RL cabin air filter replacement DIY

[jinny]

Here is a step by step guide to changing the cabin air filter in your Acura 3.5 RL...
this may also help for other models because the instructions are similar...
It is very easy, and may save you some money

(you can click on the pics to get a larger picture)


I am a cheap bastard, so I bought a non Acura replacement...
it was at least half price and is impregnated with carbon to absorb odors,
I really don't know which is better, but the Acura ones are so expensive.
what ever filters you buy, make sure they are made for your car.
these are the ones I bought...


what you will need to complete this project:
a pair of replacement filters
a philips screwdriver
about half an hour for a newbie, but it could be done in about 10 minutes
(a flat head screwdriver and a pair of needle-nose pliers can be helpful as well)


to start, get to this part of your car



we are gonna remove the glove box...
under the glove box there is a white plastic panel...
it is held in by 3 clips. Acura calls this the "dashboard lower cover"



pull down to release the front of the panel,
the back is held in by hooks and doesn't need to be fiddled with...
it should look like this when you pulled it down...




open the glove box and remove the glove box stop from each side,
there are two little tabs holding them in and the pivot out...



when they are out they look like this...



there is a pleather/vinyl flap that is held in by three plastic screw/anchors,
unscrew the three and release the flap...



pull the flap forward and rest it in the glove box,
detach the damper clip...



detaching the damper clip is kinda tricky...
you have to press the little tab and gently pry the side out,
this is where the flat head screw driver and/or the needle-nose pliers come in handy...
here is the damper clip by itself, the arrows show where you have to press...



carefully close the glove box to help you hold it in place.
where the glove box hinges there are two bolts,
remove the bolts and carefully open the glove box,
besides the trunk switch connector that it will be dangling from,
the whole glove box should be free...



after you have disconnected the trunk switch connector,
locate and remove the three screws in the glove box back cover...



the back cover is also held in by four clips,
gently pull the cover to release the clips,
this is a pic of the back of the cover to show the clip location...



with the back cover removed, the filter lid should be visible...



emove the lid by releasing the to clips on the side of the lid...



Turn the ignition switch to ON and set the recirculation control switch on RECIRCULATE.
pull the filter assemblies out of the housing as shown,
Separate the first filter assembly from the second where they are hinged together,
one side goes up and the other side goes down...




they were supposed to change my filters at the dealer at the 30,000 mi service,
when I checked my receipt, that service wasn't listed, so I asked about it,
the guy told me that they did it but forgot to list it...
when I got home I checked and I found that it was dirty!!!
I was pissed! I reported it to American Honda and told the dealer off!
I went to a local parts place to buy a filter, since I already had it off and finished the job myself!
here is a pic of the dirty filter (acura oem) and new filter (non acura brand).
(the oem is supposed to be white! that guy just didn't want to send it back to get it checked!)



anyways, the filter assembly has a little grove on the sides...
the edge of the filter on both sides should fit into this grove.
this shows both the right, and wrong, way to do it...



do the reverse to get it all back in...
when the new ones are slid in, it should look like this...


I hope this was helpful...
now you can breath easier knowing that your cabin air filters have been replaced...

[1/2]

Ninja baby!!!! Jin dude, that rocks! Great DIY, thanks for the instructions! Bastard dealership!

[WilliamT]

Thats a good write up. I don't recommend getting the filters from the dealer. They were charging me $80/filter and you need 2 for the RL.

You can get OEM filters online for $34/filter which is still expensive but the same stuff at the dealer. Save you $100 for a pair.

I've also tried custom cut 3M house filters (1250 grade). They let too much air through and don't work at well with the filtering.

I also tried WEB carbon filter so it would also filter out pollutants. This was a 2 part filter. One was a standard filter with a carbon layer on top. With each homemade filter, I basically taped it to the plastic edges. It worked fine removing many of the pollutant smells from outside, but I made the non-carbon filter too thick so less air came through the vents.

In the end, I would recommend going back to the OEM filters. They work the best. (Too bad they don't have the carbon element. That would make it perfect.)

[drewtl4]

Jinny great write up. I think I will have to check this on my car now. They said they did replace it but you know how dealerships are. They do not do half the crap they say they do.

Why do you need 2 filters. Jinny, you only replaced one ...where is the second one?
are u guys referring to the engine air intake filter?

[jinny]

Originally posted by drewtl4
Jinny great write up. I think I will have to check this on my car now. They said they did replace it but you know how dealerships are. They do not do half the crap they say they do.

Why do you need 2 filters. Jinny, you only replaced one ...where is the second one?
are u guys referring to the engine air intake filter?

Well... it is one filte in that it is called the cabin air filter, but it is made up of two separate filters... I think come of the acura dealers will charge separately for each of the two filters... it is dumb, because if you go in there to replace them, you aren't gonna just replace one... so it should be on price for both... but it is not... most of the after market cabin air filters I have seen come two per package... which makes more sense, because you should replace both while you are in there.


this is what I mean...


two cleanone and two dirty ones in this pic... but the two clean ones go into the same place

[Kilroy]

Thanks for the great writeup jinny! I had no idea there were filters for the cabin air! I'll be changing those this weekend!

[enigma]

great DIY!

[medrxman]

anyone have the URL for OEM AC Cabin filter for the RL ??

Thanks in advance !

[medrxman]

Acura Parts from an on line Acura Dealer..GREATSITE:

http://www.acuraparts247.com/sunnyside/jsp/home.jsp

[jinny]

Hey guys, I know it's hard to believe but Tim over at Hondacuraworld.can get great prices and better, more personalized service. and right now the site will offer free shipping! so figure that into the equation and some of the "lower prices" at the other sites won't be that low.

Seriously, just AIM him PM him whatever it takes, he is a dealer too, so he can get all the OEM parts you need, and he insists at a better price for most items

I know some people like the anonymity of ordering online from a site, but ultimately, you will probably be better served by a real person that is concerned about getting the right part for your car.

if you haven't got your OEM filters yet, ask Tim what he charges, you are not obligated to buy, and it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[enigma]

Originally posted by jinny
Hey guys, I know it's hard to believe but Tim over at Hondacuraworld.can get great prices and better, more personalized service. and right now the site will offer free shipping! so figure that into the equation and some of the "lower prices" at the other sites won't be that low.

Seriously, just AIM him PM him whatever it takes, he is a dealer too, so he can get all the OEM parts you need, and he insists at a better price for most items

I know some people like the anonymity of ordering online from a site, but ultimately, you will probably be better served by a real person that is concerned about getting the right part for your car.

if you haven't got your OEM filters yet, ask Tim what he charges, you are not obligated to buy, and it wouldn't hurt to ask.

what is his AIM SN?

[jinny]

Tim's AIM is hondacuraworld
and so is his acura user ID.


you can also ask him stuff directly in a forum that he moderates... the "ask a dealer" forum...

http://www.acuraworld.com/forums/for...?s=&forumid=87

[NightWalk8r]

hey guys, i've found a guy who can get the oem cabin air filters for $35 each........and i'm sure if i can get a group order going, i'll prob be able to drop it to 25-30 a piece, what do you guys think??

[1/2]

Just a friendly reminder that if you do want to post a group buy, you need to contact me first for permission.

[NightWalk8r]

oops........sorry, never knew that

soo...........can i??