Time to change the W210 cabin air filter! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jeremy5848 · #1 11-29-2008, 05:45 PM

I thought you might like to see what an old W210 cabin air filter looks like after 13 months and 8560 miles, compared to a new one. Ever changed yours? It lives behind the glove box and is easy to change. No excuses, get to it!

This is from a 1996 E300D; I don't know if later versions had a different system. The little thing in the dirty filter is a small leaf that got sucked in. (Note that there is actually a pair of cabin air filters that are replaced together. This is because the insertion/removal hole is too tight for a one-piece filter so Mercedes designed it in two pieces.)

The package of (two) replacement half-filters costs about $15-20 through the on-line stores and $30 or so at the dealer. The filter manufacturer (Corteco) recommend changing filters every six months or 10,000 miles.

This is NOT the charcoal filter, which is harder to get to and is big bucks$$. Ours is rarely used and has probably never been changed.

Jeremy

Johnhef · #2 11-29-2008, 06:40 PM

I've seen some with enough build up in them, that small little sprouts have actually started to grow.

jnc19610 · #3 11-29-2008, 09:50 PM

If you ask me... that filter looks like a carbon filter.

I have bought plain paper cabin filters and carbon filters for my boxster... that picture looks just like a carbon filter.

I don't have a handy W210 filter to look at at the moment.

TMAllison · #4 11-29-2008, 11:53 PM

You should check out your carbon filter if you *like* mold even though it hasn't been used much.

Johnhef · #5 11-30-2008, 12:17 AM

the picture above is just the dust/pollen filter. the charcoal filter is more oval/rectangular and grey in color...when new.

DeliveryValve · #6 11-30-2008, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

.....
This is NOT the charcoal filter, which is harder to get to and is big bucks$$. ...

Yeah they are. The cheapest I've seen is 70.00 bucks for Chinese stuff. But they average 100 bucks for the major brand European stuff.

sixto · #7 11-30-2008, 02:36 AM

I can't tell how big that filter is. The 140 filter that fits over the the blower motor, at least a 140 without activated charcoal filter, is about a square foot in area and looks like the before picture in 5-6000 miles of driving around the San Jose area. The 140 has an additional recirc filter about 20 square inches in area under the glove box. That one lasts longer.

Jeremy, does the 210 not have a recirc filter or does the filter in your picture handle fresh and recirculated air?

I found a shop in Japan that sells retrofit cabin air filters for early 124s. It fits over the blower motor intakes. It was something like $80 before the crazy run in exchange rates so I don't know what it costs now. I can't find the name of the shop

Unfortunately the cabin air filters from 94-95 124s will not fit. Maybe if the whole blower motor intake plenum is swapped...

Sixto
87 300D

MBeige · #8 11-30-2008, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

Yeah they are. The cheapest I've seen is 70.00 bucks for Chinese stuff. But they average 100 bucks for the major brand European stuff.

A friend of mine replaced the filter on his W140 with 3M filter for house ventilation, I don't know how doable it is with the W210 but hopefully it's just as easy to do.

DeliveryValve · #9 11-30-2008, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

A friend of mine replaced the filter on his W140 with 3M filter for house ventilation, I don't know how doable it is with the W210 but hopefully it's just as easy to do.

3M makes a charcoaled activated house filter?

MBeige · #10 11-30-2008, 03:01 AM

Not sure of the details, let me ask him about it. I do know he used the filter element from one of the 3M filters, just not sure if it's the charcoal or paper type.

nhdoc · #11 11-30-2008, 08:07 AM

I'd be concerned about exhaust leaks under the hood which would cause your cabin intake air to be sooted-up and lead to that kind of filter discoloration in such a short time. I have changed lots of pollen filters on lots of Mercedes cars, some many years old and none were as black as that...that looks like soot to me, just my $0.02 though.

KarTek · #12 11-30-2008, 08:24 AM

Jeremy, thanks for calling my attention to this. I've had the car for a year and a half and never even thought about this filter. I should probably replace it on principal...

Jeremy5848 · #13 10-25-2009, 11:28 PM

Even though the wife said that the charcoal filter in the '96 E300D (W210, OM606NA) worked, I decided to order a new one (80-some US dollars from an on-line source, not FastLane, sorry). The new filter carries the right part number (210 830 11 18, replacing the original 210 830 02 18 according to EPC) and is made by Meyle, presumably (but I can't be sure) in Germany.

In any case, when I removed the old charcoal filters, I discovered quite a difference (see the picture -- new ones on the left). The old filters appear to be original factory parts: they have a Mercedes logo and the old "02 18" part number. Most interestingly, they are over twice as heavy as the replacement Meyle filters: 2.75 pounds for the originals, 1.25 pounds for the Meyle pair.

Before I try these new filters, which aren't anywhere near as impressive looking as the old ones, I thought I'd better check with the forum. Has anyone else ever changed the W210 charcoal filters and what did the old and new ones look like? Happy with the new ones?

Replacement is easy, BTW, two screws to remove the bottom panel under the passenger-side dash and then slide the holder-releases and the filters drop down and out.

Jeremy

nhdoc · #14 10-26-2009, 06:14 AM

Does the packaging say your new filters are activated charcoal?

I have never changed mine because:

1) the cost (at the dealer it was something like $125 or more IIRC)

2) I never push the button to activate it so I never use it. I assume it probably is still good if it hasn't been used but even if not I don't really care.

The important filter to replace is the pollen filter on the inlet.

I suspect what you have is an aftermarket "replacement" which is not as robust as the original one but probably adequate. It's probably why the M-B filter is so much more costly.

Jeremy5848 · #15 10-26-2009, 10:52 AM

The Meyle that I bought was said to list for $130 and I paid $88. The cost was why I hadn't automatically replaced the filter when I got the car two years ago.

The pictures of the filters in the on-line stores (including FastLane) all pretty much look like a pleated filter but say "with activated charcoal." If they're going by weight, there's a lot less "activated charcoal" in the replacements.

My wife uses the filter occasionally and says it works; since I have no records of any of the three POs replacing the filter, I suspect it is the original. That's why I decided to replace it, just on principle. I agree that aftermarket replacements, even from name-brand German companies, are likely to be less robust that the OE Mercedes parts. However, for ~$80+ I was expecting more. In comparison, the dust/pollen filter costs only $12. There's got to be some reason for the difference.

The pollen/dust filter is changed annually (yesterday, in fact) and was the reason for this thread, which I generated almost a year ago when I changed it for the first time.

I plan to stop by both my dealer and my indy and see if either has any recent experience with these filters.

Jeremy