Ford Freestar, Windstar & Mercury Monterey Van Cabin Air Filter Keeps Clean-Air Interiors
- 5 May 2016
Although the popular thought is that Chrysler built the modern minivan in 1984, it is possible that Ford had the idea roughed out sooner, with its 1973 Carousel prototype. The ensuing fuel crisis shelved the project at Ford, but it had been intended for the American family to enjoy for all the functionality of a station wagon with extra amenities (such as dual station a/c and multi-configurable seating) and space.
Actual examples of minivan ancestors are a 1935 creation, the Stout Scarab, that featured a removable work table and swiveling seats, the DKW Schnellaster (first manufactured in 1949), the VW Type 2, and GM's Corvair Greenbriar in 1960. Some of their DNA indeed survived, and in the early 1980s it really was time for the minivan. Ford's offering in 1985 was the Aerostar, which became Windstar in a complete redesign and repower for the 1999 model year. It underwent one more evolution as the Freestar, with major upgrades for 2003. Ford's Mercury division had its luxury version of the van with the Villager and then the Monterey. The minivan's story has included an emphasis on safety and dependability, and in 2002 the Windstar was named most dependable minivan at three years of service by J.D. Power and Associates, beating the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Central to all the designs are sleek lines, car-like handling and interiors that emphasize comfort and safety. Standard features at various trim levels included front seat-mounted side airbags, dual power-sliding doors, rear reverse sensors, second-row captain's chairs, adjustable head rests and climate control. Sometimes called an air conditioning or HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning), the system includes one vital part that works as hard as the minivan to protect the driver and passengers from dust, pathogens, fumes, and fungus: the cabin air filter. Possibly taken for granted until we notice the air conditioning is not really cooling a long, spacious vehicle like a minivan, a cabin air filter should be serviced as part of every owner's maintenance routine, and K&N can help with the VF3002 washable, reusable cabin air filter. If you've had your Windstar, Freestar, or Monterey for a few years, you may know the filter is accessed from under the hood and passenger-side cowling. A rectangular cover with a tab secures the filter compartment. Removing the disposable filter and installing the K&N VF3002 is quickly accomplished with no special tools or skills. The same K&N VF3002 replacement cabin air filter is designed to be used in 1999 to 2007 Windstar, Freestar, and Monterey minivans (see list below). It is constructed of a special electrostatically treated synthetic media in a sturdy, but flexible frame. Its pleated design presents a larger surface area to capture more dust and dirt particles than stock paper filters, plus slow the entry of spores, mold, bacteria and germs. Cleaning the filter should be done once a year, every 12,000 miles, or more frequently depending on driving conditions or personal preference. Instead of filling up a landfill with dirty disposable filters, the VF3002 can be sprayed with K&N’s refresher kit cleaner, rinsed in running water then air dried. When dry, it can be sprayed with refresher fluid to restore the electrostatic charge, then reinstalled. All of K&N's replacement cabin air filters are backed by a 10-Year/Million Mile Limited Warranty, should there be any failure in workmanship or materials. It's a winning scenario, for the owner, the minivan, and the environment. The VF3002 K&N Cabin Air Filter replaces these parts: The following Ford and Mercury vehicles can use the VF3002 K&N Cabin Air Filter: You can view all the cabin air filters that K&N makes for the these vehicles at the Cabin Air Filters for the Ford Freestar page and Cabin Air Filters for the Mercury Monterey Van page. You can view all the K&N performance products for any vehicle by using the Search by Vehicle tool and you can find a local K&N retailer by plugging your location into the K&N Dealer Search as well. |
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