DIY: How to change your interior Cabin Air Filter on your Fiesta ST

[Nitelife]

Followed the instructions and got this knocked out in about a half hour. I pulled the whole glove box out but that didn't really give me an extra room or anything to replace the filter although it did help with getting the duct back in place.

Thanks OP for writing this up.

 

[Intuit]

This wasn't bad at all. On the scale of 1 to 10, probably a 2. If you're a Big Boy (thick) then yeah, there may be a little bit of suck in this. If you're Manute Bol (extremely tall) then what the hell are you doing with a loaded Fiesta anyway LoL.

Anyway, in case anyone else asks the question, this is normal...


Cell phones are great for peaking around corners. I guess this is the A/C condenser. Could be the heater core, but I'd guess at the condenser.

 

[ArmedFist]

From my experience. Get the OE filter because you can squeeze it and put it back in with ease. If you get Wix filter like me you will have hard time getting the filter in.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

This wasn't bad at all. On the scale of 1 to 10, probably a 2. If you're a Big Boy (thick) then yeah, there may be a little bit of suck in this. If you're Manute Bol (extremely tall) then what the hell are you doing with a loaded Fiesta anyway LoL.

Anyway, in case anyone else asks the question, this is normal...
View attachment 29145

Cell phones are great for peaking around corners. I guess this is the A/C condenser. Could be the heater core, but I'd guess at the condenser. I thought you were better than that!
View attachment 29144

Incorrect that is the evaporator...The condenser sits up front near El radiator! Silly guy!

 

[Intuit]

@TyphoonFiST - I always have to think about which is what LoL. Warm air hits the inside grill, water condenses on it. But the refrigerant inside the grill warms up, expands... evaporates.

@ArmedFist - That might explain why some of us have to curse, and others not. ;-)

 

[Blk16 FiST]

Don't mean to bring up an old thread, just wondering if an old cabin filter would cause a funky smell inside the car. My car has ~35k miles on it and i bought it back in September. Not sure it has been replaced by previous owner, and i also need to see if its covered under the Ford maintenance plan.. if not ill just replace it myself

 

[Ford ST]

Yes it absolutely will.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[XR650R]

Changed mine at 20k. I couldn't believe how dirty it was. Definitely something you want to stay on top of.

 

[Capri to ST]

Don't mean to bring up an old thread, just wondering if an old cabin filter would cause a funky smell inside the car. My car has ~35k miles on it and i bought it back in September. Not sure it has been replaced by previous owner, and i also need to see if its covered under the Ford maintenance plan.. if not ill just replace it myself

It can as others said, and given the number of miles on your car I would recommend replacing it in any event.
Just so you know, another thing that can cause that funky smell is mold growing inside the HVAC system. When you turn the AC off,moisture can condense inside a cold area of the system and that encourages the formation of mold. One way to avoid that is to cut off the AC compressor but otherwise leave the system running for about a minute before you turn everything off. This allows the inside of the system to warm up and prevent condensation. I have a habit of turning the AC off as I'm pulling into my driveway. It still blows cool air for about a minute or so, and just as the air from the vents is starting to warm up I am ready to cut the car off, so you don't have to fry yourself to do this.
If that doesn't work, there are products made to kill the mold and then hopefully the smell inside the system. I still had to do this even though I was using the turn off the compressor method, and recently got some BG Frigi-Fresh which helped-
https://www.bgprod.com/catalog/climate-control/bg-frigi-fresh/

 

[XR650R]

This guy explains it well.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06BpHbYJxg0

 

[Intuit]

Don't mean to bring up an old thread, just wondering if an old cabin filter would cause a funky smell inside the car. My car has ~35k miles on it and i bought it back in September. Not sure it has been replaced by previous owner, and i also need to see if its covered under the Ford maintenance plan.. if not ill just replace it myself

Look inside the reservoir beneath the windshield cowling.
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/cleaning-beneath-windshield-cowling.25501/
That can also be a source of olfactory displeasure since HVAC intakes are traditionally located there.

EDIT: Oh, and if there's a water intrusion issue, mold can develop.
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/water-intrusion-issue-resolved.23553/post-431749

 

[Capri to ST]

This guy explains it well.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06BpHbYJxg0

That's a great explanation, thanks for posting.

 

[pixelzombie]

I should've done this in the spring.

 

[Sprinkle_Star]

I should've done this in the spring.

I used to change it in spring, but nowadays i wait until june/july because of the pollen.

 

[jmrtsus]

My local Goodyear dealer has been my favorite shop for almost 30 years. I provide my pet oil and FL 400S filter but last time I had them do the Cabin Air filter. It cost $22 for the NAPA filter installed above the usual $29 for oil/filter change/tire rotation and usual checks. Cheap enough to let them do it!

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^IF someone would do it for even close to that amount around here, I would go with that as well, in order to avoid the extreme nausea I get from having to work all contorted/upside down in the passenger footwell to get this thing changed!

 

[Intuit]

I doubt we're at all close, but where are you at @M-Sport fan ?
There might be a forum member nearby that could change it for a beer?

 

[M-Sport fan]

I doubt we're at all close, but where are you at @M-Sport fan ?
There might be a forum member nearby that could change it for a beer?

I'm in far eastern Bucks County Pa., which is in far eastern Pa. itself, right on the Delaware River, so yeah, quite a ways from you, but thanks for the offer!!

I HAVE done this once myself, already (HOW I know about the nauseous reaction to the contortions/inverted requirements involved to get it done).

I just do not want to be doing it again, even though I MUST, since the ultra fine dust billownig out from the back of the cars I am following on the logging roads of the New England Forest Rally in Maine/N.H. (IF there is even an event at the end of July this year ) will clog this filter all by itself!!
(I change the engine filter as well after this event! ).

 

[Intuit]

Southwest Ohio here. Very far timewise as the Eastbound roads are low-speed, but not as far distance wise as I might've thought. Pittsburgh Steeler fans make the journey regular though; pretty much a guaranteed win for them LoL... (last game being the RARE exception)