Cabin filter change

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Introduction

It appears that most people do not realize that the Jimny has a cabin / pollen filter, or at least has the facility for a cabin filter.

Most manuals never refer to it, even in the OEM Service Guide.

A lot of people, particularly those who drive off-road, are tired of the clouds of leaves that hit you in the face when you open the fascia vents. Fitting a cabin filter is straight forward once you know where it is (supposed to be) hidden.

If your Jimny already has a cabin filter installed (but you have not been aware of it), the filter is probably heavily clogged.

Used old cabin filter with charcoal particles

• This is an example of a five year old (heavily used) cabin filter of unknown manufacturer, which was removed from a Jimny 3.
  • This is a filter which contains charcoal particles, so it is normal to look "dirty" / greyish, but not this much.
• That picture was unfortunately taken just after the leaves and grit were brushed off off from the filter.
• The weight of that used dirty filter was around 800 grams!

Required parts

The filter itself

General info

When selecting a filter, consider what types of pollutants concern you the most:

• Ordinary paper / fiber filters (the most common products) filter only dust and some pollen.
• Filters which also contain carbon (charcoal) particles filter various odors, smells, gases and chemical vapors as well.
• The "biofunctional" / "antibacterial" etc. filters filter mold, bacteria, spores etc. as well.

A filter can be made of:

• Paper / fiber (or a similar material) only;
• Paper + carbon;
• Paper + bacterial;
• Paper + carbon + bacterial;

Bear in mind that filters from different manufacturers have different quality, which consists of two factors:

• How well they filter what they filter.
  • In other words - how small dust and pollen particles, which types of vapors and gases and how much of them.
• How much of the pollutants they can filter before they get clogged and become an obstruction to expected air flow into the cabin.
  • In other words - what is their expected operational life time.

This article and this article are one of many which explain the differences between different filtering capabilities of filters.

Original Suzuki filters

The part numbers of Suzuki's genuine cabin / pollen filters for Jimnys are:

• 95860-81A00
• 95860-81A01
• 95860-81A10

All three should be mutually compatible (same dimensions etc.). A guess is that the differences are probably "only" in the filtering capability.

• Suzuki cabin air filter 95860-81A10
• 

  The small box on the big white box is unrelated, ignore it.

• 

  The stuff stacked onto the filter are unrelated, ignore them.

• 

  Picture from source B.

• 

  Picture from source C.

• 

  Picture 1 from source D.

• 

  Picture 2 from source D.

Required dimensions for a compatible filter are:

• Length : 213-217 mm
• Width : 183-188 mm
• Height : 19-20 mm

Paper-only aftermarket filters

Some of many compatible paper-only (non-charcoal) aftermarket replacements:

• A suitable cabin filter is offered in the BigJimny Shop.
• Corteco 80001446
• Febi Bilstein 28201 and SWAG 84 92 8201
  • These two appear to be mutually identical.

Aftermarket filters with charcoal particles

Compatible aftermarket filters which truly contain proper charcoal (carbon) particles in a significant amount are quite rare (and usually significantly more expensive).

Known filters with charcoal particles (add others if you find them):

1. By sub-brands owned by Air Top:
   • All the listed filters below appear to be the same exact filter under different brand labels.
   • The manufacturer claims that all these filter models are compatible for Jimnys, but specifies their dimensions as 213 mm x 194 mm x 20 mm.
     • They should still fit, but someone should verify in practice.
   • Aster AS2547
     • Model AS2547F is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
   • Fasty 5547K
     • Model 5547 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
   • Zaffo Z547 / 547
     • Model ZF547 / 547F is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
   • Zero WZ1547
     • Model WZ1547F is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
2. Blue Print ADK82502.
   • As described in detail further in the article, this filter model used to be a proper charcoal filter, but it appears that the manufacturer changes that property on a seemingly random basis.
     • Double-checking is advised when buying it.
3. Corteco 80001447
   • The manufacturer claims it is a charcoal filter, but the filter does not appear significantly "sooty" in the pictures below.
   • Model 80001446 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
4. JS Asakashi AC931C (activated carbon) and AC931B (activated carbon + biofilter).
   • Model AC931J is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
5. Magneti Marelli 154703714750
6. Masuma MC-1054CL
   • Model MC-1054 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
7. Meyle 33-12 320 0001
   • This filter model has been discontinued by its manufacturer.
     • It is not listed in their catalogue any more and only the ordinary paper model 33-12 319 0001 remains in production.
     • Good luck finding the discontinued specimens!
   • Official response from Meyle in y2021m01 regarding this matter: "Unfortunately, we no longer carry the activated carbon version of the filter in our range. A new inclusion is not planned. Unfortunately, we only carry the normal version."
8. Nitto F801
   • Model F805 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
9. RAF RF001HYX
   • According to this Russian user report, this is a poor quality filter (poor filtering capacity).
10. Sivento G690
    • Model P690 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!
11. Vic AC-931EX
    • Model AC-931E is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!

New cabin air filter Aster AS2547 (representative catalogue image)

• New cabin air filter Corteco 80001447
• 
• 

• New cabin air filter Masuma MC-1054CL
• 
• 
• 
• 

• New cabin air filters from Meyle - representative catalogue images
• 

  Meyle 33-12 320 0001 (with charcoal)

• 

  Meyle 33-12 319 0001 (without charcoal)

New cabin air filter Nitto F801

New cabin air filter Vic AC-931EX

New cabin air filter Zaffo Z547 (representative catalogue image)

New cabin air filter Zero WZ1547

Aftermarket anti-allergy filters

Known filters which have additional anti-allergic, anti-bacterial or mold retention effects:

• Kavo SC-9507X;
  • Model SC-9507 is the ordinary paper filter - do not mix them up!

Additional notes and warnings

• The appearance and construction of a cabin filter may vary slightly from one manufacturer to another.
• Some filters are one-part, like in the picture of a dirty filter above.
• Some are two-part, and the parts can be glued or taped together (like in the other picture above).
• Always make sure to check the dimensions of a filter when buying.

• The quality and capability of a filter may vary significantly from one manufacturer or model to another.
• The main difference is in the presence or absence of various filtering elements which filter out certain things.
  • For example, a filter with or without carbon (charcoal) particles.
    • Such filters usually look "dirty" like having a bit of soot in them.
• It is highly recommended to use a filter with activated carbon particles, but be prepared to pay a higher price.

• Blue Print's ADK82502 filter used to be a two-part construction with embedded carbon (charcoal) particles.
• However, there have been recent reports of "sightings" of the same filter model which contained a lot less charcoal particles, and also of a plain ordinary paper filter in a single-part case.
• So, if buying this filter model (or any other filter model for that matter), double-check with the seller on what exact filter is in the box!

Brand new Blue Print ADK82502 cabin filter - two-piece specimen with a bit of carbon particles.

• Two "same" cabin filters Blue Print ADK82502.
• The amount of carbon particles in the newer (left) filter is significantly less than in the older (right) filter.
• There have also been confirmed sightings of this filter model which had a pure white color, without a single carbon particle in it.
• Obviously the amount of carbon particles in this filter model varies widely from batch to batch!

• TOP: Filter Mahle LA 95 - ordinary paper, single-piece construction.
• LEFT: Blue Print ADK82502, newer production date.
• RIGHT: Blue Print ADK82502, older production date.

Filter cover

Genuine cabin filter cover

• You may wish to consider buying a spare cabin filter cover at the same time.
• The part number of Suzuki's genuine cabin / pollen filter cover for Jimnys is: 95423-81A01
• The suitable cover is also offered in BigJimny Shop.

It is common to break the filter cover when removing it as the plastic becomes brittle.

Changing / Installing a cabin filter

Tools

• Assorted screwdrivers or blade

I cannot emphasis too strongly how easy it is to break the old cover!

Installation

Passenger footwell

• Here is the filter cover, up underneath the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle

Here is the cover in the footwell

Open brake caliper

• First remove the glovebox.
• This is done by flexing the sidewalls so the plastic retaining lugs can drop past the edge of the fascia.
• Lower the whole glovebox away.
• I am using a screwdriver with the end protected by a cloth to stop it marking the fascia, as I use it to prise away the retaining lugs.

Cabin filter cover retaining clips

Glovebox dropped open

• The filter cover is retained by small clips on the end.
• The tip of the scewdriver points to where the clip is (hidden).

Using blade to prise clip

• Warm the plastic filter cover.
• Either use a hairdrier or allow the car's own heater to warm the car (on re-circulate setting).
• If the plastic is cold it is more likely to fracture.
• Insert a small blade into the filter retaining lugs and gently prise it away from the edge of the moulded catches on the heater body.
• Do this a bit at a time alternating front and back.

Inserting the cabin filter

• If you have a UK Jimny, you are more than likely to find an empty hole now (full of bits of leafs).
• Simply insert the cabin filter.

Press the new cover on

• Gently press the filter cover back into place.

Broken!!

• Don't think that you will be immune to breaking the filter cover - here is mine!

Additional reading

• Russian user report on disinfecting the ventilation system and replacing the cabin filter in a Jimny 3
• Russian user report on how to solve the problem of breaking a cabin filter cover on a Jimny 3

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Page last edited on 16/01/2021 by user Bosanek