I decided to check the cabin air filter today inspite of all the horror stories. They come out pretty easy. They were pretty dirty so I took the time to slap them on the floor to knock the dirt loose, blew them out and vacuumed each fold til they were clean again. Reinstalling them is impossible. They are on my work bench and will likely stay there. The guy who designed that system should be hunted down and circumsized with a rusty can opener. :annoyed:

Ouch!!... I hope Bob isn't reading this. LOL

I was looking in my car and couldn't find it anywhere. I don't think mine has one.

What makes them so difficult to reinstall? I've never seen one in any car (all the cars I have to work on are usually not the latest models) and like Krashed I don't know if there's one in my ETC.

Consider yourself lucky if you don't have one. You almost have to try it to understand it, but Ill try to explain it. The access door is above and to the right of the accelerator. You open a small access door and pull a tab that is attatched to the first filter and slide it out. There are three of them and they are stacked vertically and interlocking. Now #2 drops down to the access door and you pull that one out. Finally #3 drops down to the access door and gets pulled out. When pulling them out, you have to manuver them past the accelerator and the shift cable. That's the easy part. Reinstalling them is the reverse but somewhat akin to being on your knees and trying to push a wet noodle through a hole at the end of a 55 gallon barrel from the inside (without being able to crawl into it) with one hand tied behind your (aching) back, all the while keeping the previous one from fallind down and misaligning the interlocking track that the next one must slide into. It is an agonizing, exhausting exercize in futility.

Agreed, the process for installing this thing is a real PITA! The first time I did it on my 2000 STS it took over an hour. The second time was about half an hour.

A rusty can opener? YEE_OUCH!!!

Consider yourself lucky if you don't have one. You almost have to try it to understand it, but Ill try to explain it. The access door is above and to the right of the accelerator. You open a small access door and pull a tab that is attatched to the first filter and slide it out. There are three of them and they are stacked vertically and interlocking. Now #2 drops down to the access door and you pull that one out. Finally #3 drops down to the access door and gets pulled out. When pulling them out, you have to manuver them past the accelerator and the shift cable. That's the easy part. Reinstalling them is the reverse but somewhat akin to being on your knees and trying to push a wet noodle through a hole at the end of a 55 gallon barrel from the inside (without being able to crawl into it) with one hand tied behind your (aching) back, all the while keeping the previous one from fallind down and misaligning the interlocking track that the next one must slide into. It is an agonizing, exhausting exercize in futility.

Sadly, that sounds typical, doesn't it? Working on these is not terribly difficult on paper, but the ergonomical aspect is the bad news. Everything is packed into the car without much thought gone into service--cadillac mechanics love it at $110/hr.

Hello Dave! I'm a new owner of a Diamond White 2000 STS. I love the car even thou I dropped 900$ into her in my first week of ownership. I got a price from the dealer of 75$ (part only) for the cabin filter. Sound right??
I figured I would remove the existing filter and clean them like yourself. It is really that much of a PIA? I could live without it but the filter seems to keep dust in the cabin down to a minimum. My only concern is if the element becomes too dirty restricting airflow, could it potentially compromise my A/C system? Am I being paranoid?
Thanks,
Chuck

...I got a price from the dealer of 75$ (part only) for the cabin filter. Sound right??
I figured I would remove the existing filter and clean them like yourself. It is really that much of a PIA?...
I seem to remember that the filter was about $65, but I could be wrong about that. :bigroll: A good vacuuming would probably allow you to reuse the filter a few times; last time I changed mine most of the debris was rather large and loose.

Yes, it's a pain. Ranger's description of the process was pretty close to reality. If you get the filter section bent around the accelerator pedal and properly engaged with the section already installed, there's still a good chance that it will jam in the process and you'll have to pull it out and start over. If you do get the second section installed correctly, the third section will go in a little easier since the two sections interlocked together are a lot more stable than just the single section. OTOH, if you haven't installed the second one correctly, there's no way the third section will go in! You get to start all over. :mad2:

Dave is absolutely correct. It is truely a BIG PITA. It is something you must expirience. Also there are a series of "V's" cut in the top and bottom rail somthing like this V_V_V_V_V_V_ so as to allow it to flex as you snake it past the accelerator and shift cable. Too much flex and the thin portion at the base of the V breaks, then it really gets limp and impossible to install.

No, you are not being paranoid. There is a lot of dirt in there, and it will eventually restrict air flow. You can always yank it out then. After all, most cars don't have them and it is no different than driving with the windows open. I kind of like the idea but hate to spend $65 - $75 bucks on another set only to destroy them in another futile attemp to install them.

Ranger, like you, I too removed the cabin filter on my 99 STS.
I could'nt believe the poor design ... my wife's Accord has the filter in the glovebox, takes 10 seconds to change it.

My car has more miles on it than does yours, so my filters looked awful.
I drove all summer without the filters installed, and my air flow was definitely increased ... I can live with a bit of dust, but I refused to reinstall the filters ... the whole process is barbaric and stupid.

I seem to remember that the filter was about $65, but I could be wrong about that. :bigroll: A good vacuuming would probably allow you to reuse the filter a few times; last time I changed mine most of the debris was rather large and loose.

Yes, it's a pain. Ranger's description of the process was pretty close to reality. If you get the filter section bent around the accelerator pedal and properly engaged with the section already installed, there's still a good chance that it will jam in the process and you'll have to pull it out and start over. If you do get the second section installed correctly, the third section will go in a little easier since the two sections interlocked together are a lot more stable than just the single section. OTOH, if you haven't installed the second one correctly, there's no way the third section will go in! You get to start all over. :mad2:

IMO these are a one shot deal... They seem to "bend" and buckle and loose their stiffness after some use and cleaning... installing a new one out of the box is A LOT easier than installing a "recycled" one.

UPDATE:

After some positive comments from some of the guys over at caddyinfo, I decided to give it another try. I hate defeat. Rockauto has a Wix filter PN #24874 for $20. I ordered the filter on 11/02 and it was delivered on 11/03. Now that is service. Rockauto ROCKS! I got it installed in :10-:15 minutes this morning. Here is a picture of it for those who never have had the pleasure. http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlookup/Par....asp?Part=24874

CAUTION If you order from rockauto, order by the PN I listed. They have the wrong part listed in the online catalogue. If you go through the make, model, year thing. You'll end up with a Deville filter.

Good information, but the link crashed on me....

Hello...
Yes, getting the filter out is the easy part.
Installation is a different story...patience and a good flashlight always helps!

I considered not replacing the filter, but I noticed that the upper vents blow too strong on Low for my taste
and the filter restricts air flow just enough to correct this for me.

There are some preparations that you can do the filter to ease installation.
-file the edges of the "V's" and lubricate so they assemble with greater ease.
-remove the panel and move the wire/cable out of the way and slide the filter in behind the accelerator pedal
(I think that's what I did).

I wouldn't recommend cleaning the old filter...besides being a PITA to replace,
it may harbor germs and/or odor.
OEM filter is a carbon/charcoal filter and the aftermarket ones that I have seen are not, hence the price difference.

You just have to keep in mind that cars are designed for ease of assembly...GM intends for every customer to return for service.

Further, many vehicles are relatively "maintenance free" (if nothing breaks!)
for thousands of miles,
so MrGoodWench has to make his money somehow...
oil changes/rotate/balance/allignment/cabin-filters...etcetera
Gone are the days of points/plugs, distributors and carburetors!

Hello...

Further, many vehicles are relatively "maintenance free" (if nothing breaks!)for thousands of miles, so MrGoodWench has to make his money somehow...
oil changes/rotate/balance/allignment/cabin-filters...etcetera
Gone are the days of points/plugs, distributors and carburetors!

So I guess what you are writing is that planned obsolescence is now considered end user consumables? *LOL

The first time I ever changed the filters, they were jammed in there so bad from a collection of debris that the pull tab snapped right off. I had to pull the first one out by hooking the other end of it with a coat hanger.
I found two things to do to make the job easier. One is to wire tie the shift cable to the brake pedal to keep it out of the way. The other thing to do is to modify the filters slightly. There's a ramp in the slot where they join together and the problem with it is that it's a bit too steep and makes it harder for them to slide. If you take a file to the peak of the ramp and smoothe it out, the filters slide together much easier when installing. A shot of silicone spray in the slots helps, too.

Long time listener, first time caller. Great site with lots of info!

I also took the plunge on the cabin filter...Oh, my, god! Came out easy enough; and I am glad I did it. Was severely restricted. Leaves, bugs, dirt, you name it. (car has about 75k miles on it and from the look of that filter it was the first time it has seen the light of day since it was installed at the factory)

However re-installation is a mother! Funny that we all seemed to try the same things to work around the problem. Before I read this thread I tried filing the sharp edges down, also did the zip strip thing to get the cable out of the way, lubed up the interlocking channels. Good news is after about an hour, I got one of the sections in. Bad news is there are 2 more sections. At this rate of success (or failure depending on your point of view) I'll either have the whole filter in by Feburary, or lose patience and end up beaking something.

Dang! You guys have convinced me to make this a new winter project. Thanks for sharing the R&R tips!

I suppose if you are an allergy sufferer and haven't discovered the modern world of drugs, the filter might be a relief as you drive. I take my Zyrtec and keep the windows open whenever possible.

Having read none of the posts here about installing this filter (stupid me, eh?) I attempted it by merely reading the instructions that came with it. Mistake !! Whoever designed this is truly a sadist.
Mine had never been replaced since 1999, from the looks of it, so that's 130k miles of debris clogging it up.
I used OEM (charcoal, etc) model which came from ebay for $24 incl shipping.
Like others have said here, getting the old one out was not too bad, but those interlocking grooves ............ like ted_tcb said, "the whole process is barbaric and stupid."
After a few hours I gave up trying to get #2 to interlock with #1; besides, by that time they were so mangled that it just would never have happened anyway. (yes, I did do the silicone spray suggested in the instructions, but that only made everything slipprier & harder to handle).
In the end, just to get the damn things in there, I resorted to sawing off the tabs on the top, on two of them (with my little thin-blade band saw) and eliminating the interlocking aspect. (if you leave the tabs on and try installing them without interlocking them, they won't fit inside: too high).
Yes, I know that without interlocking, there's a little space for the dust & pollen to get through, but the alternative would have been to throw the new (mangled) ones away and just do without any filtering. My knuckles were bleeding, my back & neck was sore, and I'd run out of expletives to use against whoever designed this setup.
This set will have to stay in there for the next 130k miles !

(I've done R & R on engines, trannys, & everything else but this was the worst, I think, in terms of frustration.)

:yeah:

Last weekend I welded in a new catalytic converter into my Olds 442... On my back, on a creeper with a heavy, dirty exhaust system (yes this is a hobby) with my TIG welder dropping droplets of molten metal on my arms...

I would rather re-do that project three times then install another cabin filter...

And mine went in fairly easily..

When I spray the grooves with silicone spray, I just give it a very, very light spray and then work the filters back and forth to spread it. I don't drown them with the spray. The most important part is the filing of the plastic at the top of the ramp. You have to smooth out the radius to get them to go together easily. It makes the biggest difference in how the job goes.

Funny how after doing it once, everyone has the same feeling, :want: :rant2: :annoyed: :mad2: NEVER AGAIN! When I was at the dealer for some warranty work, I mentioned it to the mechanic who was about my age. He said, I give those damn things to the porters (young limber kids) and let them do it. After doing my daughters '99 and my '02, I can see why. It's enough to drive a man to :alchi:

Crap I hope mine doesn't have one of these. Sounds about like trying to change a heater core on an 82-92 camaro/firebird.

Thank god this torture only started with the '95 models...

Crap I hope mine doesn't have one of these. Sounds about like trying to change a heater core on an 82-92 camaro/firebird.

I've done that project too..
F-Body Heater core is about a 8/10 on the frustration meter
Seville cabin filter is a full 10!

I'm a smoker....I don't care about dirty cabin filters....hooray for me!

The filter install isn't that bad. As long as you are fairly limber, and do not have any back probblems, it goes ratehr quickly. I changed mine, start to finish, in 12 minutes. I put the seat all the way back. Removed the insulator. I laid on my back, inside the car. My lower half was outside the car. Removal was easy. To install, put your right hand underneath the throttle. Use your right hand to guide the filters in. It is rather easy. I changed mine just to see how it would go. I heard all of the horror stories, and just had to see for myself. The old one was really dirty. Every second oil change, I am going to change it out. I used a Wix filter this past time. I will be using an AC Delco one next time. The Wix, is not a charcoal filter, so it doesn't filter out odors. I am willing to pay the extra $ for the factory one. Unless anyone can direct me to an aftermarket charcoal filter.

Don

I started to replace mine and realized very quickly this was going to take a while and get me very pissed off so I went to the dealership. They charged me $85 for both parts and labor which I thought was a very good deal.

I will be using an AC Delco one next time. The Wix, is not a charcoal filter, so it doesn't filter out odors. I am willing to pay the extra $ for the factory one. Unless anyone can direct me to an aftermarket charcoal filter.

Don

Fram makes a replacement filter with charcoal.

At 67 with some arthritis, replacing one of these things in an '02 STS is like trying to shove a wet noodle up a wildcat's ass........The one that came out told me that the car had been parked under a tree with teeny little leaves for a long time by the first owner who didn't know better, and, fortunately I had not paid Western Auto $35 for a new one. Enjoy the "fresh" air. (Luckily, I live 35 miles from a major city........)

I started to replace mine and realized very quickly this was going to take a while and get me very pissed off so I went to the dealership. They charged me $85 for both parts and labor which I thought was a very good deal.

Where is that dealer? Mine in St Louis wanted $80 for labor, plus $60 for the filter

The trick to installing them is to hold up the far side while still having room to insert the 2nd filter.
The right side falls down and you can't insert the filter in the groove.
I use some lube between the pieces and slide them back and forth before installation to make sure they will glide in.
I have seen guys spend up to 2 hours putting these things in, I usually get pretty lucky but they really do suck.
Once the 2nd filter is in, the 3rd one is a piece of cake.
If you have a bad back, don't even try it.
It's MISERABLE.

We often use a small piece of metal, the steel strip from a wiper blade insert, to hold up the right side while sliding the 2nd filter in, it works okay.

Ewill is correct I always laugh at them trying to make a quick buck on the sts and are under there for hours or one section totaly drops in the air box and they have to fish lol....BUT Ranger were you installing it in your DHS????those are cake...

No this was on my previous '02 SLS (which my daughter now has). I almost cried with joy when I saw where the cabin filter was on the DHS.

My helper almost lost filter 1 inside the case once, I don't even know how he got it in there like that but I was able to fish it out.
I can't tell you how much I hate those filters.
I thought I could get out of it by making him lie there with the door sill in his back for an hour but I ended up having to do it anyway :D

I would add that not only is the effort to replace the filter "next to impossible" but the overall design is "purely stupid". Clearly a last minute "marketing" addition to an already "troubled HVAC" design.

In this car the filter is after the blower, after the heater and after the condenser. In fact as far as I can tell it is designed to hold leaves and dirt against the "moist" condenser so that it can grow mold and mildew there...

My 2¢, Remove the filter and fling it as far as you can...

In my car with the filter gone: the A/C worked better, worker quieter, and stopped smelling like old socks.

Had mine done at a local garage "John Taylor" after telling them how to do it based off information found here.
He told me that he never wanted to see my car again for that job.
Mike

Had mine done at a local garage "John Taylor" after telling them how to do it based off information found here.
He told me that he never wanted to see my car again for that job.
Mike

My feelings exactly.

First time I tried a BOSCH aftermarket cabin air filter, impossible to install it

Next try with an AC Delco and it`s perfect!

There are good and very bad aftermarket parts!

Good info in this posting!!!! Somebody make it a STICKY...??


I'm gonna have to replace mine soon.. So I'm trying to "SOAK" up all the info I can get my hands on....(Will be doing this on a 97 STS... )

Based on the comments here, I think I'm :

- Going to allow for an entire weekend in case I get suck.

- Will use a cotton swap to dap the spray lube on the interlocking panels, so my hands will not be slippery.

- Will look under the dash to see if there is another panel that can be removed to allow for easier access in replacing the CAF.

Going to research different brands of CAF's to see how many are out there and which cheap ones use "activated charcoal" media.


Any more suggestions would be great!

It should be much easier for a '97 Seville since it doesn't have a cabin filter.

Replacing those filters is right up there in my book with eating a swarm of live killer bees. :histeric:

Are you telling me that they did not come with the CAF from the factory in 96-97? .... Did it start for the Seville STS in 98? :hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

Yep...started in the Seville in 1998.

Ok.. This leads me to another question..... Does the 96-97 Seville SLS/STS have the provisions to ADD the CAF? Like the area for the CAF to fit in is there but the factory never added the filter itself?

No, and even if it did, I wouldn't install one.
These filters are IMO useless.
Like, transmission flushes, synthetic oil ,etc... These are pure marketing hype.

My wife has terrible allergies and we figured the cabin filter would make a difference. Nope, zero nada zitch... She is just as sneezy in my filtered STS as she is in her unfiltered 4 Runner. Didn't matter if the filter was new, old or gone. I also found my OEM filter did nothing to filter out the "farm" smells on some parts of my drive, etc. It is just another "gota have" useless feature.

I would bet the A/C system on your 97 is about 30% more efficient then then my 02 when the filter is installed.

If you just file the top of the ramp on the second and third element before you try to slide them in, they go together like they were buttered.

After 2 hours of trying, I grabbed a nearby abrasive saw and headed for the car, but my wife stopped me...

:histeric:

I know this is an old thread, but anybody having a bad day, this thread is absolutely hillarious:D

Bill

So just bought a bosh after market filter, Are they that crap?

Should i trash it and buy another brand?

The cover I have to remove to access the filter is that the one with four screws on it? I have a RHD seville

Any one got any installation pics or mods on their filters B4 installing them?

26tp.....This thread is old and resurrected. Search for later threads on cabin air filters...there are several with pictures and diagrams. The LHD cars do not have screws or bolts, it's a pop-off cover. I betcha the access for RHD is still on the left side up in the front of the "tunnel", about where a passenger's right toes would rest against the carpeted side piece. Pull the carpeted piece off and look up and forward for a 1 1/2" x 4" white nylon curved piece with a pull tab in the middle.

Tap a Boddington's and read the other posts...............

Thanks Very much! I found some pics in my FSM but they were not to clear.

Question: When doing a search is there a way to search for exact phase

Like "Cabin Air" So that i eliminate posts with just Cabin or Air In them?

Try cabin filter.

So just bought a bosh after market filter, Are they that crap?

Should i trash it and buy another brand?

The cover I have to remove to access the filter is that the one with four screws on it? I have a RHD seville

Any one got any installation pics or mods on their filters B4 installing them?

I found the Bosch filter to be crap but since I paid $40 for it I installed it anyway. With the amount of flex that you have to put on it to get around the gas pedal (on LHD anyway) the filter element began to separate from the frame. I managed to squoosh it all together, but I'm not sure what its doing in there other than guarding against a pigeon getting sucked through the HVAC - I think anything smaller will get by it.

26tp.....This thread is old and resurrected. Search for later threads on cabin air filters...there are several with pictures and diagrams. The LHD cars do not have screws or bolts, it's a pop-off cover. I betcha the access for RHD is still on the left side up in the front of the "tunnel", about where a passenger's right toes would rest against the carpeted side piece. Pull the carpeted piece off and look up and forward for a 1 1/2" x 4" white nylon curved piece with a pull tab in the middle.

Tap a Boddington's and read the other posts...............

So i pulled the carpeted side panel and close out panel for the 2nd time
And I can not find this white cover on my RHD 2002 Seville!
the only cover i seen is a large black one with four screws in it and that don't look like it can be removed.
I can see the shifter cable going through the firewall I will attach a pic to see if i am in the right area.l


Can someone help a Blind Guy find this thing!!

Pic of cover with four screws

In my 99 FSM it says to "remove the filter access cover" for RHD. I think your black plastic cover is it. In your pic I'd bet its the panel behind the shifter cable.

Ah S**t So this big arsed cover shown with the X's is it???

It is approx 10in X 5!!

And how the hell can this be so different the LHD drive??

No, the cover is not 10x5. Just went through the RHD procedure in the '02 FSM.

Assuming you have removed the left IP closeout panel, now remove the left carpeted panel on the left side of the "transmission tunnel". Crawl over the door sill and lie on your left side facing the upper front of the "tunnel". Way UP, inboard and forward of where the top of a LHD gas pedal would be, in the side of the "tunnel", not the firewall, is a 1 1/2" x 4" white nylon piece with a tab sticking out. This is the "door" to the bottom 1 of 3 filter panels.

Your two pictures in the other resurrected thread seem to be too low and front-looking. Imagine that the "door" is in the side of the area in front of the climate control panel.

Chubbyranger, what exactly does your access door look like? I assume you have changed the filter. And why would you reference bending the filter around the gas pedal when we're involved in a RHD car? That's a distractor in this thread.

No, the cover is not 10x5. Just went through the RHD procedure in the '02 FSM.

Assuming you have removed the left IP closeout panel, now remove the left carpeted panel on the left side of the "transmission tunnel". Crawl over the door sill and lie on your left side facing the upper front of the "tunnel". Way UP, inboard and forward of where the top of a LHD gas pedal would be, in the side of the "tunnel", not the firewall, is a 1 1/2" x 4" white nylon piece with a tab sticking out. This is the "door" to the bottom 1 of 3 filter panels.

Your two pictures in the other resurrected thread seem to be too low and front-looking. Imagine that the "door" is in the side of the area in front of the climate control panel.

Chubbyranger, what exactly does your access door look like? I assume you have changed the filter. And why would you reference bending the filter around the gas pedal when we're involved in a RHD car? That's a distractor in this thread.

My access door is the standard white pull tab - but my 99 FSM also has the procedure for RHD. My LHD/gas pedal reference was about the Bosch filter which was junk dealing with the gas pedal on LHD. I bet Bosch is still crap no matter which side of the car you sit on. I think the RHD filter access is behind the black panel behind the shift cable inTP26's picture based on looking at the FSM diagrams.

Can someone identify the TRICK to correctly install the second filter in a 2001 Seville?

Thought everything was proceeding reasonably like descriptions above until suddently the first filter disappeared!!! Cannot find it, even after trying to feel it with a piece of stranded electrical cable. Simply could not find a way to keep back end up on the first filter. Not sure how important it is to remove the first filter--heating system seems to be working.

Have owned GM cars, usually two at a time, for over 20 years; however this may be the last straw--changed cabin filter in my daughter's 2005 Honda EX in less than 10 minutes. Cannot believe how nasty this is--worse than changing the crankshaft position sensors. Except for replacing an alternator on 1997 Seville, I have been successful with doing all of my own maintenance. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

The only trick is to keep the far side of the filter raised up. When you install the 2nd filter if the first one is angled down the 2nd one won't go in and you'll be fighting it. Sometimes it is a matter of luck, sometimes you can build some type of tool to keep the far side raised so you can line it up properly.
I had one of my helpers "lose" a filter inside the box, I had to shove my hand up in side that little slot and feel around, I was able to get it back, I think I had to use a long pick to pull it out.

They are a pain.