SmokingTires

Hey folks,

How often do you replace the engine air filter and the cabin air filter?

Where do you buy the replacements? OEM or others?

Are they easy to replace? Is there a step by step instruction online?

Thanks!

uberwgn

Hi, what kind of car, model year are you working on ?

SmokingTires

C7 2012 A6 3.0 TFSI Prem Plus

uberwgn

Maint. schedule for MY2012:

http://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/a...-Year-2012.pdf

It looks like they call for pollen filter @ 15K miles and 20K mile intervals thereafter. I like doing pollen filters at least annually...they can get pretty gross.

It looks like they want the air filter done at 55k miles. Probably an OK interval unless you operate the car in a dusty environment. (I did the air filter on my '11 A4 a couple weeks ago @ 31k miles and the filter still looked new - - it was spotless.) I've yet to do an air filter on the current A6 car, but the air filter on our C6 A6 was probably the most difficult air filter I've seen.

I often see installation instructions included with OE grade filters that would address both the air filter and the pollen filter. Unless you've done a ton of driving, I'd focus on freshening up the pollen filter. Buy two while you're at it!

(The cabin (pollen) filters are usually located just above where the front seat passenger's feet would be. Pretty easy to deal with.)

uberwgn

Guidelines for pollen filter swap:

https://www.mann-hummel.com/mf_prodk...u/HBjHZFG1.pdf


foto of air cleaner assy:

Mike_L

Put a K&N in the airbox and throw the pollen filter away for a nice charcoal ACDelco or Fram.

SmokingTires

So it looks like FRAM and ACDelco don't make cabin / pollen air filters for C7 A6. I searched their websites and it returned nothing. It makes me wonder what are all those 3rd party non-OEM filter out there? WHo makes them and are they legit? Should I stay with OEM then?

Mike_L

Hummmmm. Good question. I see that NAPA makes several of them. I believe the charcoal one is Part number FIL4439. Its pretty pricey though, over $56. Just the regular pollen filter (FIL4227) is $22.50, or the economy model is $13.50 (SFI224227).

No idea how much the OEM one is. Its a charcoal, so its probably north of $50 too.

Do you have allergies or live in an area where there are lots of bad stinks? If not, you probably don't need activated charcoal. For me its a must since I drive through Staten Island by the dumps pretty often, and in the summer, it REEKS.

tenspeed

Check Rockauto.com - they have several engine and cabin filters listed.

jujuC6

Thinking of doing the cabin filter, good price for charcoal at europaparts. I got a long while to go for the engine air filter but considering to get K&N for when 55k arrives. Any one used it and was there any notable difference? If not much difference with K&N I guess I will stick with OEM as it probably does a better job at trapping dirt and cheaper. Thanks in advance.