Cabin Air Filter? Well...duh!
05-07-2014, 06:42 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
Cabin Air Filter? Well...duh!
A week or so ago, I was on the phone with a pal of mine who works for Denso here in the U.S. Initially, I called to ask a question about the Iridium Power spark plugs I use in my '07. Next, I asked her what new products was Denso marketing in the U.S. She asked if my HHR had a "Cabin Air Filter" and if it did, had I ever changed it. She waited on the phone I flipped open the owners manual–nothing about a cabin air filter. Got out the Factory Service Manual and found HHRs do have CAFs. "Up until today, I never knew an HHR had a CAF," I admited.
"You've owned the truck for seven years and never changed that filter? Yuk! I'll send you some of them."
A few days later, a box arrives from Denso with some CAFs in it. I open up one of the packages and out comes a cabin air filter, brilliantly white in it's clean-and-freshness. Reading the FSM, again, I learned the CAF in an HHR is actually known as a "Passenger Compartment Air Filter" and is behind the instrument panel, above the instrument panel compartment (or "glove box") door.
I removed the compartment door damper screw, squeezed the sides of the door then dropped it down, past its stops. Then, I popped the door off its hinge pins. With the compartment out of the way, I could see a flip-down, filter cover which I opened. Dead bugs and dirt fell out and I slid the cabin air filter out. It was black with soot and dirt with gross looking fuzzies, a few seeds and twigs stuck to it. Basically, the filter was disgusting.
With the old filter in the garbage, I got my shopvac and sucked up more dirt and fuzzies stuck on the CAF cover then vacuumed the mess off my passenger side WeatherTech Floorliner. Finally, I pushed the new Denso Filter into its mount, closed the cover and snapped the locks back in place. I pushed the compartment door assembly back on its hinges, reconnected the damper, replaced it's retention screw and closed the I/P compartment. True to Denso's oft-mentioned claim of "first time fit", the filter took all of 5 minutes to change.
I started the engine. Turned the air conditioner on high and noted right away that the cold air flow out of the vents had improved. That grungy, seven-year old filter must have been a significant restriction.
Lessons learned: 1) check the cabin air fillter every 15,000 miles rather than once after 125,000 miles in seven years and 2) Use a Denso #453-5004 CAF.
"You've owned the truck for seven years and never changed that filter? Yuk! I'll send you some of them."
A few days later, a box arrives from Denso with some CAFs in it. I open up one of the packages and out comes a cabin air filter, brilliantly white in it's clean-and-freshness. Reading the FSM, again, I learned the CAF in an HHR is actually known as a "Passenger Compartment Air Filter" and is behind the instrument panel, above the instrument panel compartment (or "glove box") door.
I removed the compartment door damper screw, squeezed the sides of the door then dropped it down, past its stops. Then, I popped the door off its hinge pins. With the compartment out of the way, I could see a flip-down, filter cover which I opened. Dead bugs and dirt fell out and I slid the cabin air filter out. It was black with soot and dirt with gross looking fuzzies, a few seeds and twigs stuck to it. Basically, the filter was disgusting.
With the old filter in the garbage, I got my shopvac and sucked up more dirt and fuzzies stuck on the CAF cover then vacuumed the mess off my passenger side WeatherTech Floorliner. Finally, I pushed the new Denso Filter into its mount, closed the cover and snapped the locks back in place. I pushed the compartment door assembly back on its hinges, reconnected the damper, replaced it's retention screw and closed the I/P compartment. True to Denso's oft-mentioned claim of "first time fit", the filter took all of 5 minutes to change.
I started the engine. Turned the air conditioner on high and noted right away that the cold air flow out of the vents had improved. That grungy, seven-year old filter must have been a significant restriction.
Lessons learned: 1) check the cabin air fillter every 15,000 miles rather than once after 125,000 miles in seven years and 2) Use a Denso #453-5004 CAF.
)
05-07-2014, 08:50 PM
#4
Member
Join Date: 02-20-2014
Location: na
Posts: 36
A week or so ago, I was on the phone with a pal of mine who works for Denso here in the U.S. Initially, I called to ask a question about the Iridium Power spark plugs I use in my '07. Next, I asked her what new products was Denso marketing in the U.S. She asked if my HHR had a "Cabin Air Filter" and if it did, had I ever changed it. She waited on the phone I flipped open the owners manual–nothing about a cabin air filter. Got out the Factory Service Manual and found HHRs do have CAFs. "Up until today, I never knew an HHR had a CAF," I admited.
"You've owned the truck for seven years and never changed that filter? Yuk! I'll send you some of them."
A few days later, a box arrives from Denso with some CAFs in it. I open up one of the packages and out comes a cabin air filter, brilliantly white in it's clean-and-freshness. Reading the FSM, again, I learned the CAF in an HHR is actually known as a "Passenger Compartment Air Filter" and is behind the instrument panel, above the instrument panel compartment (or "glove box") door.
I removed the compartment door damper screw, squeezed the sides of the door then dropped it down, past its stops. Then, I popped the door off its hinge pins. With the compartment out of the way, I could see a flip-down, filter cover which I opened. Dead bugs and dirt fell out and I slid the cabin air filter out. It was black with soot and dirt with gross looking fuzzies, a few seeds and twigs stuck to it. Basically, the filter was disgusting.
With the old filter in the garbage, I got my shopvac and sucked up more dirt and fuzzies stuck on the CAF cover then vacuumed the mess off my passenger side WeatherTech Floorliner. Finally, I pushed the new Denso Filter into its mount, closed the cover and snapped the locks back in place. I pushed the compartment door assembly back on its hinges, reconnected the damper, replaced it's retention screw and closed the I/P compartment. True to Denso's oft-mentioned claim of "first time fit", the filter took all of 5 minutes to change.
I started the engine. Turned the air conditioner on high and noted right away that the cold air flow out of the vents had improved. That grungy, seven-year old filter must have been a significant restriction.
Lessons learned: 1) check the cabin air fillter every 15,000 miles rather than once after 125,000 miles in seven years and 2) Use a Denso #453-5004 CAF.
"You've owned the truck for seven years and never changed that filter? Yuk! I'll send you some of them."
A few days later, a box arrives from Denso with some CAFs in it. I open up one of the packages and out comes a cabin air filter, brilliantly white in it's clean-and-freshness. Reading the FSM, again, I learned the CAF in an HHR is actually known as a "Passenger Compartment Air Filter" and is behind the instrument panel, above the instrument panel compartment (or "glove box") door.
I removed the compartment door damper screw, squeezed the sides of the door then dropped it down, past its stops. Then, I popped the door off its hinge pins. With the compartment out of the way, I could see a flip-down, filter cover which I opened. Dead bugs and dirt fell out and I slid the cabin air filter out. It was black with soot and dirt with gross looking fuzzies, a few seeds and twigs stuck to it. Basically, the filter was disgusting.
With the old filter in the garbage, I got my shopvac and sucked up more dirt and fuzzies stuck on the CAF cover then vacuumed the mess off my passenger side WeatherTech Floorliner. Finally, I pushed the new Denso Filter into its mount, closed the cover and snapped the locks back in place. I pushed the compartment door assembly back on its hinges, reconnected the damper, replaced it's retention screw and closed the I/P compartment. True to Denso's oft-mentioned claim of "first time fit", the filter took all of 5 minutes to change.
I started the engine. Turned the air conditioner on high and noted right away that the cold air flow out of the vents had improved. That grungy, seven-year old filter must have been a significant restriction.
Lessons learned: 1) check the cabin air fillter every 15,000 miles rather than once after 125,000 miles in seven years and 2) Use a Denso #453-5004 CAF.
Good write up Hib, and yes those filters can be "icky" when they come out.
05-08-2014, 10:20 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
I apologize for beating a horse to death, "firemangeorge".
The main point of the story was to display my stupidity in never having been aware my truck had a CAF.
Again, I didn't mean to use up bandwidth and I admit to not having read all the previous posts on cabin filters.
