How to change the 2015 cabin air filter

[nuke]

Well, mark this in the column of "they built the car around the filter". Pretty much, they built the entire air conditioning system around it. I bought a used 2015 TC Wagon XLT with about 20k miles on it. Despite the dealership's claims, it hadn't been serviced since they got from Hertz. So I did the 20k on it myself today.

The cabin air filter is a bit of a mystery - there's one under the driver seat for the rear air. But the main one is behind the dash in the main air handler. It doesn't show up on the dealer's parts computer - unless you search for "odor filter". I looked at their diagram, and the photos from another thread where GBL posted some shop manual pictures. It is between the blower and the evaporator coil from the air conditioner.

This is more difficult than it should be, but not terribly hard.

1. Remove the passenger footwell trim aka, fuse box cover. It's the ozite thing above the passenger's feet. Two push pins on either side.

2. Empty and remove glove box. Leave the box closed. The hinge pins slide out. There's a notch you press with a slim screwdriver, this releases the hook on the pin. Slide the pins out and then drop the glove box out.

3. Disconnect battery.

4. Unplug the two lower harness plugs that are in your way and set them out of the way. These have lift-to-release plastic clamps on them. Treat them gently.

5. If you look carefully at the airbox, there is a rectangular cover with a couple of finger clamps towards the bottom. Mine didn't have any screws in it. Appears to be as it left the factory. There is one screw boss at the bottom, presumably if the snaps break. Press the snaps at the lower front and rear of the cover plate and lift it off.

6. The filter has no frame and is soft, so you can just slide it out towards the fuse box. The AC lines above it are in the way as it slides out.

7. Once the old one is out, note the direction of airflow and slowly work the new filter into the slot. There are arrows on the top of the filter showing airflow. It flows from front to back of the vehicle.

8. Slide the cover plate into the upper notch, fasten the snaps.

9. Put the wiring harness plugs back in and snap down the release handles.

10. Install glove box and hing pins. Note the slot and tab to orient the pins.

11. Install the ozite cover and press pins.

12. Reconnect battery and retrain windows and stuff.

Enjoy the fresh air.

I've been trying to get rid of that, "Hertz rent a car smell". I found the air freshener packets under the seats. But it was still in the A/C system. Changing the filter seems to really help.

[G B L]

Nice Report thanks. About to change Mine.

[nuke]

The photos you put in the other thread helped a lot. I edited a copy to highlight the cover to remove and the snaps.

[G B L]

Excellent Job.

[jfuhrma1]

Amen.

[DirtBotz]

I just changed mine a minute ago.

I read nuke's post, super detailed and certainly works. I'll add my photo to go along with the drawing nuke posted since my reaction to the drawing was "where the heck is that?"

I removed the glove box only to see what I was doing and let light in. Next time I probably won't since all the work is done from the fuse access panel.

I didn't unplug any connectors

Someone on a different thread talked about "removing 6 screws" I didn't remove any.

The filter is pretty flexible and can be bent and squished a little without damaging it (which is how I got away with not removing the electrical connectors, which are a bit in the way).

Notes:

• Good light makes a world of difference.
• It may take several tried to finesse to filter into place, but it is ultimately easier than disconnecting the battery and having to retrain the van. Once in place it expands back to its original shape.
• In Nuke's first step, find the small slot in the head of the plastic rivet and pry there with a medium flat screwdriver otherwise they are really hard to get out.
• At first look, this seems much more difficult than it is.

[Fifty150]

Good photo.  Thanks.

 

5150