I'm heading to an extremely dusty (talcum powder dusty) area and will have the recirc on but would like to also eliminate as much of the fine dust from getting into the air ducts. The slotted vent just in front of the windshield - is that the air intake for the cabin? If so, if I were to place an external filter over the slots while in the area, would that help eliminate most of the fine dust from entering the air ducts?

 

Yes to your first question.

It can't hurt, to your second question.

 

X2 But! The fine dust will also do a better / faster job of blinding over the filter.

 

It's going to be a short trip in to the camp spot. The Jeep will then be parked for seven days but guaranteed there will be dust storms. After the seven days there will be a short drive out. Unfortunately the short drives are short in milage only - time may be an hour or more. The area I'm going to is the Black Rock Desert Playa. After the drive in I can clean/swap out the filter and do the same just before the drive out. I'm just trying to keep as much dust out of the cabin as possible.

 

Will you be doing the same for your engine intake filter?

 

Engine air filter will definitely be replaced after the adventure.

 

You mind posting some pics after you fabricate whatever it is your going to do? I've been
considering putting a HEPA filter in the cabin air intake as you mentioned.

 

Whatever I do will be temporary. Probably a cut down piece of house air conditioner filter taped over the intake. My major concern was that the intake was in fact the cabin air intake and not just a traditional decorator item for Jeep like the traditional grill.

 

Well, I think you'll need to do a little more than just cover the external opening between the windshield wipers. Although it does appear this vent facilitates air flow into the intake for the cabin, there is yet another opening below it, behind and next to the winshield wiper motor. You can see it if you lift the hood. I suspect that's the cabin air intake.

 

I turned the fan on high with the hood up and you can feel the suction on the passenger side. There is a feed hole about the size of your hand. I thought - great. This is where I can place the filter but that isn't the only feed. There is another on the drivers side and it cannot be reached unless you remove the cowling which also means removing the windshield wipers. Not worth the hassle.