Additional cabin filter...discovered!

[jabicho]

Hi people, the thing is that messing around with my car I came across a "mysterious" cabin filter location on the engine bay, that is empty...you can even see the fan inside(pictures from a friend´s car):





the thing is that there´s no reference in ETKA for such a filter,as you see here ,it´s empty!



So I was surfing the web and eventually manage to locate it, it´s apparently just for Chinese market (due to pollution)




Anyone knew about this??

[hoppy6698]

Never knew, but I would be interested to know if DavidB8 did. May have to take a look at my A4 now and see if I have that opening available - sometimes when I am behind semi rigs, I would like to have an extra filter ... or smokers, I hate them too, they stink up the car just driving near them.

[AofC_RR]

Nice find! I wonder what kind of difference it makes in terms of particulate and odor filtration?

[johnnythepie]

+1 im really interested in that too.The part number 8k2 819 904a on my etka shows it to be a foliage grill air filter for lhd only.The rhd version has no filter....cost approx $15

[jabicho]

Do you think the non-Chinese versions of our cars are prepared for working with two polen filters? would this be a problem for the inside fan? I think it´s a good idea to have as much protection from fumes and pollution as possible,but who knows if our cars will stand this

[DavidB8]

Thats easy to figure out. Just check to see if the fan is the same part number for both markets.

I did know the intake was there but never thought much of it. I figured there was still a pollen filter in our cars so why worry about the second one. Then again I don't live in a high pollutant area. Or pollen area for that matter.

Indecently that is the location the alarm horn is mounted as well. I see the car pictured doesn't have the alarm I don't think.

[jabicho]

Hi David, so good to see you in one of my posts again!.Well, the thing is that it´s the same fan for European,Usa and China cars as you see here:



And I have to say that there is an original audi cabin filter for this grill,I found it on myEtka at last but it´s only available for China and Mexico:



Maybe one of this days I´ll ask my dealer if they can get me one,haven´t seen this on Ebay yet...so long!

[DavidB8]

ECS Tuning lists them for $19.47 special order of course.

[johnnythepie]

+1 im really interested in that too.The part number 8k2 819 904a on my etka shows it to be a foliage grill air filter for lhd only.The rhd version has no filter....cost approx $15

..

[DavidB8]

The correct part number is 8KD 819 441, you can even see it on the box if you look real close.

[johnnythepie]

The correct part number is 8KD 819 441, you can even see it on the box if you look real close.

that number throws up 'foilage grill ' on my etka.strange.

[blmlozz]

Nice find! I wonder what kind of difference it makes in terms of particulate and odor filtration?

little to none. The hazardous waste that it's designed to filter simply does not exist anywhere in the US in any sort of major way. Unless you live in a high smog alert area, like LA or Chicago, or any other super-metro area, it's going to do less than squat.

the 'dust' that accumulates in cars are typically from opening doors, human fibers or any other opening and *not* because of poor a/c filtration. drive a car w/o a cabin filter and experience leaves and debris flying at you and you'll notice the difference fairly quickly.

Try to remember, China and Mexico's anti-pollution laws are nearly non-existiant.

[Cabal_san]

This is a bust for 2.0T engines. It starves off the turbo - really kills compression (or something).

Although it does allow you to spray your windshield and clean at highway speeds without chocking you with noxious chemicals in side the car!

[jfo]

This is a bust for 2.0T engines. It starves off the turbo - really kills compression (or something).

Although it does allow you to spray your windshield and clean at highway speeds without chocking you with noxious chemicals in side the car!

How would this have any impact on engine air flow?

My old Volvo S70 had a filter in the same position and it did actually filter out bit's of leaves, etc....IE "foliage". Without the filter debris would fall down into the evaporator compartment and eventually contribute to corrosion of the fins resulting in a refrigerant leak...major repair in that model. I would assume the inner filter is in the air path before the evaporator in our cars?

[Cabal_san]

Dno. Bit my engine performance ( I am Stasis, FWIW) took a nose dive. So I really think the filter is made for or works only for a 3.2 Nat Asp engine. Aren't the Chinese markets 3.2's???

gone.... :-)

[DavidB8]

I'd take it :)

[jabicho]

Here´s a pic of the filter once installed, no influence on TDI performance whatsoever!!!!

[B6JoeS4]

odd that Audi did away with this for the b8. all b6/7 car come stand with a charcoal activated one

[B8_Jim]

odd that Audi did away with this for the b8. all b6/7 car come stand with a charcoal activated one

There is an activated charcoal cabin filter standard, mounted behind the glove box accessible from the footwell. This is a secondary one, located where my B5 only filter was. Do the B6/B7 cars have 2 filters standard, or just one in this location?

[Aud!]

I do live in LA and am gonna order one. Cant stand that big rig exhaust smell going to work everyday. Not to mention the wonderful smells of downtown...Thou I cant see any correlation of power depletion from installing this since it is a separate intake location and has no baring on the engine itself...Maybe it makes the A/C work harder causing more strain on the compressor thus effecting the engine in a round about kind of way...still could not be that noticeable.

[Cabal_san]

Maybe it makes the A/C work harder causing more strain on the compressor thus effecting the engine in a round about kind of way...still could not be that noticeable.

Could be. I took it on a long trip down the hiway and the engine was struggling to put out. Felt almost like running below the original ecu, prior to my tune. YMMV. Post up your results when you get it in, homeslice.

Here's mine prior to install... (cant fig out how to imbed pics anymore!)
http://img857.imageshack.us/i/img0858e.jpg/

[B6JoeS4]

There is an activated charcoal cabin filter standard, mounted behind the glove box accessible from the footwell. This is a secondary one, located where my B5 only filter was. Do the B6/B7 cars have 2 filters standard, or just one in this location?

ahh gotcha. the b6/7 has the single filter located in the same spot as the b5

[DavidB8]

[Cabal_san]

THanks. Used to be easier to embed jpgs in the past. Dno.

[jabicho]

As you can see in this last picture, this filter substitutes the original foilage grill that we all have on our cars...

[dscline]

Sorry, bumping an old thread, as I'm interested in getting one of these...

ECS Tuning lists them for $19.47 special order of course.

Has anyone found another source for these? Do I read their site correctly that one ordered now would get here in September?

Also, a couple of comments...

Do you think the non-Chinese versions of our cars are prepared for working with two polen filters? would this be a problem for the inside fan? I think it´s a good idea to have as much protection from fumes and pollution as possible,but who knows if our cars will stand this

From what I can tell, this shouldn't cause a problem because you would never being drawing air through both filters at the same time. This filter will only filter outdoor air. It appears the one in the passenger footwell will only filter recirculated air. So as it stands now, NA cars only filter recirculated air, not fresh air. So adding this might reduce your airflow a bit in fresh air mode, but recirculated would be the same (which is the mode it's typically in when it's really hot and it's trying to cool it down quickly).

This is a bust for 2.0T engines. It starves off the turbo - really kills compression (or something).

[jfo]

From what I can tell, this shouldn't cause a problem because you would never being drawing air through both filters at the same time. This filter will only filter outdoor air. It appears the one in the passenger footwell will only filter recirculated air. So as it stands now, NA cars only filter recirculated air, not fresh air. So adding this might reduce your airflow a bit in fresh air mode, but recirculated would be the same (which is the mode it's typically in when it's really hot and it's trying to cool it down quickly).

I don't think so. A filter that only filters recirculated air isn't much use since that mode is very seldom used. Consider the %age of time over the year that recirc is actually used, even in hotter regions. What good is a charcoal cabin filter if it isn't filtering the fresh air that is loaded with pollen, dust, odour, etc? The cabin filter appears to be directly below the fresh air intake, probably just before the AC evaporator.

[B_Boy]

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/8KD819441/ES1272752/

Special Order ETA Sep 17th...LOL

[Highlander1010]

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/8KD819441/ES1272752/

Special Order ETA Sep 17th...LOL

$92 on ECS Tuning. Good thing we don't need them then.

[iconoclast]

anybody order this yet? genuine audi parts has it for $70. thinking about grabbing it.

[Highlander1010]

anybody order this yet? genuine audi parts has it for $70. thinking about grabbing it.

But what does it really do?

[iconoclast]

hvac draws air from there, it is a supplemental filter to the cabin filter.

[jfo]

anybody order this yet? genuine audi parts has it for $70. thinking about grabbing it.

Seems like overkill unless you live in an area with heavily polluted air or are extremely sensitive to pollen. Since the specs for the cabin filter don't appear to be published, it's hard to say how efficient it is at removing micro particles.

[apexit1]

Is there a carbon filter available? I hate smelling trucks and other odors when the windows are closed.

[iconoclast]

Seems like overkill unless you live in an area with heavily polluted air or are extremely sensitive to pollen. Since the specs for the cabin filter don't appear to be published, it's hard to say how efficient it is at removing micro particles.

i dont think it will be overkill but we'll see... i am curious if the cars w/o air quality sensor get two filters and the ones with the sensor dont...

Is there a carbon filter available? I hate smelling trucks and other odors when the windows are closed.

yes, i have it.

[apexit1]

For the top filter not the circ? Do you have the part number?

[iconoclast]

my apologies i thought you were referring to the interior cabin filter... there is a charcoal version it is p/n 8K0819439A... i only see the standard paper one for the exterior hvac air filter.

[apexit1]

I should probably be changing it out. I'll take a peak and see what I have. Thanks

[maga4]

Not that cost doesn't matter, but is there a reason other than cost to not get/have one of these?

[iconoclast]

not that i can think of... i ordered it. i'll post the 'review' after but i am fairly certain the result is less odor from outside the cabin when it is in the non-recirculate mode and not enough smog for the sensor to kick in automatically.

another thing i noticed is that it is labeled as a 'leaf filter' in etka and cars that dont have that extra cowl under the hood have this filter.