Cabin Air Filter should be STANDARD equipment

I did the cabin air filter hack in Nov. of 2004 using a standard filter from Home Depot. I finally found time to replace it this weekend, here is what it looked like...

 

I drive a lot of highway, but park in a covered garage. I can't imagine having this stuff accumulate in the cabin. I'm sure the leaves won't make it trough, but the fact they were there is scary. The filter is white when it was installed.

Sorry about the really small images, didn't check the settings on my camera phone before hand.

Wow!!! That's nasty!!!

 

I installed mine in october 2005 using a furnace filter cut to size. I can't wait to see how gross it is going to be. I will probably make a habit of replacing it once a year, hopefully this time it will be a lot easier than when I first did it.

Hey Guys:

 

I do not own a Subaru .. would you give me a fast 2-3 sentences as to what's going on here ?

 

You seem to be saying that the Sedan (my interest is a 2.5i) has a flow thru duct -- but that Subaru has not seen fit to include an OEM filter. Actually I do not remember changing filters on any of my past cars.

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OK I just read the WALK THROUGH Installation of cabin air filter. (56k warning)

I never thought of this before .... I hear & now I see one of the wierd quirks within Subaru's about the man-machine interface (e.g. like reaching the spark plugs on a 3.0). These cars must be great 'cause you guys are both dedicated and adventuresome

Twas optional in 2005, standard in 2006.

nmine qwas dirty too.x

the leaves do get into the system without a filter...the blower wheel either chops them up, or they get caught in a duct somewhere.

 

90% of the time they eventually break up and become dust.

 

 

I went to go install a cut up filter yesterday and I stopped by Target to get a filter... HOLY CRAP!!! They charge an arm and a leg for those things. I'm a HVAC tech and I guess I should look at what my company charges for those casue I know we pay alot less than that...I won't say how much, but it's alot less than $5 for a 3M Filtrete super duper equivalent.

Optional... how stupid was that... my 2003 Outback had it standard...

 

Now that vanila cars like the Camry get ionic (Sharp's Plasmacluster) filtration, this is silly...

Ionic is crap so in that sense I'm glad we don't have that.

That's crazy; some of that junk could have been filtered out with chicken wire.

Twas optional in 2005, standard in 2006.

 

Really? I thought it was standard on the Legacy GT Limited... at least it was on mine.

 

BTW, the OEM filter is CRAZY!!! It's just a corrugated piece of paper; it doesn't even have as many pleats as a good 3M furnace filter.

These comments seem to support AUTOBYTEL's phrase --> see http://autobytel.espn.go.com/content/research/buyersguide/index.cfm/action/viewGuide/year_si/2006/make_vch/Subaru/model_vch/Legacy/xml/2006-subaru-legacy.xml

 

 

 

....that ....

 

But be forewarned that ....... that Subaru didn't sweat the kinds of details that add up to owner satisfaction over the long run

There's more than one kind of ionic filtration... Sharper image's stuff... crap... Sharp's stuff? Who know, maybe good?

I agree but I'd venture a guess that they're very similar. Besides, I'm sure the average Camry buyer thinks the Ionic Breeze is the greatest thing ever.

I just replaced the cabin filter in our '04 Forester for the first time. Yeah I should have done it last year.

 

It was BLACK, BLACK, BLACK. I couldn't believe the amount of dirt that little piece of filter material and stopped from entering the cabin.

 

Not only should these be standard, they should be easier to change. Even the Forester I have to remove the damned glove box to access the filter.

 

Why?

 

Yeah, you only have to do it once a year, but you'd think the system engineers at Subaru could find a better way to get to the filter to replace it.

 

Seeing how bad the filter was, I've ordered extras for the Forester and Legacy just to have them on hand and will make changing it an annual rite of spring.

 

Be well.

I think I'm gonna get this done by the dealer...my allergies have been the worst this year

I got my filter like 1 month ago but never know how to install it. the guide was not in the shipment, any know has the install manual for 2005 Legacy 2.5i?

Did you ever get your guide? There are several posted now.

 

I got my filter like 1 month ago but never know how to install it. the guide was not in the shipment, any know has the install manual for 2005 Legacy 2.5i?

When I was looking at putting in a filter, my dealership happen to replace the filter without charging me labor when I took it in for 30K service. The way I see it, it WAS suppose to be easier to replace. I bet you the slot where the owner manual goes is suppose to be where the filter is located because of how you can easily remove the slot. Odds are something happened and it ended up being shifted to a point where you can't remove it anymore. That's where you get that hack job glove box modification.

Wouldn't surprise me.

 

If anyone wants details on hacking up their own glovebox, I just did mine (put in a plastic plate instead of the silly cloth). There are some key things the factory retrofit mod did, besides just the silly cloth:

 

-- reduced sides of filter tray itself so it comes out easier

-- molded a hard pin on the left side for the glove box to rotate on (versed screw) so you can remove the glovebox without having to remove that screw

 

I'm doing all these mods myself with a dremel, and installing a nylon pin/screw where they molded the permenant pin.

 

I cut my own filters as many have done (I got about 6 or 7 from a 20"x25" 3M furnace filter).

 

Humorously, I think one could slip in a flat filter by just removing the upper bin in the glove box, cracking open the filter tray, and shoving in a filter. I know one guy has. And that would be with no mods at all.

 

If I get time I can post pics....swamped at the moment.

^^^details and pics pls (when you get a chance)

First, I followed for the most part (thanks Dimil):

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1626&highlight=cabin+air

 

 

- After all is said and done, you may want to just spend the $90 for the subaru part. Yes, the hole is cut crappy, but they provide 3 key things explained belolw. Just replace their crappy cloth cover with my plastic cover shown in pics (blue, get black if you can find it). You might also want to try squeezing in a filter through the cubby hole and cracking open the filter tray, without doing ANY mods at all. Heck, worth a try.

 

Ok, if you want to mod...

 

- Tools: Screwdrivers, Dremel, plastic plate (I used a piece from a sled), JB weld (get the 4 minute quick dry), bolt, special flat nut.

 

- Be careful when pulling on plastic parts--they can break. Don't force it too much.

 

- Electrical plugs: There are 3 electrical hook ups on the glove box: left side, top light, and top right. I removed them all so I could take the box completely out and modify it with Dremel. Top right white "plug" with outer black frame can be removed by pushing it towards the front of the car (away from glove box) and twisting it slightly (held by 2 metal clips). Don't break it.

 

- Main mods: Need the following mods to "match" the $90 mod Subaru will sell you. Pics attached of all of these.

 

1) Hole: Cut hole out the back of the glove box frame so that filter tray can slide through AFTER you've taken off the glove box door. Make sure to make the hole big enough (no duh); cut almost all the way over to the right side (even closer than I show).

 

2) Pivot pin: You can't take the glove box off without disassembling all the trim, etc, unless you replace the left side screw in pin/pivot with something that doesn't need to be unscrewed (because you cannot get a screw driver back there without removing all the trim. Make sense? In the Subie mod they send you, they've replaced the hole and plastic pin/bolt, with a permanent moulded pin. To replicate this, I installed a small bolt with a thin flat metal nut (very thin sheetmetal nut), then covered the bolt with JB Weld.

 

3) Filter tray: It's such a tight fit, you cannot get the filter tray out and through the new cut hole unless you trim the bottom of the filter tray.

 

Pics: Again, pics show all of this.

- Elec plug left and top right (middle light not shown)

- Hole

- Plastic cover with velcro

- Pivot pin (subaru version), bolt (my version)

- Filter tray

- Pivot pin (my version covered with JB weld)

 

Filter: For the filter I used the best 3M I could get my hands on, took off the metal mesh, and cut it up into about 8 filters (I think they're 21.5 mm square).

 

To get at the filter once done, you need to take off the right side cover, unscrew the left pivot pin, disconnect the retractable string, then gently force out the glove box cover. After that, you can remove your new plastic door and get to the cover.

Do the newer 06-07 LGT have a much easier to access filter?

 

YES THEY DO!!!

 

Much easier to get into... took about 10 minutes total....

 

Used a new 3M micro filter from Walmart. Probably get 6 filters out of it!!!

 

VERY NICE

my dealer tells me that my car is unable to accept the retrofit kit.

2005MY legacy gt, so its prob built 04 sometime.

i can provide my vin if someone would be able to confirm.

 

does this sound right? seems like this is possible across all the MYs from what ive been reading.

 

additionally, if anybody is in the north bergen cty nj/ny area, i would be willing to pay someone to have this done for me w/ the 3m filtrete(?) filters.

 

I think I need to get one of those filters now.. its a huge pita to get to it but from the looks of things, its worth it.

Mine wasn't supposed to have one, but it did have the compartment where the filter goes. Someone knowledgeable could probably tell by looking with a flashlight--for sure if you simply removed the glove box (not all that hard to do). Once the glove box is out, the filter box is right there.

 

my dealer tells me that my car is unable to accept the retrofit kit.

2005MY legacy gt, so its prob built 04 sometime.

i can provide my vin if someone would be able to confirm.

 

does this sound right? seems like this is possible across all the MYs from what ive been reading.

 

additionally, if anybody is in the north bergen cty nj/ny area, i would be willing to pay someone to have this done for me w/ the 3m filtrete(?) filters.

After about 4 months...