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799 Review
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Review on Enhance Cabin Air Quality with K&N Premium Cabin Air Filter for Toyota/Subaru/Land Rover/Jaguar/Lexus/Scion: High Performance, Washable, Clean Airflow (VF2000) by Daniel Fung

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Unpleasant smell from the ventilation system after turning off the air conditioner after 3 days of use.

I have mixed feelings about this new type of filter that K&N is offering. Their stock engine air filters are cool, I put them on all four cars but that's not the case. The filter doesn't have as many blankets compared to OEM, but more than the cheapest FRAM filters. All disposable filters have an arrow indicating which side to insert to follow the air out of your vent system, but this K&N filter doesn't, so you'll have to guess how to insert it. Finally, the first time I installed and used the filter every time is good, but after 3 days of use, every time I turn off the air conditioner, an unpleasant sour smell comes out of my ventilation system. This usually indicates a dirty cabin air filter. My regular disposable filters usually last a month before the air starts smelling when I turn off the air conditioner. I'm currently pulling it down to 2 stars. ***** Update 04/13/2015***** The cause of the smell seems to be the rubber frame that surrounds this filter. The outgassing from the material mixes with the warm, humid air when I turn off the air conditioner to create a very unpleasant acidic odor. They really should put up a warning label that this thing gives off nasty fumes for days after opening. I suppose this situation is similar to memory foam products where you have to let them evaporate for a while until the smell is gone before you can use them. I'll take the filter out and let it sit in the sun for a few days before trying to use it again. ***** Update 01/31/2016 ***** a year since I bought it and it works pretty well and I'm definitely saving a few bucks and being more eco-friendly. The only thing you really have to overcome with this filter is the outgassing of the rubber on first use. It really stunk the first time I used it and took weeks to go away. After that, the truth is just clean air with no smell. I am changing my rating to 4 stars.

Pros
  • Great price
Cons
  • Definitely bad product