Replaced filter in my 2017 Fusion
- Thread starter tig1
- Start date
You should have posted some pics. How.many miles did you drive in that time?
4WD
$50 site donor 2023
Cabin ?
They can get really nasty.. I replaced what I believe was Factory 12yo one in my mazda due to a serious musty smell. Its wild how hard it is to replace in that car. Have to remove an entire electrical junction box and the glove box. I will probably not change it again unless starts to stink again.
Makes me glad that they have put it in a more accessible spot in their newer vehicles. Took me all of 5 minutes (if that) to change the CAF in my CX5.
Completely dependent on the automaker. In most Hondas for 15-20 years, you open the glove box, squeeze the two side panels, and it allows the glove box to swing open 180º+. Release two clips and pull out filter tray.
On a modern Ford Fusion like the OP's, you remove a side panel on the dashboard to expose the end of a piece of dash trim. Carefully un-snap that 2-3' piece of trim to expose 3-4 screws and remove them. Then you remove a lower, underpanel below the glove box to expose more screws. You can finally pull the entire glove box out at this point. Don't put away your tool though 'cause the filter access cover is secured by two more screws. My '08 G35 is pretty similar to the Fusion's process as well.
What's really scary is I believe my '99 Accord has a cabin filter. I owned it for just over 10 years, 130k miles, and many references said it doesn't have one. Others say it does have one. Some say it was optional. To change it on models that had it, you had to cut a steel brace in the dash that's behind the glove box blocking the filter. No longer have it so I don't really care at this point...
Yeah. Would you believe the CAF location/difficulty of swapping was part of my new car buying process? The Kia's I had were right behind the glovebox, simple, 5 minutes or so and the process was done. I got spoiled.Completely dependent on the automaker. In most Hondas for 15-20 years, you open the glove box, squeeze the two side panels, and it allows the glove box to swing open 180º+. Release two clips and pull out filter tray.
On a modern Ford Fusion like the OP's, you remove a side panel on the dashboard to expose the end of a piece of dash trim. Carefully un-snap that 2-3' piece of trim to expose 3-4 screws and remove them. Then you remove a lower, underpanel below the glove box to expose more screws. You can finally pull the entire glove box out at this point. Don't put away your tool though 'cause the filter access cover is secured by two more screws. My '08 G35 is pretty similar to the Fusion's process as well.
What's really scary is I believe my '99 Accord has a cabin filter. I owned it for just over 10 years, 130k miles, and many references said it doesn't have one. Others say it does have one. Some say it was optional. To change it on models that had it, you had to cut a steel brace in the dash that's behind the glove box blocking the filter. No longer have it so I don't really care at this point...
There were a few makes/models (I don't remember them at this point though I think at least one was a Ford) that got the nix simply because realizing the process to replace the $10 filter would have taken me 30+ minutes and in some cases would have required a level of contortion (or just parts moving/removal) that I'm not sure I'm capable of any more or was comfortable with.
My 2003 Jag X-Type (believe or not I really do still miss driving that car, it was so nice.. when it wasn't having some annoying little problem anyway) required the front cowling under the wipers to be removed. As I recall, in order to do that you needed a special tool from Jaguar (ford?) to remove the wiper arms. Though as that was almost 20 years ago I may be remembering wrong. Regardless, I think during my (and my mom's subsequent) ownership they got swapped (I seem to remember there being two!) maybe twice over the course of about 75k miles?
Pics or it didn't happen lol
Hall said, "To change it on models that had it, you had to cut a steel brace in the dash that's behind the glove box blocking the filter"
A family member had a '99 Honda Accord V6. I had to cut that brace (small strap of metal) out. The CAF is 2 identical filters stacked. Insert one, lift, insert the second beneath the first, restore trim. It was easy and accessible.
A family member had a '99 Honda Accord V6. I had to cut that brace (small strap of metal) out. The CAF is 2 identical filters stacked. Insert one, lift, insert the second beneath the first, restore trim. It was easy and accessible.
5 minutes to change it out in my Elantra.
The Hyundai dealer wants $90 to do it.
I guess if someone has no clue how to do it or they don't even know have one they will pay it.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
I do mine yearly.
Filters are pretty cheap usually
Filters are pretty cheap usually
3 years is way too long for any filter
Isn't it easier to use the "QUOTE" function ?
Regarding older Hondas, apparently Honda made changes at some point as I watched a video later and the steel brace was still there, just that it was bolted in place by (4) fasteners, so no cutting was necessary. Could have been Japanese-built vs US-built models varying as well...
When I looked into this task, cutting the metal was the only method that came up. I would've looked around once in position as the task was all in plain sight. Foreign vs US build or early version vs revised....I don't know.
Re the quote function: You're probably right but seeing people carelessly using the quote function and reposting huge paragraphs as well as entire posts with MULTIPLE pictures is a turn off to me. I just want to highlight a sentence or two not the War and Peace with every quote.
There is a thing called, "netiquette". I'll see if I can select small items to quote. Thanks for the alert.
Re the quote function: You're probably right but seeing people carelessly using the quote function and reposting huge paragraphs as well as entire posts with MULTIPLE pictures is a turn off to me. I just want to highlight a sentence or two not the War and Peace with every quote.
There is a thing called, "netiquette". I'll see if I can select small items to quote. Thanks for the alert.
I change mine every June.
