I am getting small amount of "flakes", for the lack of a better word, that are settling on my dash, etc. It is a dry residue. My guess is these are coming from my cabin air filter. Any one else had this problem?

 

Have you pulled out the filter and looked at it to see if it has a problem? What did you find?

 

I will have to figure out how to get to it.

 

The cabin air filter is behind the glove box. No tools are required. After you have done it once, it takes less than a minute.

Open the glove box. On the right side there is a support strut, with a loop over a post on the side of the box. Unhook the strut from the post on the side of the box. Grasp the middle of the back of the box, and 'squeeze' the back toward the front so that the two sides (left and right) move toward the middle. Then the posts on the two sides that engage the holes in the dash can come out of their holes, and the whole box tilts down. With the box out of the way, look at the panel behind it. There is a cover secured by two snaps. The filter is behind that cover.

Re-assembly is just the reverse procedure.

The cabin air filter really should be changed about once a year. If yours is 3 years old, it is overdue. There are several brands, but be sure to get one that has the charcoal filter material. I use FRAM CF10285 Fresh Breeze Cabin Air Filter.

 

T-SB-0075-08, A/C - Dust/Powder Blows From Dash Vents, speaks to your issue. Toyota used some type of coating to eliminate mold in the evaporator.

 

Known problem. The A/C evaporator comes from the factory with two coatings. First, a porus nylon film is applied. Then an anti-microbial chemical is embedded, soaked into, those pores. Over time and use the anti-microbial chemical evaporates or is leached or away and then the nylon film begins to "flake" off.

Once the anti-microbial chemical is exhausted, used up, the A/C plenum will become much less hostile to the growth of mold and mildew.

 

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#185 of 207 Re: 07 Avalon Touring White Powder from AC Vents [amauhry] by wwest Jan 08, 2009 (10:14 am)
Replying to: amauhry (Jan 08, 2009 7:42 am)

Back in the early ninties Lexus "experimented" with the use of a porus coating on the evaporator vane surface area into which, into the pores, was embedded an anti-microbial chemical. The rumor is that this early practice was discontinued once it was realized that no MSDS from had been filed with the US.

This was to combat the growth of microbes which constitute the mould and mildew odor, "dirty gym sock odor" many of us are now so very familiar with.

This lead to many problems and the practice was discontinued until it could be "perfected".

"perfected"

NOT...

The source of the "dust"....

The embedded chemical has long since been washed away by daily A/C activity (takes as little as 6 months) and now the porus coating is breaking down due to those day to day "washings". You will in all probability be getting a new A/C evaporator absent the porus coating.

Another experiment that didn't work.

My understanding is that the new LS's have a UV light source mounted near the A/C evaporator to help combat this problem.

 

Thanks all.

A TSB on this is interesting. I am out of factory warranty, but I do have an extended warranty, I wonder if it would cover this?

 

Maybe. But only if your claim is regarding a frequent mold or mildew odor.