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 fiber / paper 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;
• Fiber + carbon;
• Fiber + bacterial;
• Fiber + 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.

The following articles are one of many which explain the differences between different filtering capabilities of filters:

• Meyle's article
• this article JS Asakashi's article
• Valeo's article 1
• Valeo's article 2

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

Fiber-only aftermarket filters

Some of many compatible fiber-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 Italia:
   • 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 fiber filter - do not mix them up!
   • Fasty 5547K
     • Model 5547 is the ordinary fiber filter - do not mix them up!
   • Zaffo Z547 / 547
     • Model ZF547 / 547F is the ordinary fiber filter - do not mix them up!
   • Zero WZ1547
     • Model WZ1547F is the ordinary fiber 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 fiber filter - do not mix them up!
4. JS Asakashi AC931C
   • Model AC931J is the ordinary fiber filter - do not mix them up!
5. Magneti Marelli 154703714750
6. Masuma MC-1054CL
   • Model MC-1054 is the ordinary fiber 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 fiber 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 fiber 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 fiber filter - do not mix them up!
11. Vic AC-931EX
    • Model AC-931E is the ordinary fiber 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 fiber + anti-bacterial filters

Known filters which have additional anti-allergic, anti-bacterial or mold retention effects (but no activated carbon):

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

Aftermarket fiber + charcoal + anti-bacterial filters

Known filters which have both activated carbon and additional anti-allergic, anti-bacterial or mold retention effects:

1. JS Asakashi AC931B
   • Model AC931J is the ordinary fiber 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 fiber 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 fiber, 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