Where's the Cabin Air Filter?

[ls973800]

$5.40 on ebay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cabin-Air-Filter-Cover-MOTORCRAFT-YH-1805-fits-12-15-Ford-Focus-2-0L-L4-/161713541255?fits=Make%3AFord%7CModel%3AC-Max&hash=item25a6e0d087&vxp=mtr

 

 

You do realize that is just for the COVER and NOT for a cabin air filter, right?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cabin-Air-Filter-Cover-MOTORCRAFT-YH-1805-fits-12-14-Ford-Focus-C-Max-Transit-/201228776294

[shochberg]

Just adding a big thank you to Plus 3 golfer.  Followed his instructions and did this task in about ten minutes.  

 

Especially helpful since the instructions that came with the filter were for a completely different vehicle and told me to go in through the engine compartment!

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[WNY]

just checked mine, since i just bought the car this past week used with 20K, YEP, it's needs changed. it was pretty dark looking when I pulled it our a little from the holder.

 

I found one on Ebay for $15 including shipping. RockAuto has the Ford/Motorcraft for around $12. not sure on shipping.
 

[fbov]

I changed the cabin filter today at 22 months and 11,000 miles and glad I did as you can see....

Here's a comparison and no, that's not a charcoal filter!

Cabin Filter 8.JPG

 

Here it is with the sun behind it.

Cabin Filter 9.JPG

 

Hardly, we're past 68k with the original (IIRC!).  ...

I finally got a look at mine this weekend, after 40K. I don't plan on buying a replacement, and it will be at least another 40K before I look again.

 

Here's why. This is what most folks react to, surface crud. Big stuff that will never pass the filter. I ignore this, you can clean it off if you'd like. I didn't

 

Because this is the image that tells you something about the filter's state. As Arizona saw, these filters are barely used. New filters won't let much more light through than these are, indicating they still have the majority of their filtration capacity remaining unused.

 

For reference, this is the filter from our vacuum cleaner. I banged off the surface dirt, to reveal that even this worst-case usage doesn't kill a filter. Red Devil suggests replacing the filter annually, but cleaning it after every use.

 

At some point, I may do the same test with the engine air filter, but I doubt I'll change it, either. There is value to inspection, as a moist filter, or one with mildew would indicate a real service issue. In the absence of an issue, I can't see disposing of a good filter, especially since its filtration efficiency is better than a new one!

 

HAve fun,

Frank

[coolfords]

Hi!

 

 

Another vid on cabin filter

 

 

http://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2013_Ford_C-Max_Hybrid_SEL_2.0L_4_Cyl./air_filter_cabin/check

 

 

Marc

[Jus-A-CMax]

Mine was disgusting, 57K. Think I will change this much earlier.

 

Great vids & info everyone, thanks. It was a breeze to change, < 5 mins.

 

Topic has been pinned :)

[mtta]

Found the cabin air filter while under there messing with the fuses. It's the same setup as the Focus. Here's a (ridiculously long winded) video:

 

And here's the filter on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008PJDOSS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I just followed this - and it worked well. I tried to just skim through and this delayed my work, because I was trying to put the cover on backwards. Returning to the video after I finished, I realize it is worthwhile to watch the whole thing, even if you feel confident. As the man says there is a designer who deserves a "Pain in the Butt" award for the location of this filter. It was physically difficult.

 

Mine was disgusting, 57K. Think I will change this much earlier.

 

Great vids & info everyone, thanks. It was a breeze to change, < 5 mins.

 

Topic has been pinned  :)

 

I bought used but don't believe mine was ever changed. Now at 36k the filter was quite black, and leaves and pollen were stuck in there. In my Toyota the filter was never this dirty. My cabin air should be cleaner now. I think every 20k should be about right.

[CARiD]

There's also a washable cabin air filter on our site, that can be cleaned and reused. It's made by K&N, the price is higher, but on the ther hand you don't have to buy a new one every time it gets dirty

Edited April 21, 2016 by CARiD

[Noah Harbinger]

Second time through is much easier, popped in and out in 5 minutes. I do want to note for any first-timers that a T-20 Torx bit fits better than the T-15 he recommends!

[notquitesane]

I just did mine.  I  live in a colder climate and noticed that the windows were not clearing as fast, the cabin wouldn't warm up very fast and the windows would fog really easily if you tried to breathe.  It wasn't like this when I first got the car.  After reading the forums, it dawned on me that there is a cabin filter.

 

I have prepaid maintenance so I assumed the dealer had been changing it.  I seem to forget the dealer I used to go to is pretty sketchy.  Thankfully I don't go to them anymore.  So rather than wait for my next maintenance cycle, I decided to replace the filter right away.  We will have more cold weather, winter is far from over in Canada, so more airflow and faster cabin heating times are important.  I have just shy of 60,000 km and the filter was filthy.  Shoehorned the new one in there.  T15 bit fit perfectly.

 

Immediately I could feel more air coming out of the vents.  I'm amazed at how much that dirty filter was restricting airflow.  I think I'll make this a yearly routine right before the cold temps hit.  And I hope that the 2nd time around I won't have any bruised knuckles.

 

Anyone know the best place to pick up an air filter?  In Canada, it's $40 for a Motorcraft filter from the dealer, $48 for a Napa gold filter from Napa and $33 for a Fram filter from Canadian Tire.  The Fram filter doesn't fit very well and I won't purchase it next time.

[tr7driver]

I just did mine.  I  live in a colder climate and noticed that the windows were not clearing as fast, the cabin wouldn't warm up very fast and the windows would fog really easily if you tried to breathe.  It wasn't like this when I first got the car.  After reading the forums, it dawned on me that there is a cabin filter.

 

I have prepaid maintenance so I assumed the dealer had been changing it.  I seem to forget the dealer I used to go to is pretty sketchy.  Thankfully I don't go to them anymore.  So rather than wait for my next maintenance cycle, I decided to replace the filter right away.  We will have more cold weather, winter is far from over in Canada, so more airflow and faster cabin heating times are important.  I have just shy of 60,000 km and the filter was filthy.  Shoehorned the new one in there.  T15 bit fit perfectly.

 

Immediately I could feel more air coming out of the vents.  I'm amazed at how much that dirty filter was restricting airflow.  I think I'll make this a yearly routine right before the cold temps hit.  And I hope that the 2nd time around I won't have any bruised knuckles.

 

Anyone know the best place to pick up an air filter?  In Canada, it's $40 for a Motorcraft filter from the dealer, $48 for a Napa gold filter from Napa and $33 for a Fram filter from Canadian Tire.  The Fram filter doesn't fit very well and I won't purchase it next time.

RockAuto.com

[obob]

 

 

Anyone know the best place to pick up an air filter?  In Canada, it's $40 for a Motorcraft filter from the dealer, $48 for a Napa gold filter from Napa and $33 for a Fram filter from Canadian Tire.  The Fram filter doesn't fit very well and I won't purchase it next time.

 

If you have amazon prime, that might be a good deal.  https://www.amazon.com/Motorcraft-FP-70-Cabin-Air-Filter/dp/B008PJDOSS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487017118&sr=8-2&keywords=c-max+cabin+air+filter

 

Here's one on ebay for less that $10 dollars, says OEM but doesn't mention motorcraft.  Seller has 100% positive reviews.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Replacement-Lincoln-Ford-Mazda-Cabin-Air-Filter-FP70-CV6Z-19N619-CF1248-USA-/252569738765?hash=item3ace545e0d:g:8h8AAOSwNphWXfsz&vxp=mtr

[jestevens]

I got mine on amazon too after I tried several local parts stores - you would think a "Ford Focus" cabin air filter would be a common item to stock..

[obob]

Changed mine today at 19.5k miles (before watching the video) and it took less than 10 minutes.  My second one will take considerably less time (assuming I can still bend over and then get back up from the awkward position). :)   My CAF was not nearly as dirty as fotomoto's CAF (I'll probably wait longer next time - at least to 20k).

 

I wonder what Ford's shop time is for this? Do they charge in 15 minute TU?  Local Ford parts guy wanted to sell me a CAF for about $25 plus tax compared to less than $20 including shipping online.  When I said I can get one from a Ford dealer online shipped free priority mail for less than $20,  he said he couldn't discount his.  Ordered CAF Friday afternoon and arrived Tuesday around noon.  

 

Also, so one doesn't have to spend 25+ minutes watching the video, one can follow the steps below. You'll need a T20 bit / screwdriver (a T15 will be a loose fit but will work) and a light to see.

 

1) put passenger seat all the way back, remove passenger floor mat (if you have a mat over the carpet it might interfere with procedure) and locate fiber cover between under side of dash and floor held in place by 2 plastic caps on posts projecting down from under dash.

 

2) remove two plastic caps from posts (turn / pull caps from posts), slip post holes in fiber cover over posts, and pull fiber cover out

 

3) locate CAF cover with plastic squeeze tabs to the left near firewall under the passenger dash on the center console vertical surface.and remove screw at bottom of CAF cover with T20 bit

 

4) compress plastic tabs on CAF cover and while compressing pull cover off (pull down and out while compressing tabs)

 

5) grab CAF and pull / wiggle out of slot (note the foam seal is to the engine compartment)

 

6) squeeze new CAF on flexible pleated sides to make rigid  top and bottom come closer together as you insert top then bottom into CAF slot making sure the foam seal is towards the engine (it's not as hard as the video makes it appear) and then push / slide / wiggle remainder of CAF into slot

 

7) reverse steps 1) - 4)

 

So I finally got around to changing my filter.  I was surprised that it didn't look very dirty, and slightly dirtier on one side, not sure if it was the side closest to the opening or closer to the driver.  I was disappointed that some of the plastic along where the passenger's left foot would run was out of place and too much of a challenge to put back.

 

Thought I would add a couple points.  

 

1. I used/needed a pad to put my knees on.

 

2. This is not a finest job.  For me, this is a pull it out - stuff it back in job. (if I removed the glove box, which would have been a lot more work, then it would be a more a finest job.)

 

It was easier than I thought it would be.  The cover was pretty easy to take off and put back.  And yes, the positioning of me is a challenge for my body.

 

I did watch the video a long time ago but decided not to review it with Plus 3's highlights.

 

 

Thanks for everybody's ideas.

Edited June 29, 2017 by obob

[SnowStorm]

Finally changed the cabin air filter after 150k miles!  (Is that a record?)  Not a bad job really except for having to contort the filter like crazy to get it in (same for my back which now aches a bit!).  A stink bug and a few bits of crud came out on the carpet so I took some pictures with my phone to make sure nothing else was in there.  It all looked clear.  Thanks to Plus 3 Golfer and ArizonaEnergy for instructions and photos.  Dirty of course - a few pleats choked with dirt but you could still see some light here and there!

 

One word of advice: if some shady looking character comes up to you on the street with a "good price" on the Snowstorm Maintenance Plan, run like mad! :arrive_alive:

[markd]

I haven't seen a car since the eighties that didn't have the AC compressor run for defrost.

[RonS]

On 1/28/2014 at 2:12 PM, Plus 3 Golfer said:

Changed mine today at 19.5k miles (before watching the video) and it took less than 10 minutes.  My second one will take considerably less time (assuming I can still bend over and then get back up from the awkward position). ?  My CAF was not nearly as dirty as fotomoto's CAF (I'll probably wait longer next time - at least to 20k).

 

I wonder what Ford's shop time is for this? Do they charge in 15 minute TU?  Local Ford parts guy wanted to sell me a CAF for about $25 plus tax compared to less than $20 including shipping online.  When I said I can get one from a Ford dealer online shipped free priority mail for less than $20,  he said he couldn't discount his.  Ordered CAF Friday afternoon and arrived Tuesday around noon.  

 

Also, so one doesn't have to spend 25+ minutes watching the video, one can follow the steps below. You'll need a T20 bit / screwdriver (a T15 will be a loose fit but will work) and a light to see.

 

1) put passenger seat all the way back, remove passenger floor mat (if you have a mat over the carpet it might interfere with procedure) and locate fiber cover between under side of dash and floor held in place by 2 plastic caps on posts projecting down from under dash.

 

2) remove two plastic caps from posts (turn / pull caps from posts), slip post holes in fiber cover over posts, and pull fiber cover out

 

3) locate CAF cover with plastic squeeze tabs to the left near firewall under the passenger dash on the center console vertical surface.and remove screw at bottom of CAF cover with T20 bit

 

4) compress plastic tabs on CAF cover and while compressing pull cover off (pull down and out while compressing tabs)

 

5) grab CAF and pull / wiggle out of slot (note the foam seal is to the engine compartment)

 

6) squeeze new CAF on flexible pleated sides to make rigid  top and bottom come closer together as you insert top then bottom into CAF slot making sure the foam seal is towards the engine (it's not as hard as the video makes it appear) and then push / slide / wiggle remainder of CAF into slot

 

7) reverse steps 1) - 4)

 

I wanted to change mine, searched the forum and found this post.

I followed your instructions and changed mine today. It looked hard at first, but I managed to replace it without too much trouble for the first time. 2nd time will be a lot easier.

 

The old one did not look too dirty from the outside, but there was a lot of dust in between the pleats that made a dust cloud when I shook it. 

Will replace it again before next winters heating season.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by RonS