2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Cabin Air Filter

Was this the first change out in 50K?

 

The ones that have charcoal embedded in them are dark grey, the ones without are white..........just FYI.

 

Do you have the auto-climate control? If so the filter does indeed have charcoal in it.

I change mine out every other year.

 

Can you put the charcoal on in if you don't have auto a/c?

 

Yep, same filter. One just has carbon in it.

 

Sweet I need to do mine also. Do you know of a good how-to?

 

Once a year for me. What I notice after the change is the fan seems to move a larger volume of air. Guess the filter is being restricted by all of the pollution carp it grabs out of the air.

 

If you have a first gen car it's on the right behind the glove box. To get to it, stand on your head and.....

Well, it almost seems that way!

There are four screws on a plate on the bottom of the airbox which resides behind the glovebox - the screws point straight up. There are also 4 clips that hold that same cover on - a lot of cars no longer have the four screws in anymore, and just the clips are holding the cover on. Take off the cover and pull the filter down and out of the box. Notice which way it's facing and slide the new one into it's place. Reinstall the cover - you're done.

 

Charcoal is a good choice for either application. :beer :beer

 

I change my oil every 5k and change my cabin air filter every time the service interval on the odometer screen counts down to zero.

 

I changed mine right after I bought the car (51,000) and there was all KINDS of junk in there! I replaced the carbon one with the paper one because I didn't want to pay the $50 for it.

I think putting those foam insert things under the air intake vents by the windshield would really help that thing out, like a pre-filter-filter. I plan to at least check it every year, if not change it. Now if only I could figure out how to remove my furnace filter so I could change THAT...

 

It's easy, first you stand on your head.......

 

Where is the filter on the 2nd generation and do you have to stand on your head to change it too?

Jim

 

I'm not sure!

On my Clubby, if you open the hatch where the battery hides, you can clearly see the filter......that's how I found out I'd had a critter living in my car - I went to check the battery and saw the nest lying on top of the filter element! I cleaned it out and haven't seen a repeat, but I also haven't looked to see how to change the element yet.

I think my rider was a chipmonk, as there weren't any droppings in the nest like mice do, and the nest consisted of some fine white cotton material - I have no idea where he got that from or how he got it into the car!

 

Up behind the glovebox. Access from the passenger floorboard area.