03 Celica - Where's that blasted filter?

[silver03celica]

Yeah, I've owned this car for perhaps a year now, and it is just now that I've gotten a chance to change the cabin air filter - boy, isn't it ABOUT TIME? God only knows how long the person before me took before replacing it? Who knows if it's EVER been replaced?

Regardless, I've come to a small predicament - where in the world IS the cabin air filter located? I've gotten the tenacity to hunt and peck, but I've come up dry. Any pointers?

[deltonag8r]

The cabin air filter is up behind the glove box. Easiest way to get to it is to take the glove box off and it will be right there.

[silver03celica]

Advance Auto told me that the air filter should have come with direct directions in installing the crumby thing but so much for that. Thanks a lot for showing that to me... I was looking up and down for the silly thing and couldn't find it at all. And when I replaced it, that revealed a NEW problem.

The person that had it before me removed the old filter, but didn't replace it with a NEW one.

So now all that junk that should've been filtered is all through my vents. Any advice on getting that cleaned out, or will the filter slowly work all the junk back out.

[deltonag8r]

My suggestion would be to get some of those armor all orange wipes and clean out what you can as far as you can reach. Should improve the smell also. I don't believe installing a filter will remove the gunk up in there but it will keep it from getting worse. Just so you know, since you haven't had a filter in it, you will notice a HUGE difference now that you have it installed.

[catric69]

Originally Posted by silver03celica

Advance Auto told me that the air filter should have come with direct directions in installing the crumby thing but so much for that. Thanks a lot for showing that to me... I was looking up and down for the silly thing and couldn't find it at all. And when I replaced it, that revealed a NEW problem.

The person that had it before me removed the old filter, but didn't replace it with a NEW one.

So now all that junk that should've been filtered is all through my vents. Any advice on getting that cleaned out, or will the filter slowly work all the junk back out.

After reading you original post, I decided to check my wife's cabin filter yesterday. Come to find out her Celica did not have one installed and I bought one cheaper at the dealership than Advanced. She bought her car new, back in 2000. I opened both doors and the hatch and used my compressor to blow out the gunk.

[Elliot]

Originally Posted by catric69

After reading you original post, I decided to check my wife's cabin filter yesterday. Come to find out her Celica did not have one installed and I bought one cheaper at the dealership than Advanced. She bought her car new, back in 2000. I opened both doors and the hatch and used my compressor to blow out the gunk.

i was gonna say the same thing. i dont think they come with them. my 02 didnt have one either but i was not the first owner.