I drive my Highlander for work, approx 180 - 200 KM/day my route is rural (60% gravel) so now that it's melted and drying up, is there anything I can do about the dust? I've replaced the Cabin air filter and the Door seals and the seal for the rear window (hatch window opens manually). Is there anything else I should do to protect the rest of the car (electronics etc) I do have K&N air filters and clean them weekly.
Thanks scotty, love the videos.
I do have K&N air filters and clean them weekly.
If you driven often in dusty areas, it’s a good idea to go back to a paper air filter.
Wowzers that's a lot of driving.
So you're saying you get a lot of dust INSIDE the vehicle?
When I'm on dusty roads, I set my climate control to "recirculation". That shuts the outside air intake. Although, it's taken from the cowl area which should be clean air unless you're following another vehicle.
Other than that I don't think there's much else you can do. I believe that most dust ingress actually comes from the bubble of low pressure that forms at the rear of vehicles. Especially if you have a blunt non-aerodynamic rear. Then it just enters through tiny crevices and holes.
Maybe if you can figure out a way to create a positive pressure inside the cabin that would help keep out particles. That's how clean rooms work.
Inside not too bad, I do get some, I deliver the mail so I am opening the window regularly but the car is stopped thus less dust, more for say engine and such, Inside is important but I do clean almost daily. And as I said K&N filters (cabin filter is as well) but I know dust can equal static so anything I can do to help protect the hundreds of electronic sensors, modules, circuit boards etc.?
I wouldn't be worried about the engine/electronics. Just change the engine air filter regularly.
Paper filters do a much better job of filtering fine particles. K&N filters are for race cars, and are designed for high airflow (at the expense of filtration).
People who I know that drive through dust a lot say that "snorkel"s are life-savers.
I'm unsure about if that's effective but according to them it prevents dust from clogging out the air filter.
Maybe side wind deflectors can help?
or maybe additional runner insulation around the door trim if the OEM is beginning to let dust though?
I agree with itwt, you might want to consider getting a regular paper filter, they're cheap and easy to replace.
I used to live in a desert, All that I needed to do is replace my air filter every 5k miles and occasionally wipe-down the dash. (I also replaced the hood rubber seal because it broke and I was getting sand all over the engine compartment)
The Highlander does come with extra door seals, there are the usual ones but also secondary ones as well not on the hatch but I'm not as worried about back there, I have a 20v vacuum I use to clean almost daily. As well as cleaners for dash etc. The K&N filters seam to do well as long as I clean them regularly, $140 for full set, engine and cabin $55 for cleaning kit and last 6-8 months so far 65 for a set of fram paper filters and to change ever month and a half is cheaper to use the K&N and clean regularly. I'm really more worried about dust killing electrical etc. Maybe a little the engine too, haven't noticed too much dust in the Fuze boxes under the hood but a little paranoid being an almost $50,000 car, I'd like to see it get at least a half million KM (300,000miles for those south of the border) as for a snorkel I thought about it but with the amount of KMs drive I would think the loss of fuel economy wouldn't be very drastic. I'm paying +/- $1.60/L think that's about $6.30/Gallon if my conversion is correct.