did - but that was around every 12-15k miles.

Luckily they're all a fairly quick job, except for the S-Max which involves having to bend into some crazy positions to reach the top screw for the filter cap in the passenger footwell. Still only a 15 minute job all in though.

Funnily enough I've just bought a pollen filter for my new car. Although the car was serviced only about 5k miles ago, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that the pollen filter was neglected. Since the process is the same as the S-Max, there's no way I'm taking the filter out to inspect it without a replacement to hand, just in case it does need doing.

pastymuncher · 13 Feb 2018 at 19:28

I do mine every year even though it's a right pain to do. I suspect that this is why it had never been done before I bought the car as it still had what appeared to be the original filter with 2004 stamped on it. It was absolutley minging and the housing it sits in needed a very good hoovering out as it was full of bugs, sand and loads of other crap.

mrk · 13 Feb 2018 at 21:39

£15 ish for a carbon activated one, makes sense to just change it annually at such a low cost. They accumulate a lot of particles over the year as it is, so nice to just refresh it anyway yourself since it's a 30 second DIY job.

Edit*
For a few quid more, Mann do these newer "Mann Frecious Plus" ones which filter out more stuff and have anti-fungal / anti-bacterial properties, it's about that time of the year to change mine, so have ordered one of those.

Howard · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:00

I don’t think I’ve ever changed mine

I even have a new one ready to fit, but I haven’t yet gotten around to taking half the dashboard apart to swap it.

Phemo · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:04

mrk said:
For a few quid more, Mann do these newer "Mann Frecious Plus" ones which filter out more stuff and have anti-fungal / anti-bacterial properties, it's about that time of the year to change mine, so have ordered one of those.

I've used those the last two times I changed it on my E90. It was weird seeing a yellow filter at first and even weirder seeing what happened to it when I changed it 6 months/15k miles later, it was vile. Guess that means it's doing a good job though.

Raymond Lin · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:06

It takes a few tools including removing the acceleration pedal to replace mine, if it's just being a panel I'd change it every 4 months too.

mrk · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:08

Tools?! Accelerator pedal?!

I'd have thought Volvo would make things easy.

Phemo said:
I've used those the last two times I changed it on my E90. It was weird seeing a yellow filter at first and even weirder seeing what happened to it when I changed it 6 months/15k miles later, it was vile. Guess that means it's doing a good job though.

Indeed. Even if the service interval is 15k miles or 20k/every 2 years or whatever, the pollen filter has an expected life of 1 year, and remember it's still absorbing particles in the air when the car isn't moving.

bainbridge · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:20

My last car was a Ford focus which I had from 6 months old and I didn't change it for 13 years! Air con still blew cold and the air smelt neutral

Air filter was changed every 2 years and the oil filter (and oil) was changed every 6 months. Fuel filter was never changed. Drove 150k in it.

Why change the pollen filter so often if it doesn't affect how the engine runs?

mrk · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:24

Because the pollen filter has nothing to do with the engine but to keep the cabin ventilated to a certain standard. A manky old filter will let in more moisture into the system too, and bacteria will build up on the AC plumbing and deteriorate the condition of the seals that keep the system in good working order.

Maybe you didn't know how poor the air quality was because you got used to it over 13 years

Nasher · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:45

Usually every year. On my Toyota it takes 10 seconds, just a small draw behind the glove box. Requires no tools.

bainbridge · 13 Feb 2018 at 22:47

mrk said:
Because the pollen filter has nothing to do with the engine but to keep the cabin ventilated to a certain standard. A manky old filter will let in more moisture into the system too, and bacteria will build up on the AC plumbing and deteriorate the condition of the seals that keep the system in good working order.

Maybe you didn't know how poor the air quality was because you got used to it over 13 years

Haha yes the degradation was over a long period