The filter (which is square, yellow,concertina and not unlike an engine air filter), is fitted inside the Hvac unit inside the car.
Accessing it requires removal of the cover between the two dashboard downtubes, then removing the base of the hvac.
Thanks MiNiGuY,
I knew it was there somewhere. Because I use my A/C so much here in the summertime I think I'll have a look at it to see how dirty it is. If need be, it can probably be blown out with some reverse flow compressed air. It is my understanding that it gets replaced at each scheduled service, I wonder if it will be a freebie during warranty or if we will have to pay for it. I'll bet that I can guess the answer...
As the Auto air has a carbon filter added would I be right in guessing that it is just intergraded to the removable air filter cartridge? As I like the idea of the active carbon getting rid of extra smells and I want to add it to my Man air system.
Miniguy, does the standard/manual HVAC unit also have a filter or just the AUTO HVAC?
Harry
MINI Cooper Cabrio: now the car with go cart handling really feels like an open go cart! "... the only man that can come home at 3 am in the morning without getting into trouble with his spouse is the owner of a British sports car!" -- Phil Bailey
The standard AC unit does have a filter (for minute particulates); the Auto AC system adds an active carbon filter for adsorbing sulfurous, nitrogenous and perhaps even hydrocarbon compounds.
2002 Pepper White Cooper 5 speed, Black roof w/ spoiler, sunroof, Black kaleido cloth sport seats, silver 7-hole wheels, DSC, front fogs, chrome lines, MFSW, built 8/7, acquired 9/12
As for my previous post on the main air filter, allow me to re-advise how to remove it instead of starting to describe how to remove the dashboard as I seem to have done!!
I think I was drunk when I posted that, apologies!!
To remove the filter (which actually is rectangle not square and can be grey,white or yellow, no i'm not drunk now honest) :-
The filter box is always on the passanger side, regardless of wether your car is lhd or rhd.
open the passanger door and get on your knees outside the car. look under the passanger side footwell and you will see the black plastic filter box. There are 4 clips to undo it. You will be able to see 2 and the other 2 are on the rear. Depending on the age of your car, the base of the filter box may also be held in place by screws.
If it is, remove them. Pop the clips and remove the base of the filter box. the filter will now just pull out.
Replacement is just a reversal of this.
Be careful when popping the clips, the base of the filter box is a bit fragile and the plastic doesn't like to be bent too much before it breaks.
Last edited by MiNiGuY; Sep 14th, 2002 at 06:36 PM.
MiniGuY... thanks for the update and information on location and access. Now, the other unanswered question,,, can you put one of the 'carbon' filters in a regular system or are the filters uniquely different between the regular AC and the Auto AC? Does anyone know the answer to that quesstion.
KEN
Ken
+ 1961 850 Mark I Saloon: Plate> "61 MINI"
+ 2002 S: Plate> "UK KOOL"
I removed my cabin air filter about a month ago and have so far been unable to find anywhere that stocks replacements ... so I need to put it back in, but I can't figure out how it goes.
The way that makes sense due to the shape of the filter and the distance of the guide rails from the edge of the box is with the solid surface and protruding edge on the outside and the inside of the concertina inwards ... however that doesn't make sense because it appears the air flows from the center of the car outwards, therefore in this arrangement the "dirty" side of the filter is on the far side of the air flow!
It's all good - I figured it out ... stuck a piece of paper in the box with the fan going and realised I only thought the air was flowing right to left when I was simply confused because the air was being sucked through the open box cover.
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