Sprinter Coach Air Filter Upgrade

[Interstate D]

We've noticed our Sprinter van air filtration system is minimal at best. Does anyone know of a way to improve it? Seeking to reduce smelling the diesel emissions from the trucks on the road.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Interstate D

We've noticed our Sprinter van air filtration system is minimal at best. Does anyone know of a way to improve it? Seeking to reduce smelling the diesel emissions from the trucks on the road.

The first step is understanding what exhaust emissions are composed of:

"What does diesel exhaust contain?

Exhaust emissions are primarily CO2, CO, NOx, water vapor, and free nitrogen. Other exhaust pollutants include HC, particulates, 502 and odor."

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/pdfs/80-146.pdf

Automotive cabin air filtration systems are made to filter out dust and some particulates. No filter can trap gasses. Odors can be trapped for a while in a carbon-impregnated filter, but they're short-lived. That's why you still smell foul odors through an N95 mask.

Basically, as far as I know, the gasses that we encounter on the road are what they are regardless of particulate filtration.

[Interstate D]

Thank you very much. However I also own an MBZ 450 GLE and do not smell any of the diesel odors from my fellow drivers. Perhaps MBZ installs a carbon filter in those and the 350 GLE models. This may account for the difference.

[Hittenstiehl]

Turning our air conditioning vents to inside air or recycle air usually helps when we get stuck behind on of those vehicles.

[ITSNO60]

There are many choices of cabin filters, it sounds like you have it dealer serviced. The cabin filter is very easy to change on a NCV3 Sprinter but if you are not comfortable doing it maybe you can buy it and have the service dept. install it. I use this one https://www.idparts.com/charcoal-cab...69-p-3248.html but like I said there are many more options, some costing much more with claims of pure air. No matter which one you buy it will no doubt cost less than what MB charges you for whatever one they use.

You may find that no filter will eliminate the diesel smell and perhaps your other car recirculates, or the intake is located differently and picks up less polluted air

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Turning our air conditioning vents to inside air or recycle air usually helps when we get stuck behind on of those vehicles.

I've thought about trying that but by the time the exhaust is in the cab it's too late and I don't want to keep recycling it in the cab

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One traffic jam next to a truck running "old style diesel" ( which has more sulfur in it ... ) can really ruin your day. The gotcha is that things like wind direction, wind speed, truck exhaust setup, and location of the air filter intake all get into the mix as well. That can make judging just how well this or that works a bit tough. ( = it's not just the filter ....)

Bob

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Interstate D

Thank you very much. However I also own an MBZ 450 GLE and do not smell any of the diesel odors from my fellow drivers. Perhaps MBZ installs a carbon filter in those and the 350 GLE models. This may account for the difference.

I would guess that your 450 GLE's air intake is much lower and perhaps in a very different location causing it to pick up less of that diesel exhaust. Even a carbon filter won't take care of gasses.

[Hittenstiehl]

Itsno60
Understand, my sniffer is very fast so at least I don't get any more of it than I let creep in for a moment.