hockeylvr93 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Hey guys....it's me again with another question. My boyfriend just found out that I have some kind of "inside" air filter. I thought I had one but never found it, so now he actually "read" the manual and found out that I do have one...but now the question is WHERE is it? How does he get to it? I called the dealer and they want $40 for this @#$# filter, is it worth it? What does it do anyway?? Thanks again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Well, i'm guessing you have a newer OB/Legacy, like 05+ on some select models there's a filter that filters the air going into your climate control system, i guess it's for people w/ allergies, or who drive through gary indiana alot It's very much a pain to get to, it's located behind the glove box, so you have to remove that, and pull a bunch of crap out of the way... i know i read a walkthrough somewhere... no clue where though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeylvr93 Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 thanks, yes i have an 05 legacy...funny how the manual says to contact the dealer! my guess is so that they can charge $150 to change it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 this link might help: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51340&highlight=air+filter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankosolder2 Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 i guess it's for people w/ allergies, or who drive through gary indiana alot Well, young man, you burned your bridges and now you can just forget about that highly coveted job at the Gary Chamber of Commerce! Kidding aside, I wish there was a way to retrofit cabin air filters to older cars...I think they are a great idea. Why should the engine be the only thing in the car getting filtered air? Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Well, young man, you burned your bridges and now you can just forget about that highly coveted job at the Gary Chamber of Commerce! Kidding aside, I wish there was a way to retrofit cabin air filters to older cars...I think they are a great idea. Why should the engine be the only thing in the car getting filtered air? Nathan hah, damn! i really wanted that job :-p i was going to leave raytheon for it :-p but yeah... it shouldn't be that hard to rig a filter in the line should it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 hah, damn! i really wanted that job :-p i was going to leave raytheon for it :-pbut yeah... it shouldn't be that hard to rig a filter in the line should it? EXACTLY what i thought! there is way to much dust coming out in my 93! im sick of this! In my dad's 04 nissan titan the air is so much more easier to breath, and there is no dust build up, which is very important! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 hah, damn! i really wanted that job :-p i was going to leave raytheon for it :-pbut yeah... it shouldn't be that hard to rig a filter in the line should it? well did some searching on google typed in in cabin air filter mod. And got a few results looks like it needs to be external. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeylvr93 Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Well, I finally got my filter changed. Get this -- it never had one installed from the factory! The housing was there, but they didn't even put in a freakin filter! Thanks Subaru! And the filter cost me $40 for a "treated filter" that was nothing more than pleated cotton! Well, it's in there, can't tell much of a difference though. Also -- is it a standard Subaru thing that each time you get parts you need your VIN number? EVERY SINGLE TIME I get parts, they ask for the VIN and in the times they haven't asked for the VIN, I've gotten the wrong parts. So, I don't get anything without a VIN now, I was just wondering if this was a standard Sub thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virrdog Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Also -- is it a standard Subaru thing that each time you get parts you need your VIN number? EVERY SINGLE TIME I get parts, they ask for the VIN and in the times they haven't asked for the VIN, I've gotten the wrong parts. So, I don't get anything without a VIN now, I was just wondering if this was a standard Sub thing. My local dealership does this, too. I think its standard process now since most people are too dumb to actually know about the product they sell parts for (or in my case, its a mazda/porsche dealer that picked up Subaru recently), and to prevent mid-year change mishaps (like '02 WRX brakes). This prevents getting the wrong parts like you mentioned. But that doesn't help me when I have '02 WRX brakes on a '93 Legacy. So I learned to get the factory part number if I need to buy a part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Well, I finally got my filter changed. Get this -- it never had one installed from the factory! The housing was there, but they didn't even put in a freakin filter! Thanks Subaru! And the filter cost me $40 for a "treated filter" that was nothing more than pleated cotton! Well, it's in there, can't tell much of a difference though. The filter is an option, so if it wasn't spec'd on the build sheet, they woudn't put it in. When you replace the filter in 30k miles, you'll be suprised by the amount of crud that it caught, which otherwise you woud have been breathing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron917 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 When you replace the filter in 30k miles, you'll be suprised by the amount of crud that it caught, which otherwise you woud have been breathing. No kidding! When I replaced the cabin air filter in our Pontiac Montana, I found that some critter (mouse?) had built a nest in it! That explained the funny smell in the car. I wish my '99 Outback had a cabin air filter. It really helps me the pollen count is high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeylvr93 Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 I'm just saying...for all the $$ ya spend on the car, would it kill them to add the darn filter??? I have 109K in 2.5 yrs on my Legacy, I am real anxious to see what that filter looks like when I change it. The book recommends 15K but you said 30K; is 15 too soon?? Thanks, you guys are great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulwnkl Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Our Baja manual recommends more like 12,000 miles for replacement interval. Crashing through the toolies, I think that interval is likely appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Well, I finally got my filter changed. Get this -- it never had one installed from the factory! The housing was there, but they didn't even put in a freakin filter! Thanks Subaru! And the filter cost me $40 for a "treated filter" that was nothing more than pleated cotton! Well, it's in there, can't tell much of a difference though. Also -- is it a standard Subaru thing that each time you get parts you need your VIN number? EVERY SINGLE TIME I get parts, they ask for the VIN and in the times they haven't asked for the VIN, I've gotten the wrong parts. So, I don't get anything without a VIN now, I was just wondering if this was a standard Sub thing. VW has always done it. There are a lot of mid year changes. Cars wouold sometimes have a build date on the doors, but that was back when.... nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz75 Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 The filter is an option, so if it wasn't spec'd on the build sheet, they woudn't put it in. When you replace the filter in 30k miles, you'll be suprised by the amount of crud that it caught, which otherwise you woud have been breathing. When I bought my 03 Outback, it was a $150 option which I declined. So when I took delivery of my car, I went out and bought the cabin filters $35, thick rubber mats, cargo netting and installed all these myself. I figured I saved quite a bit since the options were priced pretty high...like rubber mats option was $160+, cargo netting --$98+ or something like that and you can buy these for about half the option price. Ever since then, if and when I buy a brand new car, I never pick any of the options and buy these parts online and put it in myself. I like the cabin filter because i get really bad allergies in the summer and usually drive with A/C on and windows up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schlit Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Well, I finally got my filter changed. Get this -- it never had one installed from the factory! The housing was there, but they didn't even put in a freakin filter! Thanks Subaru! And the filter cost me $40 for a "treated filter" that was nothing more than pleated cotton! Well, it's in there, can't tell much of a difference though. Also -- is it a standard Subaru thing that each time you get parts you need your VIN number? EVERY SINGLE TIME I get parts, they ask for the VIN and in the times they haven't asked for the VIN, I've gotten the wrong parts. So, I don't get anything without a VIN now, I was just wondering if this was a standard Sub thing. 02 Forester has em too. With as many times as you open/shut the doors along with normal air leakage I dont see how it's really doing anything. It's cheaper to buy allergy pills than to keep replacing those. Yes, the VIN crap is annoying and they still order parts incorrectly even if you give it to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 drive in a dusty or forest fire area, and you'll apreciate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstalker Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 these filters aren't just a "dust-catcher," they're actually a super-fine (down to a couple microns, much finer than your engine's filter), and often has a layer of activated charcoal sandwiched in the middle to actually catch noxious chemicals as well (exhaust, etc). as stated above, I really wish there was an easier way to retrofit older cars with them, as they keep the fan, heater core and evaporator core clear of dirt, leaves, crap and everything else that makes its way into the HVAC vents. one word of warning though, if you do have one, be sure to change it (every year or so...depending on climate), because if you don't, all the crap it catches will eventually cut off more and more airflow, making your A/C stop working, and if you have the heater core running hot coolant, it can damage items inside the dash, since it just builds more and more heat. Don't think the filter is a bad thing, however, if it wasn't for that filter catching all that crap, it would eventually block up your fan, Evap core and heater core (and lungs), resulting in a quite costly repair. Changing a filter, even a "hard to get to" filter is MUCH easier and cheaper than replacing your heater core or evaporator core (really, 20-30 minutes for anyone who knows how to hold a screwdriver is nothing...) ~Erik~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 Primary reason for Cabin Air filters is not what you think. Being around HVAC in business and mobile for 30 yrs, it's primary purpose is to keep the heating, but more-so the A/C fins clean. Without a filter, the fins, thru the heating and cooling with dust/pollen/dirt attached is a great breeding ground for mold and mildew. By having an inlet filter that's serviced regularly, it prevents this. As well as keeping the air channels and blower fans/cages clean. Also extends the bearing and belt lives involved. So in a vehicle it also keeps leaves and other foreign matter out. Remember in the past, before cabin filters, starting your A/C first time in spring or summer, the nasty smell that came out, with a filter it reduces or eliminates this. So it prevents mold and mildew from forming and makes the air healthier in that respect. Regarding breathing the 6-12 month dirt buildup, remember this is a small filter for air passing thru it. A smaller percentage of what it traps would make it to your respiratory system, so to sell it to me, and Dealers will do that, is not what it was intended for. For those who believe that, they should never roll down their windows, nor travel without their respirator masks on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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