Maintenance DIY: Change Pollen Filter (Aircon Filter)

[kinesis]

Purchased from Burson (VIC) - $23.50 [Dealer (OEM): $66]

OEM replacement


Out of the box


Comparison: old and new

[The X]

ouch for the dealer , I still think the genuine part will filter better though, and it is your lungs also

plus its probly not worth risking your warranty for $40 with your heater / a/c system

It may be your lungs, buy unless you live in your car or you wear a breathing aparatus when out and about, you lungs will suck in plenty of "bad stuff" from day to day non-driving activities.

As for warranty, I fail to see how an air filter for the the air con would causing something to fail. The air cond components (compressor and gas) are in the engine bay and it's a sealed system.
The difference of air filters from OEM and aftermarket would be rather minor in the size of the particles it would filter out, probably in the ballpark of microns... hardly anything in it.

[kinesis]

ouch for the dealer , I still think the genuine part will filter better though, and it is your lungs also

plus its probly not worth risking your warranty for $40 with your heater / a/c system

This part was made specifically to replace the OEM type, it's not generic. Often, while being cheaper, these replacements are on par or better than OEM parts. Just like most things, the price tag is often in the branding, not the product.

[exaltd]

For those of you looking for a more well known brand:

Ryco now stocks a cabin filter, and disposable air filter for our car.

Part no.:

Cabin filter - RCA182P (relevant to this topic)
Disposable Air filter - A1622

Some useful info. Should not cost much more than the Wesfil one.

EDIT - Well there you go, they are the same company - owned by GUD Holdings. I therefore assume it's the quality of materials and where it's sourced from that is different. Will check later.

[kinesis]

well, if I notice my aircon not working as well, it's a 5min check to see the condition. can just add it to the routine of things to check on a periodical basis. we realised one reason OEM is so expensive is most likely due to the fact it is made in Germany whereas Wesfil is made here locally.

[ofey]

Just to add, I had my parts guy check the pricing:

Mitsubishi Motors Australia - Part #7803A004
RRP = A$52.60+
CCJ = A$45.00

So at A$66 your dealer was fleecing you... .

[Mizta B]

Ofey is it worth a Group buy on these seen as they get dirty so quickly?
Mine is two years old now so it is probably filthy!
(I must check it)

[kinesis]

Just to add, I had my parts guy check the pricing:

Mitsubishi Motors Australia - Part #7803A004
RRP = A$52.60+
CCJ = A$45.00

So at A$66 your dealer was fleecing you... .

I wouldn't get it from my dealer anyway, just wanted a comparison.

[brislancer]

I was quoted $68 for the OEM from my dealer. I ended up paying about $18 for the Wesfil one through trade discount. Good to see Ryco are doing one now, up until a few months ago they weren't. I rang them and they said at that stage they didnt have one, but obviously just a matter of time before they did one to suit.

It is unbelievable how much junk they catch, mine after 2 yrs from new was black right through all the filter core. I would be confident that the aftermarket one would be just as good as the OEM for this particular part.

No matter what filter is in it, it wont cure the bearing noise in the fan motor that the dealer thought they fixed last time by removing some "leaf material". Funny that, I had it apart the week before when I changed the filter and found no other dirt in there except what was in the filter.

[ofey]

Further to this, I have negotiated a group buy from my local Autobarn for either Westfil or Ryco filters.

Ryco - Part # RCA182P = A$24.50
Wesfil - Part # WACF0090 = A$16.00

May not be useful to people outside of the state of VIC but if you're visiting us in December, it could be worthwhile to buy one?

Who in VIC is up for this?

[bunnishiwa]

I'd be up for the Wesfil one - who can go past $16 for a part you never think about

[milobob]

I'll be interested in the goup buy... ive got a friend in melb who can grab it off you guys?

[ofey]

Yeah but which one?