How much of this dust is SUCKED into the car and into my lungs? Surely, Ford has decided to put a cabin filter in their newest sedan in their model line up. Nope.
Not only is air quality of concern, but its unhealthy for the AC system. Dust on the blower motor and evaporator core wreak havoc on the system.
However, they did have a cutout for where one SHOULD be.
So I checked around. The 2008 Taurus which has a cabin filter, uses a popular number, that many cars, including Acuras use. So I went out, picked up a cabin filter, and armed with my dremel and a fine toothed hacksaw, I went to work.
This mod is applicable to the 05-07 Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestyle, and Mercury Montego. I am not responsible for you destroying your evap case due to poor decision making on your part.
You'll need to to get all your junk out of the glove box.
Next, you want to pull up on the button as shown here.
Now you have access to the evap case.
Notice Ford had made provisions for Cabin filter access cutout in the blower box.
You'll want to cut between the 2 ridges. All the way around. Dont worry about being perfect. Keep it between the ridges, youll be fine. Dont throw the piece you cut out away.
Now heres the cutout removed. Notice that Ford had every intention of having a filter here. Square opening, flat floor ridges, etc. Also notice the amount of dust in there. Blech. Windex and paper towel time.
So heres our new cabin filter installed.
Now heres the piece we cut out, back in place, and some Aluminum tape, holding it all in. Not the prettiest, but functional.
Now I can enjoy clean filtered air! Most manufacturers recommend annual replacement, so I'll check in a year from now and we'll take a look at that filter!
10 comments:
What brand and part number is the filter?
Awesome! Thanks for posting this. I know this is long past your post date, but I just found it.
I remembered seeing the 500 at the auto show, and the information placard said that the car had a cabin filter.
So a couple of years later I need family car and I remembered the 500 from the show. So, I trade my GT in on an '06 500.
Imagine my surprise at my 36,000 checkup when I ask the service rep to check the cabin filter, and he tells me that the car doesn't have one!
I thought I made a good decision buying this car myself and my asthmatic wife.
I've been wondering if they indeed had the airbox formed for a filter, but just didn't put it in due to cost or some other BS excuse.
Now I've got a great Saturday project!
Hi, thank for your post, I got a 500 and it has 60,000 miles so I planned to change it and suprise!
I checked and I will follow you procedure next saturday installing a fit one fileter! (ATE @ Panama, Central America!)
You, good sir, are a genius! Thanks for sharing! I did this exact procedure on my 2005 Montego and it worked fine... though I removed the entire glovebox completely, which wasn't really necessary. Oops.
The part is a Purolator C35519.
If Purolator isnt available in your area, get a cabin filter for your car, ask them to look up an application for the following:
Acura MDX 2007-2011
Acura RL 2005-2011
Acura TL 2007-2012
Acura TSX 2004-2011
Honda Accord 2003-2011
Honda Accord Hybrid 2005-2007
Honda Civic 2006-2011
Honda Civid Hybrid 2006-2011
Honda Odyssey 2005-2011
Honda Pilot 2009-2011
Honda Ridgeline 2006-2011
Hey ladies and gents. The photos are back up. My photo hosting company almost went out of business and lost a bunch of photos after the hurricane on the east coast.
just finished this had to use electric saw to get the piece off
You have the photo, which shows the specified filter. I see that the pointer airflow is directed toward the fan. But I checked the flow of air blowing in the opposite direction of the fan. You do not make a mistake when installing the filter?
The filter is pointing the correct way.
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