I've changed my cabin filter and it was...

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cober

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
19
I've changed my cabin filter and it was pain!
Nissan, why you so cruel to your owners? In Toyota it's easier big time!
Here's video of my struggle :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6jSvWRNolU
 
I'm having the dealer do it, but I still had a huge PITA just FINDING a Fram Fresh Breeze CF11177 cabin filter. The auto parts stores have stopped carrying Fram filters, and just stock their own brands - but NO equivalent charcoal-impregnated filter. I finally, reluctantly, got two of them from walmart.com, with free 2 day shipping. (Walmart stores have their own house brand, and have also stopped carrying them. They don't even have a plain paper filter in that size in their brand.) It had better be here by Sunday, when I'll be dropping the car off...
 
Lothsahn said:
mwalsh said:
It's a ton easier if you take the glove box out.

Understatement of the year. But actually funny to watch the video!
After watching that whole video, I think you have the right idea having the dealer do it :lol:
Other than the shakiness, which is understandable, I thought the video quality to be quite good, looked like a really miserable job :x
 
jjeff said:
Lothsahn said:
mwalsh said:
It's a ton easier if you take the glove box out.

Understatement of the year. But actually funny to watch the video!
After watching that whole video, I think you have the right idea having the dealer do it :lol:
Other than the shakiness, which is understandable, I thought the video quality to be quite good, looked like a really miserable job :x

Its actually quite easy and my dealer charges around $89 (filter included...) so yeah, the dealer option is a definite no go.
 
Really dumb desing, you would think the new leafs are easier but they are the same, my arm wont fit and the edges are sharp making cuts in my hand, best way is to remove the whole glove box and if you are lucky enough you wont brake the door clip for the filter, in my toyota takes my likee 3 minutes to do it.
I wish I could see the engeneers trying to change the filters them selfs.
 
In most cases the cabin filter only needs to be changed every two years, but I want the deodorizing of the activated charcoal filter, so I have it done annually. It nicely coincides with the annual snow tire (and wheels, now) removal, safety inspection, and required battery test.
 
I took the glove box out the first time I changed the filter in the 2011. Once I learned how to release the latch for the white filter cover, the next time was easy. I was able to just remove the inspection cover in the glove box for visibility, remove the lower dash cover (under the glove box), and then easily replace the filter from below. The same approach works for the 2015. The filter cover for the 2015 is black so it is not as visible, but the latch is much easier to release.
 
You know... I have been driving for 45 years, and this issue of a cabin air filter has really amused me.

Before about 5 years ago.... A) I never knew new cars had them. B) I am not aware that older cars had them. C) still don't know why people seem to worry about them and give so much importance to them.

Cabin air filters ARE NOT a MUST DO maintenance item. Somebody that makes the filters must be making alot of money selling them now. The cabin air filter is like changing an "air freshener" in your house..... If you really want one, then do it, but you do not NEED IT.

Just for curiosity, I recently changed the filter on my 20 year old Honda Odyssey with 100K miles. Was it dirty? Yes.. Did it still let the car air circulation work? YES... Did I NEED IT? NO!!!!

So if you want to save your money, and do not want to obsess about this minor maintenance item... Don't worry about it, and change it every 40-50K miles.. WHOEVER TELLS YOU YOU NEED TO CHANGE IT EVERY 2 YEARS IS LYING TO YOU BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just like the lie that you have to change your Brake fluid every 1-2 years..
 
^^^ while not as adamant as you I also believe changing the cabin filter to be somewhat a non-issue. Never done in in our '07 Prius which we got new, never on my '13 Leaf new and never on my '12 Leaf used in '16?? from CA. Of course not living on a gravel road and in a pretty clean city I also rarely change the air filter(on ICEs) I probably take it out every other year, knock any leaves or debris off it, hold it up to the sun and if I can see through it, I put it back :) I think I've changed the air filter once on the '07 Prius and it still gets 50MPG on the road :cool:
I still change the oil(and filter) regularly, at 5k when I used to do 3k but most other things I wait until they become an issue. I've heard you can go every other time on the oil filter but as they are very cheap($1.99 on sale) and I tend to only change yearly because we don't drive a lot, I do both the oil and filter at the same time. Besides as long as the car is up on the ramp and the airflow plastic piece is removed, changing the filter also only takes a couple of minutes extra, the bitch is driving the car up on the ramp and trying extremely hard to not drive off the end :eek: never done it but I worry about it a lot every time I do!
Oh, speaking of air filters, I also rarely change our house air filter. It's one of the new 5" thick pleated jobs and costs $25 a pop. A couple of times/year(generally when the furnace gives me a "change filter" warning on the thermostat) I take it out, use my air compressor and thoroughly blow compressed air through it(of course outside) hold it up to the sun and again if I can see lots of light through it, put it back :)
I think I've changed it twice in the 10 years since we got the new furnace.
I have nothing against people wanting to change air filters more often, it's just I've been taught if you can see light through it and nothing looks ripped or damaged, it's just a waste of our natural resources(and money) to replace something that probably doesn't need it. Now if you have allergies or can really tell a difference when you change the filter more often, go for it, they don't cost all that much :)
 
There is probably a bypass that lets you used an HVAC system with a filthy, plugged air filter. That doesn't mean that it's a great idea. Lots of people have allergies that are aggravated by dust and pollen in the air.

WHOEVER TELLS YOU YOU NEED TO CHANGE IT EVERY 2 YEARS IS LYING TO YOU BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See above. Obviously the car won't stop running if the cabin filter is plugged. If you are a cigarette smoker you may not want to bother, as your vehicle likely already smells terrible anyway.

Jjeff, if you are going to change your oil once a year, I suggest you use at least synthetic blend oil, and a long-life oil filter. Using a cheap filter and cheap oil may accelerate engine wear on that schedule (which I've used as well, in the past).
 
LeftieBiker said:
.
Jjeff, if you are going to change your oil once a year, I suggest you use at least synthetic blend oil, and a long-life oil filter. Using a cheap filter and cheap oil may accelerate engine wear on that schedule (which I've used as well, in the past).
I use a quality name brand oil, Valvoline, Havoline, Quaker State, (whatever brand name is on sale, conventional not the cheaper synthetic blend or the much more expensive fully synthetic) and for a filter I also use a name brand(not W/M generic type) generally Quaker state which my local Menards home improvement runs regularly on sale for $1.99 or $2.19. I used to change oil and filter regularly at 3k but changed to 5k(which is still less than some cars manual suggests for light use) after my last 2 ICEs('94 Geo Metro and '05 Scion Xb) died from one thing or another with a basically new engine. As I generally put less than 6k/year miles on my vehicles everything else wears out long before the engine :( of course I regularly check the oil level and if it starts looking quite black I'd change no matter what the mileage was.
Oh and about the swearing Lars36......my wife got a real kick out of that too, the whole video had us in stitches many times :lol:
 
I stopped using Quaker State oil when they got busted for selling an inferior product that wrecked engines - but that was many years ago. I have no idea what their products are like, now.
 
I don't know what happens if the filter is completely clogged but between wanting clean(er) air and not wanting to force the system to work harder than required, filter cleaning or replacement is a no-brainer.
 
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