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DIY Cabin Air Filter Change: How-To Guide w/Pics

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319K views 368 replies 189 participants last post by  Midnight Cowboy  
#1 ·
I replaced my cabin air filter today in my 2006 Mazda3. It has 45,000 miles, I've never had this replaced before, I live and drive around Chicago, the car is garage kept. With picture taking, it took about 4 hours. I had searched through these boards in the past to find a good write up on the cabin filter, but no real good one existed. These boards rock when it comes to How-To's so I figured I'd grab my camera, some tools, and document my experience. I had to stop after taking the passenger’s side all apart and re-read some posts because I couldn't find the filter! These boards have helped me with plenty in the past, but have not done too well with the cabin filter. So to you, fellow DIY'ers and forum members, and cabin filter want to replacers, here is YOUR guide:

Tools needed:
1) Philips head screwdriver
2) Flat head screwdriver
3) Long nose pliers
4) 12mm socket head and ratchet with extenders
5) shop-vac


Here's my replacement filter (I paid $37.35 for it at my local dealership):
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Open the glove compartment door:
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Remove the plastic trim by pulling up underneath the trim from where the glove compartment door closes. NOTE THE HOOK AT THE RIGHT END OF THE TRIM! Don't expect the trim to first pop off from the right because it first pops out from the area over the glove compartment, then bows out, and carefully pull back to completely remove:
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Unscrew the two screws with the Philips head:
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I have the navigation system, thus the DVD player in the glove compartment makes this next step pretty difficult. You'll have to first pull out and down from the top of the glove compartment and carefully wiggle out:
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Once unlatched, you'll notice the lamp. I unscrewed it out:
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There a plastic cover, right above the passenger's feet, that's held up by two tabs. Tough to explain, but too easy to remove. Push the two tabs towards the front of the car, pull down, viola:
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There another plastic cover to the feet's left:
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Use the flat head to pry the center plug a bit. CAREFUL, don't pry the outside plug or you'll risk scratching everything and not accomplishing anything:
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There two twist plugs holding up the fuse box. Give each about 1 turn and the fuse box is loose:
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Unplug each of the connectors to the fuse box by turning the black loop by 180 degrees. This was a bit tricky, but once you see how it works, it's a piece of cake to do the rest:
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Use the ratchet with the 12mm socket to remove the two nuts from the fuse block bracket. I used two extenders to make removing them easier. There were tightened to about 980 lbs. Seriously, they were pretty tight.
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Move the bracket and plugs away from the center console, as that's where we’ll be working next. I found that by removing the gray cable tie (in picture) from the fuse block bracket (with pliers) gives plenty of lee-way to maneuver the bracket and plugs away from the center console.
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Remove the two screws holding the black sensor:
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Unplug the white sensor connector, move both out of the way:
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Remove the 4 screws holding the white plastic cover:
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Slide out the bottom cabin filter (there's two, one on top of each other), then slide out the top one that falls after you take out the bottom one:
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Here's what the inside looked like BEFORE I cleaned it out with a shop-vac and a windexed cloth:
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Here's what it looked like AFTER:
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Here are the old filters above the new filters. Yes, folks, I had a tough time believing this. It made it all worth it:
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This part was tricky. You have to slide the top filter in first:
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Now slide it up, use your magic powers to hold it up, then slide in the bottom filter. Oh wait, I didn't have any magic powers handy! Somehow, I got it anyway:
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Now put everything back in the way you took it out and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Here's my only casualty.
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#4 ·
WOW! 4 hours!!! Since my dealer only charges $150 (including filters), I am sure there is a way to do it in an hour or less. What is your take on that?
 
#7 ·
I must've missed that write-up somehow. I'm glad I did because I probably wouldn't of removed my glove box, but, in not doing so I would've made this a lot tougher project. Removing the glove box allows better access to the two top screws to the filter compartment, and, you can reach one arm in through the glove compartment area to do your work, as opposed to laying on your back and loosing feeling in your right arm.
 
#9 ·
Good DIY, im due for an air filter change too...not looking forward to the install at all, though it must be done rather than being raped by the stealership.
 
#13 ·
I did mine over the summer. I'd recommend taking the glovebox out. It makes it much easier. I had a hell of a time taking the bolts off (the ones you said were torqued to 980lbs). I ended up stripping one of the nuts and the only way for me to get it off was to cut the bolt off itself. Yeah, needless to say I was extremely pissed. Fortunately there was enough of the bolt left for me to put the nut on to hold it in place.
 
#14 ·
Great write up! It only took me about 30 min to get in there and install the filters. I was disappointed to find that there was not a filter installed from the Factory, just a cheap plastic diffuser plate.

I did hit two snags. I busted off one part of the plastic snap connector going to the fuse panel, and the CEL came on after putting it all together :x. The CEL finally went out, but not before I started rolling my eyes :shock: at the thought of paying a diagnostic fee at the dealer.

Thanks for the DYI!!
 
#15 ·
[quote author=erydzinski link=topic=96166.msg1974898#msg1974898 date=1199747548]
Great write up! It only took me about 30 min to get in there and install the filters. I was disappointed to find that there was not a filter installed from the Factory, just a cheap plastic diffuser plate.

I did hit two snags. I busted off one part of the plastic snap connector going to the fuse panel, and the CEL came on after putting it all together :x. The CEL finally went out, but not before I started rolling my eyes :shock: at the thought of paying a diagnostic fee at the dealer.

Thanks for the DYI!!
[/quote]
i just finished my cabin air filter install using this guide... in -30 (celcius) too! my CEL also came on after putting it all together... i'm wondering if it's because i didn't disconnect the battery before taking things apart. how long did it take for your CEL to go off? do you think there's anything to worry about?
 
#17 ·
[quote author=slug link=topic=96166.msg2154866#msg2154866 date=1205681206]
since i did this project myself, my keyless remote stopped working? any thoughts anyone?
[/quote]

You messed up the wiring somehow or you don't have a connector on all the way. Did you unplug the battery before you did this?
 
#19 ·
[quote author=jiggojello link=topic=96166.msg2058722#msg2058722 date=1202603515]
[quote author=erydzinski link=topic=96166.msg1974898#msg1974898 date=1199747548]
Great write up! It only took me about 30 min to get in there and install the filters. I was disappointed to find that there was not a filter installed from the Factory, just a cheap plastic diffuser plate.

I did hit two snags. I busted off one part of the plastic snap connector going to the fuse panel, and the CEL came on after putting it all together :x. The CEL finally went out, but not before I started rolling my eyes :shock: at the thought of paying a diagnostic fee at the dealer.

Thanks for the DYI!!
[/quote]
i just finished my cabin air filter install using this guide... in -30 (celcius) too! my CEL also came on after putting it all together... i'm wondering if it's because i didn't disconnect the battery before taking things apart. how long did it take for your CEL to go off? do you think there's anything to worry about?
[/quote]

I just did mine today and it took me about 1hr. 15min. I messed with the glove box but didn't take it off but I did everything else per the write up and it wasn't too bad except for the one screw in the back that holds the cabin filter cover. Nothing was too tight, like the 980 ft/lb nuts mentioned earlier.

I also found no filter in the housing!!!!! What the hell??? I did feel the metal radiator like thingy, is that the diffuser?. Anyway, after I installed the new cabin filter and put everything back together, I decided to start her up and up comes the check engine light. I also didn't take off the negative battery terminal which was probably the cause.

The check engine light is any easy fix as I've encountered before, just disconnect the negative battery terminal for 30 seconds and re-attach it and test drive. I suggest driving the car, shut it off and drive again a few times to make sure the light doesn't come back on. Not sure if that's the right thing to do but it gave me peace of mind.

Lastly, it helps if you're flexible for this job.
 
#22 ·
I did mine last year when I got the car... those fuse panels connectors really are a PIA.... One of them looked like it was locked properly but really wasn't, as a result my keyless entry and a couple other things were not functioning until I properly seated the connector.

But yeah, cabin air filter = GOOD!!!!! I don't cringe when I'm driving through construction sites as much as I used to. :)
 
#23 ·
[quote author=cwb27 link=topic=96166.msg2251321#msg2251321 date=1208815383]
I did mine last year when I got the car... those fuse panels connectors really are a PIA.... One of them looked like it was locked properly but really wasn't, as a result my keyless entry and a couple other things were not functions until I properly seated the connector.

But yeah, cabin air filter = GOOD!!!!! I don't cringe when I'm driving through construction sites as much as I used to. :)
[/quote]

When you got the car? Do some of the Mazda3's come factory equipped with the filter and some not?
 
#24 ·
[quote author=zx5go link=topic=96166.msg2252969#msg2252969 date=1208869819]
[quote author=cwb27 link=topic=96166.msg2251321#msg2251321 date=1208815383]
I did mine last year when I got the car... those fuse panels connectors really are a PIA.... One of them looked like it was locked properly but really wasn't, as a result my keyless entry and a couple other things were not functions until I properly seated the connector.

But yeah, cabin air filter = GOOD!!!!! I don't cringe when I'm driving through construction sites as much as I used to. :)
[/quote]

When you got the car? Do some of the Mazda3's come factory equipped with the filter and some not?
[/quote]

I have an '04, so no it did not come with it...

I actually almost got into a pissing match with the dealership's parts desk because the guy kept telling me it wouldn't fit 2004s "because the computer said so"...
 
#26 ·
I did this today to my mazda 3 04 model. It already had cabin filters instaled but it needed to be changed.

When I was finished I could no longer controle the windows from the driverside control panel. The driverside window worked but the other windows could only be opend/closed with the switch on each door.

Also i think the auto function on my AC has stoped working. It no longer auto adjust the fan speed.

The battery was disconnected when I was working and I have tried to reconnect all the connectors but it didn't work.

Any thoughts?