E-Class (W211) 2003-2009

URGENT: Is there a short term fix for a damaged cabin air filter??

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Old May 5, 2013 | 06:34 PM
  #1  
SethP's Avatar
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2008 E550
URGENT: Is there a short term fix for a damaged cabin air filter??

Went to spray some lysol on the cabin air filter and surrounding areas as I've read some of you have done... After doing so I apparently had the really bad idea of using a hair dryer on it as well to apply some extreme heat to kill any type of life form, as well as dry up and left over moisture/lysol...

However, in doing so I singed the crap out of a few parts of the filter, to the point that there's complete holes in an area...

Is there a short term fix for me to drive it for 1 day? Like maybe taping a paper towel or something?

Am I at risk of doing serious damage if I try to drive it with no filter at all?

Thoughts guys? Don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow when going to work...

Oh, by the way... All the local shops don't have anything in stock (advance, auto zone, etc.) it's by order only... and obviously the benz shop it closed atm.
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Old May 5, 2013 | 07:37 PM
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ozusa's Avatar
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From: PA, USA
2004 E320 4matic Sedan
No risk at all....but remove the old filter now

You will have cabin air that is unfiltered. That's no big deal. You walk around breathing that everyday when you're not driving.

I would suggest that you now remove the damaged filter element completely, however, so that it does not disintegrate and clog something up while you await the new one.
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Old May 5, 2013 | 08:35 PM
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otto6457's Avatar
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From: Lubbock, Tx
E350
No worries

If you have ever driven with the sunroof or a window open and didn't succumb to the Plague, you should be fine. Just go buy a new one and stick it in.
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Old May 6, 2013 | 08:27 AM
  #4  
SethP's Avatar
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2008 E550
I was more worried about bringing junk into the fan/ac unit than my lungs. Have one on 1 day shipping from amazon (only cost me $3 to expedite the shipping) and I just turned my air off so its not sucking anything in.

Thanks for the help and feedback guys
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Old May 6, 2013 | 08:32 AM
  #5  
vettdvr's Avatar
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03 E500 and Corvette
throw out the damaged filter, drive on, buy a new filter. My 2000 truck is still driving with no filter, it never had one.
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