Over the past year, every time I turn on the air conditioning, a black spongy type material, which appears to me to be air filter particles, are coming through my vents. I have read in many areas where it states my 2000 Dodge Durango 5.9 R/T would not have a cabin air filter, but does anyone have any suggestions on what these particles can be? I am almost positive it is not the air filter because I have a custom K&N put in and I clean it every 6 months or so.

 

No there is not a cabin air filter and that black spongy material is basically a bug filter that is in behind the dash that, like I said prevents bugs and debris from blowing thru the vents. Basically Dodge's idea of a permanent cabin air filter that you don't have to clean.

Basically cars that do have cabin air filters in them, have them because they're HEPA filters.

 

+1

No.

 

So I should be alright with that bug filter even though its apparent that its breaking apart and coming through the vents???

 

Yeppers

 

Are you guys sure it's not the filter for the Evaporator Box? I'm having the same issue with my '02 4.7L Durango. I read somewhere else that there is a foam filter on the Evaporator Box that can disintegrate and come through the vents.

I've been picking these little black mesh filter-looking things out of my vents for over a year. My A/C is also blowing air that's about the temperature of the hot outdoor air. I recently had my fan clutch replaced and Freon re-charged, which made my A/C nice and cold for a few weeks, but now the hot air is back. I'm worried that it's related to the little black pieces coming through my vents. I sure don't want to spend $700 to have my Evaporator Box replaced, although I'm not even sure if that would help cool down my A/C.

Help!

 

if you had the a/c recharged and that made it cold, and it is now cold again you have a leak in the a/c system that needs to be fixed, it has NOTHING to do with the foam block disintegrating

 

Ok, thanks.

But, how about the question about the disintegrating filter coming from the evaporator box, in relation to original topic.

Brian

 

BINGO! Just got the results of diagnostics yesterday from the auto repair shop. My A/C is leaking through a bad evaporator. He said that was also likely the cause of the black mesh foam/filter stuff I had coming through my vents. The freon leaks into it, makes it oily, and then it disintegrates. His estimate is $1k - 1100, which I will definitely NOT be doing. So, looks like it's time to hunt for a new car for me.

So, Magda7290, it may very well be a bug filter in your case, but I'd lean towards the evaporator. And if you're having trouble with getting cold air from your A/C, you can consider it confirmed.

 

not sure one case where an auto shop says its this could really be considered to confirm it... the block could be disintigrating with age like everything else does... and if there isn't cold air that doesn't neccesarilly the problem is in the same part.. so its hasty to consider it "confirmed"