Shop Discount Cabin Air Filters

2004 Subaru Outback Legacy 4 cylinders 101,000 miles

Scratching my head hoping this might be a quick fix before taking my car in again for the 3rd a/c repair in 2 months.

I was trying to be a responsible mother and replace both my (engine) air filter and cabin air filter after camping in some very dusty conditions. I bought the car used and never even thought to replace the cabin air filter until after my dusty trip. Accessed my cabin air filter through the glove box and lo and behold, there never was one put in (although there are slots for one). I don't have the ability to put a filter in without the frame to pop into the casing. I returned the purchased filter to O'Reilly and replaced the glove box. Now the fan only works on high. Checked the connection where the housing for the filter goes and it seems fine. Can't be any sort of fuse or it wouldn't work at all, right? Tried to find info online and hoping this forum can give me some ideas. Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm new to DIY car repairs and basic maintenance but enjoy learning how to fix things. Even put in 4 new speakers and a stereo earlier this summer.

By description this would be likely the blower resistor and because you have been in there AND messed with speakers plus recent A/C work can't say much for sure but it happened right when you went in there so first guess is a problem happened by going in there.

Watch out for DIY to save a buck. Mixed info on this cabin air filter so accuracy is a guess. The resistor in the area should look like this.......

/

Procedures listed could be wrong but seem involved. Best I could find is that it is in that area and no info on wire colors to test that it is working. So far I can only suggest go back and check your work that all is back exactly,

T

Thanks for your response. I will look into it. I replaced the speakers months ago (and studied audio engineering so I wasn't going into the process completely blind) so it isn't related to that but yes, messing with the filter is what I suspect. It is supposed to be an easy maintenance procedure to replace the cabin air filter. I don't try and tackle things I can't handle. I will check out the information you posted.

I don't try and tackle things I can't handle.

And yet the blower worked before and not after.

Hi, I'm just trying to replace the cabin air filter on my 02 Hyundai Accent but my car seems to be a bit unusual in that nothing seems to be set up in the way 02 Accents are supposed to be. The cabin air filter is supposed to be sat just behind the glove box but not so in my case. I had a look under the dash and found the most likely looking thing but I just wanted to make sure before I start taking out screws (there are no clips from what I can see, just screws). I've attached a few photos.

This is where the air filter is supposed to be, behind the glovebox, but it doesn't appear to be here.



This is what seems to me to be the most likely candidate for the air filter, but it seems tricky to get behind behind the screws.






Lastly, while I was under the dash, I noticed that this hose was disconnected (I haven't been under here before and I didn't touch anything this time, so I'm assuming it's been disconnected for a while). Is this some kind of drain? The a/c has been running just fine with it disconnected. Do I reconnect it?



I apologise, I know this is a pretty basic question but I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing here. Thanks in advance.

You seem to be right that your pics and what I found don't match exactly and one place doesn't list a filter at all?


OK - This much of questions is that hose that's off belongs back on with or without a clamp. It's so blower motor doesn't suck in junk mostly to cool it.


Filter instructions appear different and you should be certain before messing it up AND that is really has one. Yes it would be behind glove box and more to take off than your first pic. A YouTube of it was there to sell the filter was some help but wasn't exactly yours?
Links generally not allowed but was just selling their own filter you don't have to buy from them..........



I think it's between where actuator cable goes over to the pivot and righter case where you see foam under like a one inch cover? At bottom of that might be a clip and filter slides out?


Can't say much for sure on this one, sorry to leave you to hunt more or another here may know or have better info for this exact car. Seems the exact one ended that model year? Might have to take old one if where I think it is to match up best bet a NAPA or a dealer will be thrilled of course.


Back to that hose left off: Other types of similar don't use a clamp or design hold rubber into hole. That one appears like a pinch type clamp should be on it? Also appears from foam on cable someone has been there before either for filter or something as it's torn which doesn't matter but indicative that's the spot as that cable does seem to have to move to do a filter.


Hope that's of some help. I'd rather you found more exact instructions and NOT break anything in doing this,


T

Actually, I be very surprised if it DID have one. They are pretty rare in those smaller cars.

Ah I see, you've definitely cleared some things up for me there. I'll give the Lysol thing a go and start hunting for damp spots.

I was afraid this wasn't a quick fix, even when I was just going with swapping over an air filter.

Summer is just around the corner here and the a/c is going to be seeing a lot of action so I've been trying to get on top of this ASAP.

Thanks very much for your help Tom, I greatly appreciate it, and you too HT.

If it didn't have an easy access door to the filter then it wasn't designed to have one. The basic shape is there because some models did have it but yours did not.

The problem seems to be resolved so I will close this now as solved to keep the spammers out.

Note on Lysol: If hard to find brand try to find exact ingredients in another. I just know that by brand works and do use a "store brand" that's just as good. Idea is you MUST kill mold bacteria not just cover up an odor,


T

IF the car has one, it will be vertical, on the right side.

Nice find HT. I see that now as what I first thought is the vertical cover behind cable and would pull tab at bottom, top would pull down to reveal filter? Then the issue would be to match it up to the correct new one, T