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2013 XTS cabin air filter access?

17K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  jghiller 
#1 ·
Recently purchased a 2013 XTS, cannot gain access to cabin air filter door in glove box. Car has CD player on shelf in glove box, owners manual says to remove screw at top of box and pull on tray to remove. It feels like something is going to break when I pull on the tray, is there a trick to this or am I doing something wrong? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
#2 ·
I know what you are talking about! I think I remembered removing the two screws that are on the lower back panel just below the shelf (not the tiny screws on the side of the disc drive and elswhere.
Then you have to pull the top shelf and lower back panel out (all one piece). There are some plastic "snaps" on that lower back panel that take considerable force to overcome. The disc drive will remain attached to the shelf and panel. Once you get the shelf pulled out, the rest is right there and self explanitory. It certainly is not engineered nearly as well as my Honda Pilot, although it is nearly identical except that no tools are needed for the Pilot.
 
#3 ·
Thank you for the response Gavinallan1, Idid not see any screw other than the one mentioned in the owners manual, I did see a couple of fasteners under the tray (the christmas tree style) protruding through the back side under the tray. I still cannot get the tray out even with considerable force. I guess I'll let the dealer show me how its done at the next oil change.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Eventually, most XTS owners will fall out of warranty and need their cabin air filter replaced. This is a pretty easy, straightforward job. Simply open the glove box, remove the cabin air filter cover and replace the filter.

However comma: If your XTS is equipped with the optional CD player, replacement is anything but straightforward and will cost upwards of $100 at a dealership. The CD player is mounted to a shelf with four fasteners, three of which are inaccessible unless the shelf assembly is removed.

But wait, there's more! You have to remove the glove box, and to do that, all of the surrounding trim has to come out.

The 2013 Owner's manual cabin air filter removal procedure is wrong; there is no single fastener to remove to extract the CD player from the shelf and access the cabin air filter cover behind it. I'm sure that was the design intent, but someone really dropped the ball in its implementation. No one should have to jump through so many hoops just to replace a routine maintenance item. This documentation error was corrected in subsequent year owner's manuals within the periodic maintenance replacement section stating, "See your dealer regarding replacement of the filter."

Brilliant. . . Apparently the lead XTS glove box Design Engineer caught his wife having an affair with a dealership Service Technician and decided to make all of them pay for it.

To remove the shelf, the glove box (aka, the Instrument Panel Storage Compartment) has to be removed from the Instrument Panel or IP in multiple steps. This isn’t terribly difficult, but requires investing in a set of trim removal tools to avoid damaging the interior trim that needs to be removed (or if you perform step 12 repeatedly out of sequence, getting hammered in the process.)

I’ve used this set many times over the years and they work well: http://www.eastwood.com/5-pc-trim-tool-set.html?reltype=2&parent_id=27189

The money spent on these tools will more than pay for themselves if you end up damaging a trim piece with a screwdriver. Besides, you’re saving money doing this job yourself, so these tools will also pay for themselves (three times over!) the first time you use them for this job.


Service Manual procedures can be confusing to follow as they tend to you bounce around the manual completing preliminary procedures. I’ll save you the trouble and provide the sequential order of removal procedures:

1) Remove the IP Storage Compartment Door Latch
2) Remove the IP Insulator Panel
3) Remove the right side IP Side Trim Panel
4) Remove the right side IP Trim Panel
5) Remove the right side Lower IP Trim Panel.
6) Remove the Storage Compartment
7) Remove the IP Storage Compartment Shelf
8) Remove the Video Player Control
9) Remove the Cabin Air Filter Cover
10) Replace the Air Filter
11) Reverse steps 8-1
12) Marvel at your DIY skills by celebrating with a few well-deserved beers.

Here’s a link to the downloadable Cabin Air Filter Replacement procedure that has the details to perform Steps 1-10:

http://www.justanswer.com/cadillac/7ygcd-tried-replace-cabin-air-filter-2013-xts-removing.html

The replacement Cabin Air Filter is an ACDELCO CF1184C and costs just over $6 @ Rockauto:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...+&+air+conditioning,cabin+air+filter,6832

Napa's Gold Filter, FIL 4211 retails for about $21.00.

And coming in @ 3rd place (price-wise) is the nearly $33 GM filter, P/N 22743911: http://www.gmpartscenter.net/oe-gm/22743911 (discounted here)

CC
 
#7 ·
Watch out when replacing the cabin air filter on an XTS, even by the dealer! I had mine done for free as part of the maintenance plan. All seemed well until that evening, when I noticed the fiber optic lighting strip above the glove box had "dark" spots in it. (I don't know if only the upper trim levels have this feature, or all XTXs.) Turns out that when the entire area was R&Rd to get to the filter, the fiber optic lighting was not put back in place in proper alignment. A couple spots were "sagging" away from the retainer clips and thus the lighting did not creep through at those points. Dealer fixed fine, but check it!
 
#8 ·
Please disregard my Post #6 (unable to edit) I was wrong.

Here's the proper procedure, you can remove the shelf in a few minutes with a Phillips screwdriver and a flashlight. (I apologize for any confusion.)

1. Open the glove box door and remove everything stashed in there.

2. Remove the soft-drop lanyard on the left side of the glove box door by gently lifting the door up a half inch, and pull the lanyard sideways toward the center of the car just above where its loop is attached. It will be under tension, but don’t worry, it won’t disappear inside the glove box. Gently let it retract toward the glove box and the loop will end up hanging out of the hole it retracts inside of.

3. Simultaneously pull the hard stop tabs from their curved slots located on either side of the glove box door inwards to allow the door to fully swing downwards. This allows access to the screws to be removed in step 5.

4. Remove the screw located above the front of the CD player, securing the shelf to the top of the glove box.

5. Remove the two screws located just below the CD player shelf.

6. Grasp the lower lip of the shelf and pull rearward. The shelf is retained by six spring clips on the rear, so it may take more force than expected to unseat them.

7. Gently allow the shelf to hang from the glove box. The CD connectors may be de-mated, but this isn’t required.

8. The air filter cover is located behind where the shelf resided. Grasp each side of the cover and gently pull the clips outwards to remove the cover.

9. The cabin air filter should be plainly visible. Note the downward pointing arrow, indicating the orientation of the filter when the replacement is installed. An L-shaped hook tool makes it easy to pull the air filter out if its firmly seated.

10. Inspect the cabin air filter receptacle for any debris. Remove with a vacuum cleaner if required.

11. Inspect the back of the cabin air filter cover, and clean if required using a stiff detailing brush or soap and water.

12. Install the new cabin air filter.

13. Install the cabin air filter cover. Note there are two alignment pins adjacent to the retaining clip on one side. Orient this side of the cover to the left (toward the car's centerline) when installing. Ensure both side retaining clips can be felt engaging.

14. Reconnect the CD player connectors if de-mated in step 7.
 
#9 ·
Please disregard my Post #6 (unable to edit) I was wrong.

Here's the proper procedure, you can remove the shelf in a few minutes with a Phillips screwdriver and a flashlight. (I apologize for any confusion.)

1. Open the glove box door and remove everything stashed in there.

2. Remove the soft-drop lanyard on the left side of the glove box door by gently lifting the door up a half inch, and pull the lanyard sideways toward the center of the car just above where its loop is attached. It will be under tension, but don’t worry, it won’t disappear inside the glove box. Gently let it retract toward the glove box and the loop will end up hanging out of the hole it retracts inside of.

3. Simultaneously pull the hard stop tabs from their curved slots located on either side of the glove box door inwards to allow the door to fully swing downwards. This allows access to the screws to be removed in step 5.

4. Remove the screw located above the front of the CD player, securing the shelf to the top of the glove box.

5. Remove the two screws located just below the CD player shelf.

6. Grasp the lower lip of the shelf and pull rearward. The shelf is retained by six spring clips on the rear, so it may take more force than expected to unseat them.

7. Gently allow the shelf to hang from the glove box. The CD connectors may be de-mated, but this isn’t required.

8. The air filter cover is located behind where the shelf resided. Grasp each side of the cover and gently pull the clips outwards to remove the cover.

9. The cabin air filter should be plainly visible. Note the downward pointing arrow, indicating the orientation of the filter when the replacement is installed. An L-shaped hook tool makes it easy to pull the air filter out if its firmly seated.

10. Inspect the cabin air filter receptacle for any debris. Remove with a vacuum cleaner if required.

11. Inspect the back of the cabin air filter cover, and clean if required using a stiff detailing brush or soap and water.

12. Install the new cabin air filter.

13. Install the cabin air filter cover. Note there are two alignment pins adjacent to the retaining clip on one side. Orient this side of the cover to the left (toward the car's centerline) when installing. Ensure both side retaining clips can be felt engaging.

14. Reconnect the CD player connectors if de-mated in step 7.
This appears to be at least an hour long task for a novice, maybe even longer if you are not somewhat mechanically inclined...
 
#14 ·
I'm having difficulty with this also - I have removed the 3 screws, noted the "Xmas tree" fasteners (2) under the rear of the shelf and used considerable force trying to remove the shelf.....I too am afraid of breaking something. Have I missed something or should I just pull harder on the shelf unit and it will eventually come out?
 
#15 ·
I'm having difficulty with this also - I have removed the 3 screws, noted the "Xmas tree" fasteners (2) under the rear of the shelf and used considerable force trying to remove the shelf.....I too am afraid of breaking something. Have I missed something or should I just pull harder on the shelf unit and it will eventually come out?
 
#16 ·
Be careful when removing the fastener that holds the "wire" in place that prevents the glove box from falling completely down and dumping all of the contents onto the passenger floor.

I'm not sure if the 2013 XTS has this as I have a 2017 XTS (no CD player).

I bought my Certified 2017 XTS in late May 2018, 18,500 miles, and the CPO sheet showed that the filter was not changed - just marked "OK". Based on my prior car - 1999 Lincoln Continental - in which I changed the cabin air filer every year or two and now given the fact that I have been diagnosed with interstitial fibrosis (scarring of the lungs), I need to have the "cleanest" air possible to breathe. The filter in the Lincoln was beyond filthy after 2 years; my XTS was only 14 months old, but I wanted that filter changed.

Anyway, the Cadillac dealer would not replace the filter under warranty or CPO, so I had STS (now Mayvis) do it for $58. Upon getting my car back, I went to open the glove box and it just dropped down as far as it would go and everything inside ended up on the floor. I noticed that a "wire" was dangling and not connected to the glove box. This wire prevents the glove box from dropping down beyond a certain point.

I immediately went back into STS and they informed me that it was like that when I brought the car in - which it was not.

My XTS had to go in for warranty work related to the Parking Assist system and I told them about the glove box wire. They fixed it for free.

Good luck to you.
 
#17 ·
The wire is the dampener that allows the glove box door to slowly open and stops it. There is a loop on the end that attaces to a "T" on the inner left side of the door near the edge. If you pull it all the way out then hold it near where it comes out (to prevent it from retracting) you can get the loop (using your other hand) over the T, while holding up the door with your knees.A bit cumbersome but that works.
 
#19 ·
I held onto the lanyard with some needlenose pliers. It's a lot easier to get it oriented to the "T" tab that way.

These are some excellent instructions. They just happen to be how you would install or remove the glove box CD player.
The only additional steps are to remove the cubby (two torx drive screws) that replaces the CD player when there isn't one and install the CD player in its place.
Then you plug in the harness. There is a "do nothing" harness in the car's plug... take it out and plug in the CD player's harness.
Plug the harness into the car first, then plug it into the CD player.

Put everything back together and enjoy the music.
I killed two birds with one stone... new CD player and new cabin air filter.
 
#21 ·
Besides wishing I had a flashlight in my mouth, one of the more difficult steps was putting in the new filter. With the cable for the CD player in the way, I had problems putting the filter in w/o damaging it. I am sure there must be a certain way one can, with just 2 hands, keep the cable up and out of the way in order to easily insert the new filter in the housing. In watching the video on the Fram filter website, they didn't show how much the cable is blocking access. But they also inserted the filter with the right side rear first and then turned the filter to the right to fully insert it. Next time I will have to work on this step. I would imagine you could probably remove the CD player wiring cable but I wasnt going to make matters worse. Besides having a flashlight mounted somehow to illuminate the area, having a needle nose plier was very helpful for holding the lanyard down so you could squeeze your hand in just enough to attach the end loop back on. One good investment was a pair of panel poppers from Amazon which made prying the old filter out a breeze. I dont remember having this much trouble replacing my 2014 CTS but of course the first time this is done is always the toughest.
 
#23 ·
The connection I have for the player connects to the right side of the housing. Maybe different for 2016 XTS. I saw on the Fram video a cable that can be removed from the left side with the panel poppers but my 2016 didnt have that plug in cable connection. Next time I do this, now that I am re-familiar with the procedure, I will check this out. I know when I did this for my CTS it was a lot easier and it used the same type of configuration with the filter being in the glovebox.
 
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