iNVAR Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 You might not have cut enough. There was an outline on the back of my glove box rear that was the exact size that the hole needs to be. Mine never just pulls straight out, it takes a little judicious movement into position to clear the hole.Went back and cut the hole even larger... The opening is freaking HUGE... and it STILL barely fits the tray. I really didnt' want to widen things up anymore.... so even now, I have to wiggle the stuff around a bit and pull on the backing and bend it slightly to squeeze through. Still, good enough. I replaced the filter with some HVAC material I got from Walmart for $9. Should be able to make 4 filters out of it. Things I learned: 1) Don't use a hacksaw. Use a dremel! I used a hacksaw, and it was difficult. Took way too long. 2) The edges of the plastic are SHARP. I have several cuts on my hands/fingers now. Ouch. 3) Be careful when prying up on the front of the center console by the parking brake. There is a round clip on the bottom the center console that has a protrusion that goes into a hole on a bracket mounted to the car.... that protrusion breaks off easily. Without it, the center console does not sit very securely. I have to go find a replacement piece for it next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Not sure I've ever said this here before, STUPID SUBARU. It's just one more part of our love/hate relationship with these cars.I'm sure what happened is that they put the filter option in, but someone went OOPS and didn't get the opening of the glove box fit properly. So instead of putting a filter in there that was difficult to replace and would get clogged up and reduce the HVAC's efficiency, they just left it out completely. No filter, no clogging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 In the link above, it shows the blower motor right below the bunch of crap the mice left. I wonder if you can pull the blower motor and stick a piece of furnace filter material up there ? I have removed the blower motor in about 10 minutes to clean out in there. So I guess my early 05 doesn't have a cabin air filter. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 It might not include the filter but it should come with the tray no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Is there a way to remove the filter on an 05 without all this extra work? It looks like we're just inches away from getting at the filter. Debating cutting into the plastic. This is the stupidest design I've seen. Should have put a door in there. Oh and there is no filter in mine, got it part way removed and my fingers feel no filter!. TOTAL BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Nope, no way without this work. Your options: 1) Do all the work every time. 2) Do all the work the first time, cut a hole into the plastic, put everything back together. 3) Enter under the hood for the filter changes. 4) Buy the retrofit kit for about $80-100 and put that in if you don't want to be bothered with cutting a hole from step 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainobvious Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Kudos to the author, i just put one into my Legacy. what a PITA! thank god i now know how to swap it out the next time, shouldnt take me more than 20 minutes. What a Bad design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricSeattle Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Great, thanks for sharing. I wish I saw this sooner -- I kept paying the dealer to replace the air filter. I should have replaced the filter myself when I installed Jazzy's iPhone connector. After I completed that successfully, subsequent replacements have been easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gil_ong Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 alright folks. where do i get this tray? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subadozer Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 alright folks. where do i get this tray? There's a good chance that you already have the tray. I know a lot of people have found it once they got the console apart. I can't recall hearing of anybody that found the tray missing. Of course once you have everything apart and assuming the tray is there, you need to make a hole in the back of the glove box back (the outline for it as cast onto mine) and get a filter or do like many and buy the largest size of the good quality 3M furnace filters and make 6 of your own for about $20. If your tray is missing I'm sure you could get one from a dealer but you might also be able to get one from a salvage yard a lot less expensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gil_ong Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 thanks, dozer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capitan4eto Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Dude I work at shop but I never been seen so difficult way to do Air In Cabin filter I have 06 Legacy wagon and I did my one for not even 10 min.Got the side cover off,the bottom one off and I thih out there is 3 bolts for AC filter or something like this just take the bolts off lift the AC filter (material ) up and pull the Air in cabin filter drow out 10 MIN that is u start from too far . I just wanna help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subadozer Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Dude I work at shop but I never been seen so difficult way to do Air In Cabin filter I have 06 Legacy wagon and I did my one for not even 10 min.Got the side cover off,the bottom one off and I thih out there is 3 bolts for AC filter or something like this just take the bolts off lift the AC filter (material ) up and pull the Air in cabin filter drow out 10 MIN that is u start from too far . I just wanna help I think some of the late '05's and thereafter came with the access already set up. The early '05's had a solid back behind the glove box, which made the carrier inaccessible from inside the car. Once the hole is there the filter can be changed in less than 5 minutes. Some have approached changing the filter from inside the engine compartment. Is that what you are talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gil_ong Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 There's a good chance that you already have the tray. you were right. there WAS a tray in there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwdbite Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 So I did this on the 05 I just bought. I went in through the hood and everything was pretty straight forward. One question I have is if anyone has a good method for removing the plastic snaps that hold down the plastic trim that seals up against the bottom of the windshield. The snaps for the weather stripping are easy bc you have access to the underside, but the small black plastic snaps/pins (the ones with the 3 prongs) were harder to get out. I ended up just taking a flathead to them and unsurprisingly broke one. I'm a novice, so anyone who has a better method for removing those w/o breaking them, I would love to hear. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I followed these instructions today and replaced mine. Holy crap! I know it has been replaced in the past because one of the tabs on the tray was broken, but it must have been a long time ago! http://i.imgur.com/cmLVr.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claw Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Just did this to my 05.. I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. Thanks for the writeup, OP. Here's a comparison of the 08 and 05 glovebox backing: http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff385/stfurtfm/IMG_20120714_154205.jpg And what looks to be the Factory Look hack job: http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff385/stfurtfm/DSC_0059.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faded1004 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 wow, just got to my in cabin filter. wow! i can't believe how much is in there. may be the previous owner didn't do it at all? not sure... so much more maintenance to do but wanted to share how my filter status was. got my legacy gt like 3 weeks ago and enjoying it plenty! thanks for the walkthrough... it wasn't too bad to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gil_ong Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Jeebus. I don't think I've sen one that bad. That snail takes the cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
555LGT Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Great writeup from OP.. I have a used 2007 LGT.. i think there's a shortcut to this.. i found this video quite helpful... so not sure if the video still applies to the others with 2005-06... sorry didn't meant to jack this thread.. but i thought i help you guys out too.. http://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2007_Subaru_Legacy_2.5i_Special_Edition_2.5L_4_Cyl._Sedan/air_filter_cabin/replace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subadozer Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Great writeup from OP.. I have a used 2007 LGT.. i think there's a shortcut to this.. i found this video quite helpful... so not sure if the video still applies to the others with 2005-06... sorry didn't meant to jack this thread.. but i thought i help you guys out too.. http://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2007_Subaru_Legacy_2.5i_Special_Edition_2.5L_4_Cyl._Sedan/air_filter_cabin/replace This works fine if you already have the access hole behind the glove box. If you don't then you need to do the one time disassembly starting at the rear of the console. Alternatively some have gone through from the engine compartment but I could never figure out that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 My '05 had the factory access door. Though we didn't realize it before we took my console apart. I had a couple other things to do while the console was apart so it was no biggie. It also had no filter and the box was totally clean at 96k miles. .:Catalyst:. '06 Spec B had so much shit in his filter that leaves and dust popped out when he released the filter door. He had to vacuum 2-3 times to get all the crap. His car has ~86k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 It also had no filter and the box was totally clean at 96k miles. That's because there wasn't a filter to catch everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiscogtlimited Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Awesome writeup. I followed this to the "T" with my 05 LGT-5MT and it was smooth and easy. Expected it to take much longer, but all in all it took about 20-30 minutes tops. Looks much scarier than it actually is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 My '05 had the factory access door. Though we didn't realize it before we took my console apart. I had a couple other things to do while the console was apart so it was no biggie. It also had no filter and the box was totally clean at 96k miles. .:Catalyst:. '06 Spec B had so much shit in his filter that leaves and dust popped out when he released the filter door. He had to vacuum 2-3 times to get all the crap. His car has ~86k miles. You're lucky. We were getting dirt coming through the air vents and the cabin was getting really nasty. Had to add the filter after all. It's just a PITA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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