How To: Interior Cabin Air Filter

Skorpio

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2015 Deep Crystal Blue Mica GT FWD
Why spend big money and your precious time at the dealer when you can do this for a lot less in 5 minutes? Here's how-

Open your glovebox (the box), and empty out your contents.
<a href="http://s23.photobucket.com/user/mystikmax6969/media/2015%20CX-5/64BF1967-0293-45F4-8774-EEDD3F16169B.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/mystikmax6969/2015%20CX-5/64BF1967-0293-45F4-8774-EEDD3F16169B.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 64BF1967-0293-45F4-8774-EEDD3F16169B.jpg"/></a>

Each side of the box has a cylindrical stopper/tab that limits the travel of the box. Using your hand, pull the back side of the box inward to reveal the tab, then pull it out towards you to release it from the dashboard wall.
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Before allowing the box to drop downwards, hold its weight while pulling up and disconnecting the dampner arm on the lower right side of the box. This arm allows the glovebox to lower softly when opened (a luxurious touch Mazda!)
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Allow the box to drop down, revealing the blower motor assembly and the white rectangular cabin filter. Study it for a second to orient yourself of how it mounts into the housing. Now simply sqeeze the two middle tabs and pull the filter out like a drawer. Voila! Replace your filter, or in my case, blow out the contaminates with compressed air. Surprising how much junk there was in there with only 1600 miles on the clock.
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A peek of the blower motor inside the housing:
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Make sure to put your new filter in the same way it came out and reverse the order of these instructions. Then start your CX-5 up and turn on the air to make sure it operates and sounds normal. If it doesn't, perhaps a scorpion may have sneeked in there (lol2) . With all the money you saved, you can go buy some beer and enjoy yourself (cheers)
 
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Not sure if it's mentioned elsewhere or not, but WIX # 24103 is a direct replacement filter. I bought mine online for $12.19, but the shipping was $10.29! Still, $22.48 is less than what the Mazda-branded one goes for. The filter is a quality piece made in South Korea.
 
Not sure if it's mentioned elsewhere or not, but WIX # 24103 is a direct replacement filter. I bought mine online for $12.19, but the shipping was $10.29! Still, $22.48 is less than what the Mazda-branded one goes for. The filter is a quality piece made in South Korea.

Thanks for the heads up Minnestotaart and desTROYer, WIX is a pretty reliable brand.
 
I just get the biggest A/C filter for homes, cut it to size, duct tape the open edges. Usually makes at least 4 filters if you get a pretty big one, and you get to choose how much filtration you want.

Example:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I like this homemade DIY approach. after all, our filters are basically the same as a home filter with a fancy frame to fit (not those cheap $2 ones, though) Kudos!
 
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Some systems are engineered that way so casual owners can get raped by the stealerships (idhitit)

The 2004 Mazda 3 was horrible.
The funny thing is, the first year 2004, the Mazda 3 DOESN'T have a cabin air filter. Only 2005 and up it came with one preinstalled! It uses the same part.
Had to take apart the fuse block under the glove box, then some metal brackets for it, then the plastic cover for the cabin air filter (located behind the center console dash area in the foot well.)
I'm a small person so I can get in there, I really can't imagine anybody I see working at the service dept being able to work down there.
 
The 2004 Mazda 3 was horrible.
The funny thing is, the first year 2004, the Mazda 3 DOESN'T have a cabin air filter. Only 2005 and up it came with one preinstalled! It uses the same part.
Had to take apart the fuse block under the glove box, then some metal brackets for it, then the plastic cover for the cabin air filter (located behind the center console dash area in the foot well.)
I'm a small person so I can get in there, I really can't imagine anybody I see working at the service dept being able to work down there.

From a technician's POV, I can tell you we have got into places not designed for big people, but usually we will remove additional parts to service what needs to be done. Special tools helps a lot, too.
 
The 2004 Mazda 3 was horrible. The funny thing is, the first year 2004, the Mazda 3 DOESN'T have a cabin air filter. Only 2005 and up it came with one pre-installed! It uses the same part. Had to take apart the fuse block under the glove box, then some metal brackets for it, then the plastic cover for the cabin air filter (located behind the center console dash area in the foot well.)

Reminds me of our 2004 Pathfinder SE. The HVAC airbox (plenum) had the provisions for cabin air filters, but it wasn't standard, at least on the SE trim (LE, Platinum, and QX4 were other trims/versions).

So, one day, I decided to change the filters (two 4"x11", instead of one 8"x11") and was ready and prepared to cut the holes, yes cut the holes in the same spot the factory would have to install filters for other trims, only to find out that a dealer (went to several by the time I was ready to change the filter) had already [poorly] cut the rectangular hole necessary for the filter install.

The dealer did a bad job of cutting a straight line and then cleaning up the edges of what appeared to be a small blade air saw. Oh, well, in any case, it saved me from cutting the hole and the filter install went smoother than anticipated.

It still boggles my mind as to why Nissan thought is was a good idea to install cabin air filters on some trims/models and not others. I guess the bottom end, $33k MSRP 4WD trim wasn't worth the filters from the factory and left it up to owners or for owners to take to their Nissan dealer to have installed.


In any case, I just changed our CX-5's cabin air filter. Ordered the filter off Amazon, did the job in my driveway in less than 5 minutes, and saved myself $37. I can't believe, and now feel like the dealer was trying to violate me because they wanted to charge $59 to install this filter during each of the last two oil changes. They were nice enough to show me the dirty filter with some small leaves in it to try and convince me to have them change it. It is a good thing I thought that $59 was way too much for that job.

Based on the time it took me, at the dealer charge of $59, they would make ~$708 per hour, minus the cost of the filter. And I thought Porsche dealer labor rates were high.

Now, if the dealer had come back with $28, $30, or even $35...anything more reasonable to believe and swallow than 59, I might of had them do it, but now I'm glad they were being greedy and it forced (allowed) me to change it on my terms, with my part choice (wix 24103).

Cheers to this diy/how-to, even though the filter came with an installation sheet.
 
In any case, I just changed our CX-5's cabin air filter. Ordered the filter off Amazon, did the job in my driveway in less than 5 minutes, and saved myself $37. I can't believe, and now feel like the dealer was trying to violate me because they wanted to charge $59 to install this filter during each of the last two oil changes. They were nice enough to show me the dirty filter with some small leaves in it to try and convince me to have them change it. It is a good thing I thought that $59 was way too much for that job.

5 minutes?!??! What took you so long? Did you count getting it from the mail box, walking up stairs to get car keys, have a cup of coffee, then the 10 seconds to swap the air filter? :)
 
5 minutes?!??! What took you so long? Did you count getting it from the mail box, walking up stairs to get car keys, have a cup of coffee, then the 10 seconds to swap the air filter? :)

No, I didn't count all of my steps, but I did count all of the pleats in the filter. (cheers) Also, I don't have any stairs...because ranch house... Still, $60 to change this is mind boggling.

I know dealers make money in the service bay, but it is as if they billed this as a 30 minute job, not 5. Their (Mazda) filter might cost more to the consumer to purchase, but you can't tell me that the dealer doesn't mark up parts 100% or more. Same goes for other garages, they mark up parts too but not has drastic as a dealer might; cuz you know, genuine Mazda blah blah blah...
 
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