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Changing The Cabin Filter On The Matrix

by fishexpo101, December 4, 2006



Decided to change out the cabin air filter on the Matrix - since the windows were starting to fog up easily and the HVAC system seemed to have some issues with performance.

Also included some pics - as people like to see photos. Replaced with a Home-made deal from one of those washable foam filters for your furnace/central air home systems. Also to iterate to the DIY or ones thinking about this job - it really is a 5-10 minute job. No sense paying someone else to do it - unless you don't have the time or desire to do the job. This also should be very similar to the 9th gen Corollas - but in case it is not, please let me know.

Easy as opening the glovebox and locating the screw on the side.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis...inairfilter.jpg

Remove the strut off the stud - Press in the sides of the glove box enough to clear the limiting tabs

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis...inairfilter.jpg

Voila - you can see the blower unit and the cover plate for te cabin air filter - just squeeze in the tabs

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis.../Blowerunit.jpg

Close up the cover plate and the screw for the strut rod - make sure you don't lose them default_biggrin

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis...inFilterlid.jpg

Peek at the wickly nasky air filter that is in there

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis...inairfilter.jpg

Close up of the filter - also dimension for those that want to make you own (assuming that the Corolla is the same size)

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/fis...Dirtyfilter.jpg

Ti-Jean

Txs for the pictures and procedure.

Looks identical as my Corolla. As for the strut rod damper, I simply removed it as it has no particular function.

Only 10K miles and a year on this filter?

What's your driving environment? Looks really bad.

I live out in the country/relaxed suburbs and drive into the city to get to work. There is a moderate amount of road work - lots of stop and go type driving, but nothing too terribly bad.

The pollen levels and dust/silt can get pretty bad in areas around here. Also, quite a bit of housing development here, new roads and houses keep popping up all around where I live - maps my GPS navi system (Car PC) useless.

But they recently passed some legislation to reduce the amount of growth in the area (too much, too quickly). We'll see if that is the cause of the excessivly dirty environment.

Bikeman982

Does that filter the air coming in from outside?

I have nothing like that on my car.

Began with the 2003 Corolla.

Filters air from outside.

In my part of NC, I need to clean at around 12K and replace around 20K.

Son's 2003 in PA stays clean much longer.

Fish:

 

Your photos could have been taken right off of my '03 Corolla. Exactly the same stuff, right down to the glove box strut attachment. I was hoping you'd include a photo of the replacement filter material you used, just to see what it looked like. I used an OEM filter when I replaced mine earlier this year, but I'm going to try to make a home-brewed job next replacement time. I already bought some material that's around .25" thick, so by your own measurements, I'll need to use 3 layers. I guess I can just glue them together at the edges with some cyano-acrylate (Crazy) glue. The material I have is really open, so the 3 layers should not flow any harder than a standard OEM filter.

Yeah, I was planning on including a picture - but the camera needed some recharging - next time around, as this is a test to see how well the home made variant works.

My hack job was cut down from one of those washable WEB Plus electrostatic furnace filters:

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Plus-Permanent-...r/dp/B00067ZTC6

I picked it up for my furnace - but it doesn't make for a very good seal and dust squeezes around it instead of through it.

But it was a decent design otherwise - plastic frame (useless), two panels of plastic latticework, two panels of plastic mesh, one panel of foam , and one panel of activated charcoal material.

I just cut the plastic mesh backing, foam, and carbon filter material to size and left off the plastic exterior frame and lattice work.

Basically built up a sandwich of plastic mesh backing, foam, mesh backing, foam, charcoal filter, and final mesh backing. I kept the little plastic button that gets pushed through the layers to keep it in one "package" and shoved the whole works in there. Ended up being a hair too large - but that worked to my advantage by being more effective in filling the space. The "sandwich" itself was thick enough to fill the gap and stiff enough to pose no problems of coming apart.

Yeah, I was planning on including a picture - but the camera needed some recharging - next time around, as this is a test to see how well the home made variant works.

My hack job was cut down from one of those washable WEB Plus electrostatic furnace filters:

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Plus-Permanent-...r/dp/B00067ZTC6

I picked it up for my furnace - but it doesn't make for a very good seal and dust squeezes around it instead of through it.

But it was a decent design otherwise - plastic frame (useless), two panels of plastic latticework, two panels of plastic mesh, one panel of foam , and one panel of activated charcoal material.

I just cut the plastic mesh backing, foam, and carbon filter material to size and left off the plastic exterior frame and lattice work.

Basically built up a sandwich of plastic mesh backing, foam, mesh backing, foam, charcoal filter, and final mesh backing. I kept the little plastic button that gets pushed through the layers to keep it in one "package" and shoved the whole works in there. Ended up being a hair too large - but that worked to my advantage by being more effective in filling the space. The "sandwich" itself was thick enough to fill the gap and stiff enough to pose no problems of coming apart.

I was thinking of making the same type of homemade filter for the cabin filter. The best price I see online is $8/filter for the paper filter. I am at 23k miles on my 11 month old 2006 and on my third cabin filter (they seem to get dirty quickly since I use the FRESH mode a lot.) 3 filters at $24/yr seems a lot. I am going to use an old window A/C plastic mesh type filter, cut it to size, make some type of holder for the filter and just clean that out every oil change. I mean, for me, the main design of this filter would be to stop the leaves/bugs/debris from entering the evaporator not so much to "clean" the air. I have noticed that my 02 corolla's winshield did fog up LESS than my 06. Could be the filter since the 02 wasnt designed to have a filter. Worth a shot right? default_smile

Bikeman982

Even a dirty filter would still stop leaves, bugs and debris from entering. A clean filter would do a better job of getting more of the dust.

Guest Elevenseventeen

So I got my K&N filter today, the filter is totally the wrong size for my Corolla Le 2004..the site I got it from says it's the right one, as well as several sites. When I see the filter the OP had, it is the same as the one in my car. The filter I got from K&N doesn't seem to fit in, being all retangluar and all. Am I doing it wrong?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/tsuy...P1090165s-1.jpg

There's a penny there for size reference.

Max

? I didn't think K&N made cabin (a/c) filters, which is what we had been talking about on this thread. Are you talking about an engine air filter? BTW, your link doesn't work.

just somenotes here for you guys

make sure you use a electrostaic type filter, or it wont filter very well

second - always run your fresh/recirculate lever in fresh, unless you want maximum cooling from your a/c. otherwise you have extreme issues with windows fogging up.

the dampner thing on the glovebox door is just there to stop it from slamming open. otherwise not necessary.

aaron

Bikeman982

So I got my K&N filter today, the filter is totally the wrong size for my Corolla Le 2004..the site I got it from says it's the right one, as well as several sites. When I see the filter the OP had, it is the same as the one in my car. The filter I got from K&N doesn't seem to fit in, being all retangluar and all. Am I doing it wrong?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/tsuy...P1090165s-1.jpg

There's a penny there for size reference.

Link did not work - also is it the cabin air filter or the intake air filter you bought?

 

 

Guest Elevenseventeen

So I got my K&N filter today, the filter is totally the wrong size for my Corolla Le 2004..the site I got it from says it's the right one, as well as several sites. When I see the filter the OP had, it is the same as the one in my car. The filter I got from K&N doesn't seem to fit in, being all retangluar and all. Am I doing it wrong?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/tsuy...P1090165s-1.jpg

There's a penny there for size reference.

Link did not work - also is it the cabin air filter or the intake air filter you bought?

 

Shoot me now, guys..I think I bought an intake air filter..-__-;;

Any suggestions for a good cabin air filter, while I'm here?

I think I'll look around under my hood to try and and install what I have, wish me luck xD

Oh, and I fixed that link ^

Edit - I fail at life. I didn't need it, as an AEM CAI was installed.



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