Cabin air recirculate issue

[Ranger_Rocks]

CO2/O2. The average new home replaces inside air 3x/hour. Although vehicles today are much better ("tighter") than previous generations, in no way are they "air tight." CO2/O2 is not a concern. The main reason Ford has chosen to auto disable recirc after a time (I don't like it much either) is to reduce/eliminate the build up of mold in the HVAC system.

To the best of my knowledge no cabin filter will filter smoke particles:

90% of Wood smoke particles are smaller than 1 micron 0.00004
Bacteria (average) 2 microns 0.00008
Red Blood Cell 8 microns 0.0003
Talcum Powder 10 microns 0.0004
White Blood Cell 25 microns 0.001
Human Hair 70 microns 0.003
Grain of Table Salt 100 microns 0.004

According to Ford, their Motorcraft cabin filter:

• Features multiple layers of filtering with an electrostatically charged layer that captures soot, smog and smoke
• Protects HVAC components by helping limit dust, mold, spores, pollen and fungus
• Captures 90% of particles 10 microns or larger (an average grain of beach sand is 200 microns) and helps reduce dust inside the vehicle
• Rigid polyester spun bound frame helps ensures the filter maintains its shape
• Filter media is formulated for high temperature efficiency
• Meets Ford Engineering requirements for resistance to odor propagation and anti microbial properties

Here in WY we are having similar smoke issues, although not nearly as bad as those of you in CA. The viz off my deck is about 1/2 mile. There are 15 fires burning in western MT and more in eastern ID. Since our weather typically comes in from the NW....

Micro dust PM2.5 is passed into the cabin ?

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[thewhiteranger]

I am within 5 miles of 15,000 people being displaced due to their house being BURNED DOWN, with 1/4 mile visibility.
Come here and live though this.
You are now on my twit filter.

hey in all seriousness ---I hope you and your family and home are OK..... I lived near several fires in the SoCAL (left a long time ago and that's one thing I do not miss) area.... with more than one time flames very nearby and fire trucks / police going up the road saying "be prepared to leave" --- we never had to officially evacuate but man it was close a few times and very scary picking through belongings / pictures / documents to find what is most important and fits in the car so I can get out if I need to.
I don't think anyone is directing anything at you -- most people on here are very nice folks who love thier tucks (but Im in the no tailgate damper Crowd.... for now ) it is hard to understand from a long way off. interesting enough here in texas we've had smoke haze they say from the ca fires blowing all the way out here. - hope you and yours are safe ---thanks to all the fire and police out there working to keep us out of the way of things like that. --- be safe

 

[slowmachine]

FWIW, I ordered a Bosch 6021C HEPA cabin filter that I think may fit our Rangers. It filters to 0.3 microns. It’s going to be another week before Amazon can deliver it. I’ll post again when I can compare it directly to the Ranger filter.

 

[JimJa]

Mike, did you mean 3 microns, or 3/10s of a micron? Don't think there is a filter on the market with enough "through put" to work at 3/10s of a micron. If there is...I'm on it.

I lived in San Diego for 35 years and lived through the SoCal fires of the late 80s. My heart goes out to everyone going through what CA is living through now. The picture is of the daughter of a good friend. The first two pictures were taken mid-afternoon

 

[slowmachine]

Mike, did you mean 3 microns, or 3/10s of a micron? Don't think there is a filter on the market with enough "through put" to work at 3/10s of a micron. If there is...I'm on it.

The description on Amazon says 3/10 of one micron. The graphic shows that tobacco smoke will pass through it, but auto emissions will not.

This seems like something that may only work in recirculating mode, but I want to see if it will work at all. The Bosch application chart does not list the Ranger as taking this filter, but it does list several other Ford models that supposedly use the same Motorcraft filter as the Ranger.

 

[slowmachine]

This is it

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JYSW5RY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[rparge]

hey in all seriousness ---I hope you and your family and home are OK..... I lived near several fires in the SoCAL (left a long time ago and that's one thing I do not miss) area.... with more than one time flames very nearby and fire trucks / police going up the road saying "be prepared to leave" --- we never had to officially evacuate but man it was close a few times and very scary picking through belongings / pictures / documents to find what is most important and fits in the car so I can get out if I need to.
I don't think anyone is directing anything at you -- most people on here are very nice folks who love thier tucks (but Im in the no tailgate damper Crowd.... for now ) it is hard to understand from a long way off. interesting enough here in texas we've had smoke haze they say from the ca fires blowing all the way out here. - hope you and yours are safe ---thanks to all the fire and police out there working to keep us out of the way of things like that. --- be safe

Thank you. After viewing this:

https://www.registerguard.com/picture-gallery/news/2020/09/11/holiday-farm-fire-shows/3464012001/

and then searching for a solution to the re-circ turning off, (a first world problem, to be sure) it felt like the OP's original question was being minimalized, as some were telling us to just buck up and to just put on a mask, or fight about dampers.

Again, thank you for the kind words, this forum is a fabulous community, and we are lucky to have it.

 

[Blue Streak]

As far as recirculated air goes. The only position that I can not use recirculate is in the defrost mode. Any other setting hot or cold, dash vent, floor or both vents & floor, fan at any speed, I can operate recirculated air off or on as long as I don not have it on max. Disclaimer; I have an XL STX with manual HVAC. No fancy stuff. I am happy. ?

 

[JimJa]

Larry, I believe when the HVAC system is set on MAX it automatically goes on recir, although the recir light does not come on.

 

[Blue Streak]

Larry, I believe when the HVAC system is set on MAX it automatically goes on recir, although the recir light does not come on.

When I set it on Max the recirculate light does come on. If I set temp as high or low without going to Max I can still turn Max off or on. Air temp is still the same on or off Max.

Larry, I believe when the HVAC system is set on MAX it automatically goes on recir, although the recir light does not come on.

True on Max it dose & the light does come on. If I turn it down one notch off Max & can turn recir (or inside air) off & on.

 

[slowmachine]

FWIW, I ordered a Bosch 6021C HEPA cabin filter that I think may fit our Rangers. It filters to 0.3 microns. It’s going to be another week before Amazon can deliver it. I’ll post again when I can compare it directly to the Ranger filter.

Replying to my own post here. This Bosch filter is not a drop-in replacement for the OE Motorcraft FP-88 cabin filter. The 6021C is smaller in every dimension than the FP-88.

 

[CoMtnRanger]

The level of butthurt from some people over Ford failing to provide a damper by default was so high that tweaking them was irresistible

Ha! This is funny. My 83 GMC K2500 has a full metal tailgate, probably weighs close to 100lbs, and all my life I've opened and closed steel gates with no "help". My Ranger aluminum tailgate is extremely light, it only takes a few pounds of human force to lower the gate without it hitting the cable. I'll be in the "no damper needed" park, on the bench under the shade tree, listening to people in the "damper needed park". I agree with Phil, and can understand not all owners can physically manipulate a tailgate comfortably, but I think people overlook the fact a pickup truck is a truck, intentionally designed to accommodate physical activities like hauling materials that will be easier loaded and unloaded by use of the tailgate. If I can't lift the tailgate I probably can't manipulate the cargo either - in which case I should have probably bought an Explorer. Just MHO....

 

[thewhiteranger]

Ha! This is funny. My 83 GMC K2500 has a full metal tailgate, probably weighs close to 100lbs, and all my life I've opened and closed steel gates with no "help". My Ranger aluminum tailgate is extremely light, it only takes a few pounds of human force to lower the gate without it hitting the cable. I'll be in the "no damper needed" park, on the bench under the shade tree, listening to people in the "damper needed park". I agree with Phil, and can understand not all owners can physically manipulate a tailgate comfortably, but I think people overlook the fact a pickup truck is a truck, intentionally designed to accommodate physical activities like hauling materials that will be easier loaded and unloaded by use of the tailgate. If I can't lift the tailgate I probably can't manipulate the cargo either - in which case I should have probably bought an Explorer. Just MHO....

I said the same thing but I was on amazon, it was late and the damper was on sale..... and after installing it -- its kinda cool. not necessary but kinda cool. first world problems

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