[RapidPickup]

Time for a new cabin air filter for my 2020 Escape, but Ford is backordered, as are Autozone, Ecogard, etc.

Only thing I can find right now is this K&N washable cabin air filter.

Anyone have any experience with these things? Does anyone know how well they filter or if they reduce performance of the A/C?

Reviews for other makes/models look solid so I'm thinking about taking the plunge. I'm a bit skeptical that anything like this could wash out and work well on a second run.

Alternatively, does anyone know where I might be able to find a reasonably priced traditional replacement filter that is in stock?

 

[fbov]

Have you inspected your existing filter, or are you just looking at the clock?

I don't replace paper air filters unless they are damaged or clogged.

• Paper filter efficiency improves with age, so any new filter will let more fine stuff pass.
• Paper filter air flow degrades with age, but very slowly compared with efficiency gains.

Same for engine air filters, especially in a hybrid that's never seeing redline. O2 sensor deals with changes in air flow vs. throttle position and your oil gets cleaner with every oil change (66% reduction in Si over 50K miles).

 

[murcod]

What is used on the filter to help it retain dust? Hopefully not some sort of oil like they use on the engine air filters? They don't say much about what is used to treat the filter after washing it.

Cabin Air Filters | Washable, Reusable and Replacement Filters | K&N

Buy washable & reusable cabin air filters from the official K&N site. Help protect against dust, allergens, and more by replacing your cab filter.

www.knfilters.com

 

[leonhoganpenske]

well I ran into the same issue as you and got the K&N filter, this is my first cabin filter but I have multiple vehicles with K&N engine air filters including a motorcycle that the K&N filter is now 42 years old and it still gets the job done.
no oil on the cabin filter, just wash, dry and put back in.
I was surprised to see how dirty the cabin filter had gotten but the engine filter was squeaky clean.

 

[murcod]

no oil on the cabin filter, just wash, dry and put back in.

On the page I linked it shows a cleaning kit (pic below) with a bottle labelled "Refresher"- in addition to the "Cleaner".