Pollen Filter Surprise

[Big Vinny]

I inspected the cabin pollen filter that lives behind the glovebox in the 2019 Ibiza. I was very surprised at just how blackened and filthy dirty it was. I think I will replace at 3 years from now on.

I replaced the original Mahle LA816/3 with a Bosch M5135 although I could have used a MANN CU26021. The image below shows the new and old filters. The old filter was originally white.

 

[José Silva]

Are you sure it was white? usually when air filters are gray it is because they are made of carbon.

 

[Big Vinny]

You could be right actually. The non carbon (activated charcoal) Mahle filter is I believe pn LA816/3 and the carbon one pn LAK859. I cant recheck as I have binned the original. The carbon filters are light grey in appearance.

It's still very dirty though you can see blackness which I'm presuming diesel soot. You can see dead flying insects as well if you zoom in.

Maybe the next person to change their filter can shed some light on this matter ?

 

[RUM4MO]

I was more than annoyed, but to be honest why did I really expect any better, when my wife's 2015 VW Polo - bought with 3 years service package, (I somehow felt sorry for the sales guy as I had initially just walked into the dealership, got his interest then handed over my made up procurement documentation which exactly defined build level including options and colours and a fixed price - never did that before or again, but it worked), that car had auto HVAC which means the correct filter is carbon coated, which I had already checked and hoovered out at the 12 months point - but at the 24 month service they fitted a plain white VW Group pollen filter!
So, after my initial annoyance/rage, I cut my losses and ordered in a Mann Frecious version - well at least I now had a good reason to fit one of them, which is what I now use on all the family cars - Mahle also do an equivalent one now.