Cabin Air Filter

AutoZone now sells Bosch aftermarket cabin filters for Corolla. They are nicely made and cost less than OEM.

If your store doesn't stock the filter, they can get it in for you within a few days - no charge if you pick up at AutoZone store.

Today, I finally replaced my cabin air filter on my '03 Corolla LE. The original had been in place since the car was new, so it is over 3.5 years and almost 38,000 miles old. The old one was quite dirty, about as dirty as I expected it to be, and the upper surface was full of small particles of leaves, bugs, and other assorted debris. Just to see what would happen, I banged the filter element against the concrete driveway to see how much stuff would dislodge from it, and while it was a considerable amount, I wasn't inclined to put the old filter element back and try to get a few more miles out of it.  

 

What surprised me about the filter element is how cheap it seemed to be. It was about 8" square and 1/2" thick, and made out of material that resembled nothing more than the kind of paper which coffee filters are made of, only a bit thicker. If it has any particularly greater filtering properties than a coffee filter, the reason why wasn't exactly obvious.

 

I know other posters have posted of making replacement filters out of home air conditioning filter material cut down to size. I now wish I had done likewise, and may try to do so in the future.

The cabin filter in my 2003 Corolla seems to be a plastic material. I still have the original filter in it but I vacuum it (opposite to the airflow direction) every summer oil change and wash and blow out at the winter oil change. Airflow is fine so far.

You can buy aftermarket at a lot of places. Or, you can make one from a 3M Filtrete Ultra furnace filter. The pleats are the same thickness and about the same number per inch. Buy a 16x20 filter and you can get about four cabin air filters out of it. I'm doing this and it is working fine. I would only worry about airflow too much if I lived in a climate extreme.

After my dealership offered to replace my cabin filter for $60(!!!!!), I declined and went to Murray's. Got the engine and cabin filters for about $15 each. Took about 10 mins to replace both in my 2005 CE.

I was quite surprised how much junk was in the cabin. Looked like it had been dragged through the dirt, with leaves and other junk stuck to it.

Engine - FRAM CA9482

Cabin - Bosch P3754

How difficult is it to change this oneself (if one is not handy in fixing cars)? My dealer too charges $60 and says it's very difficult to replace. But that seems nuts for something that's in essence like an a/c filter!

After my dealership offered to replace my cabin filter for $60(!!!!!), I declined and went to Murray's. Got the engine and cabin filters for about $15 each. Took about 10 mins to replace both in my 2005 CE.

I was quite surprised how much junk was in the cabin. Looked like it had been dragged through the dirt, with leaves and other junk stuck to it.

Engine - FRAM CA9482

Cabin - Bosch P3754

Wonder what other lies your dealer tells you? Open your glovebox good and wide (squeeze the sides) or remove the door completely (You'll need a phillips-head screwdriver). Unlatch the two latches on the door of the black box that holds the filter, which is an A/C filter, really (you can't miss it). Take the old filter out, put the new one in, reverse the steps. Done. See your owner's manual for helpful pics.

How difficult is it to change this oneself (if one is not handy in fixing cars)? My dealer too charges $60 and says it's very difficult to replace. But that seems nuts for something that's in essence like an a/c filter!

I'm not that handy either. Computers: no problem. Cars: still got some learn'n to do.

Steps for replacing filter:

1 - pull off glovebox

2- pull out filter cover (just a plastic faceplate)

3 - remove filter

4 - replace cover, replace glovebox.

Done!

Bosch includes an instruction sheet w/ pictures. Some models apparently do require removing a screw on the glovebox.

Although the manual tells you to remove the screw on the glovebox hinge, I've found that there's no need to do so.

A five minute job thanks to excellent design.

Agreed, Bob. I removed it the first time, haven't bothered since then.

I just replaced mine today.

Looks like it has never been replaced, 118,00 km on my car.

$20 at Partsource.

Took me 10 minutes to do it.

Next time should take 5 minutes now that you've done it once.

Mine needs changing at 1 year intervals. Dusty here.

Next time should take 5 minutes now that you've done it once.

5 minutes next time for sure, whenever that will be.

There was so many leaves and dirt in the one I pulled out.