Helmsmen with twenty years of experience carry out such operations constantly and advise young people. Like, outside the city the air is clean, so there is no need to filter it. And after the winter, the consumable becomes dirty, which provokes the formation of condensate on the walls of the ventilation system – especially during spring temperature changes or in the rain. Therefore, the “salon” is dismantled, thoroughly cleaned and put somewhere in a box until better times.
Here we note that the experienced are only partly right. The consumable can really get wet, but it all depends on the design of a particular car and its condition. For example, in a 1996 Volvo 850 or some Audi models, the filter element is actually located under the windshield. If the drainage holes are also clogged, then water will definitely fall on it. This will lead to fogging of glasses, shrinking rubber bands and, in the end, to the formation of mold. Plus, pathogenic bacteria will penetrate into the salon.
However, in modern cars, the scheme is such that the “salon” is located deep below, and it is rather difficult for moisture to penetrate to it – therefore, it will be dirty, but dry. Hence the first advice – clean the drainage so that the water can freely leave. So moisture will not create problems, and there will be no local corrosion of the body in hidden cavities.
