urs6_ma

Had some water dripping onto driver's feet, so I followed another thread and cleaned the AC condensate tubing.

While I was in there I replaced the cabin air filter. The old filter was pretty dirty and I did not see any indication of air flow direction.

So I guessed.

Which way does air flow? From the right side of the car towards the center? Towards the larger air box near the console?

That's what I guessed. Hoping I'm correct!

urs6_ma

I guess y'all are just throwing the filter in any which way, or guessing, like I did.

I posed the same question on the Cayenne forum (as the mechanicals are identical) and just got this answer:

Air travels towards the center of the car, towards the large air box to the left of the filter.

Hope this helps others.

-Wes-

Well, on the units that I have replaced, there is a poorly visible set of arrows printed on the weave at one end of the filter. I just put the new one in the same direction the old one points.... but I don't remember which direction that is....

urs6_ma

Yes, that would have been easy!

...but the dirty unit coming out didn't seem to have any markings.

I think it was overdue...

-Wes-

Hard to say in terms of overdue. I replace mine annually, and they look quite similar to that! If the filter is carbon-embedded, that also darkens the weave a lot, which means that it looks somewhat dirty even when you're installing it fresh out of the box! If it was gleaming white when put in there, then, yes... that's well used!

'10Q7TDI_Prestige'

IMHO, the important thing to remember is which side of the cabin filter is dirty when you remove it from the housing, as that is showing you which is the 'intake air' side. The little air flow marker arrows (to aid with correct installation) provided on the filter media will point away from the intake air side.

Normally though, the dirty side (on any car model) will be the side that faces up or most directly towards the HVAC system's fresh air intake located under the base of the windshield on the passenger side, etc.

I change the cabin filter annually and just lump it in with all my other annual services, as I have significant pollen/grass, etc., etc., allergies. I use the Bosch HEPA cabin filter for past few years after trying a few other 'multi-layered' high-end cabin filters and although the airflow is marginally less due to the high filtration it provides, my allergies definitely approve!