Cabin filter replaced, now airflow is distinctly low.

[tomsan]

My car was bit smelly and I thought of replacing cabin filter. Original looked pretty see through as the material appeared to be never dense or worn out. Fitted a wesfil filter visibly denser but no way looked to me as if it will constraint the air flow. However now the airflow is distinctly low and fan noise is very low too. Can't believe it is a filter or something else I did is causing this? Any clue. Thanks

 

[VYCommodore76]

it is the filter. you have answered your own question. /closed

 

[tomsan]

it is the filter. you have answered your own question. /closed

OK. Do you mean original filter that appeared to me will do nothing is not something worn out but is normal? I wish I took a picture of it to show what I mean. Anyone faced similar issue and got it right with a specific brand of filter?

 

[Skylarking]

@tomsan, the Omega didn’t come factory with a cabin filter. Instead they had a flat plastic fine mesh screen that acted as a filter. Does bupkis in terms of filtering dust and pollen really, just good for leaves and twigs….

You can see the OEM low spec screen filter in the instructions below, pic also included to save you clicking to the instructions

Changing Cabin Pollen Filter – VE Commodore | AutoInstruct

This guide will show you how to change the pollen filter on your Holden VF Commodore. This filter is also known as a cabin filter, or air conditioner filter.

www.autoinstruct.com.au

A proper quality filter is a woven pleated arrangement that actually filters dust and pollen so in essence could cause a slight restriction though I doubt it. The more pleats a filter has, the more m2 of filtering media exists and thus the less restriction occurs (but more pleats can cost more).

Not sure which is better but Wesfil and Holden OEM are listed below so you can count the pleats if you like and sus out whether OEM May be better.

Wesfil WACF0058 Cabin Air Filter

Shop for Cabin Air Filters and save with Automotive Superstore! Get the best price, fast shipping and genuine parts to your door.

automotivesuperstore.com.au

Genuine Holden New Pollen Filter to suit VE VF Commodore | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Genuine Holden New Pollen Filter to suit VE VF Commodore at the best online prices at eBay!

www.ebay.com.au

But when I upgraded my screen filter (yeah, Holden were real tight arses and didn’t include a proper cabin filter in a $70k car) there was no noticeable difference in the airflow. It may just be a coincidental failure or blockage within the fan bits under the dash… Or maybe you had a brain fart and didn’t remove the filter from its plastic bag

Basically, changing the filter shouldn’t cause the fan to spin slower or reduce airflow considerably… You may just need to recheck your work

Let us know how it goes

 

[lmoengnr]

Shouldn't be any difference in airflow going from an OEM screen to a pleated paper filter.

 

[tomsan]

@tomsan, the Omega didn’t come factory with a cabin filter. Instead they had a flat plastic fine mesh screen that acted as a filter. Does bupkis in terms of filtering dust and pollen really, just good for leaves and twigs….

You can see the OEM low spec screen filter in the instructions below, pic also included to save you clicking to the instructions

View attachment 258770

http://[URL]https://www.autoinstruc...en/ve-commodore/changing-cabin-pollen-filter/

[/URL]

A proper quality filter is a woven pleated arrangement that actually filters dust and pollen so in essence could cause a slight restriction though I doubt it. The more pleats a filter has, the more m2 of filtering media exists and thus the less restriction occurs (but more pleats can cost more).

Not sure which is better but Wesfil and Holden OEM are listed below so you can count the pleats if you like and sus out whether OEM May be better.

http://[URL]https://automotivesuperstore.com.au/wesfil-wacf0058

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/155460816210

[/URL]

But when I upgraded my screen filter (yeah, Holden were real tight arses and didn’t include a proper cabin filter in a $70k car) there was no noticeable difference in the airflow. It may just be a coincidental failure or blockage within the fan bits under the dash… Or maybe you had a brain fart and didn’t remove the filter from its plastic bag

Basically, changing the filter shouldn’t cause the fan to spin slower or reduce airflow considerably… You may just need to recheck your work

Let us know how it goes

Thanks that make sense you are right oem filter didn't look like anything but a mesh to block leaves. I am also look at now high flow K&N Filters

 

[Skylarking]

Thanks that make sense you are right oem filter didn't look like anything but a mesh to block leaves. I am also look at now high flow K&N Filters

Should add that the Calais came factory fitted with a proper quality pleated filter so OEM can mean different things for different vehicle variants.

In your case the OEM item was a mesh screen while in the Calais it was a pleated filter as shown in the 3rd Genuine Holden Pollen New Filter link of my previous post.

Don’t worry about marketing terms like high flow…. Look at the number of pleats and compare the brands against the OEM pleated filter. More pleats = more surface area = more filtering = better airflow for the same filtering level.

There was another thread that talked about using hospital heap filter media and the pros and cons of using it (i think it was only pro’s actually as it was supposedly quality stuff and cheap).

Heck, you could even adapt the v8 engine filter mount and clip mechanism into the cabin plenum filter area so you can use an engine filter as your cabin filter. They’d be able to flow much more air with presumably lower restriction (due to increased surface area) and thus last much longer in service.

But really, you need to look at why the fan isn't spinning as expected and why airflow is low. Hint, it won’t be due to the pleated cabin filter.

 

[tomsan]

@tomsan, the Omega didn’t come factory with a cabin filter. Instead they had a flat plastic fine mesh screen that acted as a filter. Does bupkis in terms of filtering dust and pollen really, just good for leaves and twigs….

You can see the OEM low spec screen filter in the instructions below, pic also included to save you clicking to the instructions

View attachment 258770

http://[URL]https://www.autoinstruc...en/ve-commodore/changing-cabin-pollen-filter/

[/URL]

A proper quality filter is a woven pleated arrangement that actually filters dust and pollen so in essence could cause a slight restriction though I doubt it. The more pleats a filter has, the more m2 of filtering media exists and thus the less restriction occurs (but more pleats can cost more).

Not sure which is better but Wesfil and Holden OEM are listed below so you can count the pleats if you like and sus out whether OEM May be better.

http://[URL]https://automotivesuperstore.com.au/wesfil-wacf0058

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/155460816210

[/URL]

But when I upgraded my screen filter (yeah, Holden were real tight arses and didn’t include a proper cabin filter in a $70k car) there was no noticeable difference in the airflow. It may just be a coincidental failure or blockage within the fan bits under the dash… Or maybe you had a brain fart and didn’t remove the filter from its plastic bag

Basically, changing the filter shouldn’t cause the fan to spin slower or reduce airflow considerably… You may just need to recheck your work

Let us know how it goes

BTW about this screen filter for leaves. Anyone knows Holden part number. Just want to see what it say it is supposed to do.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Our Calais had a wire mesh screen, replaced it with Wesfil filter. Used many of them. Never had an issue. We used the pollen filters.

 

[lmoengnr]

BTW about this screen filter for leaves. Anyone knows Holden part number. Just want to see what it say it is supposed to do.

These are what's fitted standard on most VE/VF models, and HSV's.