Cabin Air Filter

[joe n suzanne]

We have a 98 Park Avenue, and I am just curious of where is the cabin air filter located, and just what is its purpose? I would like to at least find it, and more than likely change it. Is it a gm product only, or does aftermarket carry it also? The car has 64,595 miles on it, and we bought it second hand, so I am trying to do some maintence things on it.
thanks
Joe

[86parky]

Originally Posted by joe n suzanne

We have a 98 Park Avenue, and I am just curious of where is the cabin air filter located, and just what is its purpose? I would like to at least find it, and more than likely change it. Is it a gm product only, or does aftermarket carry it also? The car has 64,595 miles on it, and we bought it second hand, so I am trying to do some maintence things on it.
thanks
Joe

Joe,
I think the cabin air filter is located between windshield and hood ,or i belive they call that the crowl. It should be easy to chang by opening hood and removing plastic crowl. Should only be a couple of screws. I think it just filters air inside cabin? I'm new to the site so mite want to see what others have to say. Thank you.

[tman]

86parky- That procedure is correct for the regal, but it's elsewhere in the Park avenue.

Under your dash, look underneath it, on the exhaust tunnel. You'll see a small white cover about three inches in length. Remove it, and you'll have access to the filter. It's in three parts, and each part is connected to the part before it.

[joe n suzanne]

Tman,
ok so its under the dash. I am just a little dumb on the exhaust tunnel part you said. Is that under the passenger side or the drivers side? Is the exaust tunnel another term for the air plenum with the blend doors?
Thanks to both of you all for the replys

Joe

[tman]

On a RWD car, the driveshaft would travel along the middle "hump" of the car. the exhaustpipe travels down that in FWD cars. I call it the exhaust tunnel. Basically, look under the middle of the dash on the drivers side, look for a white piece about 3 inches long.

[mcwho]

Originally Posted by tman2093

On a RWD car, the driveshaft would travel along the middle "hump" of the car. the exhaustpipe travels down that in FWD cars. I call it the exhaust tunnel. Basically, look under the middle of the dash on the drivers side, look for a white piece about 3 inches long.

I own a '97 PA, this is a link to the owners manual. on page 3-7 it states that the filter is under the dash, near the accelerator pedal.

http://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/go2conte...parkavenue.pdf

[joe n suzanne]

I looked up under the dash on my 98 PA, and everything under the dash is black plastic, no signs of white plastic. So it looks like I will have to take off some of the black plastic in order to find the white plastic. This week I will be able to have time and look further and if need be, whatever is in my way is coming down. I am determined to find it. Oh now I know what you are talking about. The hump in the middle what I thought was for the drive shaft clearance on RWD's, so on mine, being for xhaust clearance it should be right where you all said.
Thanks for the help.
Joe

[mcwho]

Originally Posted by joe n suzanne

I looked up under the dash on my 98 PA, and everything under the dash is black plastic, no signs of white plastic. So it looks like I will have to take off some of the black plastic in order to find the white plastic. This week I will be able to have time and look further and if need be, whatever is in my way is coming down. I am determined to find it. Oh now I know what you are talking about. The hump in the middle what I thought was for the drive shaft clearance on RWD's, so on mine, being for xhaust clearance it should be right where you all said.
Thanks for the help.
Joe

I looked under my dash also, didn't see anything remotely like an access to a filter door. Will look again tomorrow I agree, see lots of black plastic covering everything up. Maybe its above the accelerator pedal, could not really tell where that arrow in the manual was pointing to.

[biged77]

I have a 99 Park Avenue and bought a cabin air filter the other day. Replacing the filter turned out to be very difficult but I was ultimately successful. I found a Web site that gave a better description of the filter access cover location (See Hastings filters, Cabin Air Filter Identification/Location, Filter AF1066). As tman said the filter is behind a white access cover near the accelerator pedal at the fire wall. Pry this cover off or pull it with the tab using vise grips. It will come off and expose the first of the 3 filters. There will be two tabs, one horizontal sticking straight out and the other vertical against the end of the filter. Rotate the vertical one up until it is horizontal. This one is attached to the second filter and has to be moved out of the way for the first filter to come out. With great difficulty slide the first filter out while bending it in front of the accelerator pedal to get it out. Then take the tab for the second filter and move the second filter down to the removal position. Again rotate the vertical tab for the third filter upward to the horizontal position and remove the second filter. Then move the third filter down and remove it. The above is made all the more difficult by having to lay upside down under the dash while holding a flashlight and trying to work in a 3 inch opening.

Reinstallation is the reverse, although even more difficult than removal. I almost gave up before finally getting the second and third filters to slide properly into the slots on the bottom of the tab and filter above each one. Finally reinstall the access cover by hooking it at the bottom and then pushing it at the top until it snaps in place.

All in all if you can pay someone to do this job for a reasonable amount you can save a lot of frustration and skinned hands (and a few choice words directed at GM).

This entire job is entirely more difficult than it shoud be. Buick shoud have designed something easier. Or at least provided a better location and some detailed instructions for something as difficult as this. Thanks to Hastings for at least showing the location, I was about to return the filter to Advance Auto before I found this. Hastings will be my filter brand of choice from now on.

I hope this helps.

By the way I have 78,000 on my Park Avenue and the old filter was filthy. I'm glad I finally got it replaced, maybe this will help with a low air flow problem I've been having.

Biged

[joe n suzanne]

Thanks Biged77 for all the detailed information. I will try looking again under the dash by the accelarator pedal, and look for a white cover. I have looked before and all I see is black plastic everywhere. But will try again. Thanks for such a detailed report.
Joe

[l1johnson]

Originally Posted by joe n suzanne

We have a 98 Park Avenue, and I am just curious of where is the cabin air filter located, and just what is its purpose? I would like to at least find it, and more than likely change it. Is it a gm product only, or does aftermarket carry it also? The car has 64,595 miles on it, and we bought it second hand, so I am trying to do some maintence things on it.
thanks
Joe

I just replaced the cabin filter in my '98 Park Ave. The little door to gain access to the filter is on the driver's side up by the gas pedal. It's difficult to see. You have to almost stand on your head to see it. On my car it's white in color. Pull from the top because it is hinged at the bottom. So, pull down. The filter is in 3 sections. If you examine the new filter this is obvious. Use caution taking out the old filter. It's pastic and breaking off those little clips can make extracting the old filter very aggrivating. Before installing the new filter, reassemble the old one and determine how it fit together in the car when it was installed. There should be an arrow in between "EV" and 'UP'. The arrow should point toward the rear of the car when that section is installed. The new filter is installed in reverse order you removed the old one. Good luck.

[eddie036]

I have a 99 park avenue and am unable to see the access door for the cabin filter. There is a lot of plastic under the dash. Is it necessary to remove some of the shielding to see this door. I looked to the right side above the Accelerator pedal and did not see anything that could be called an Access Door. I am stumped.

[l1johnson]

Originally Posted by eddie036

I have a 99 park avenue and am unable to see the access door for the cabin filter. There is a lot of plastic under the dash. Is it necessary to remove some of the shielding to see this door. I looked to the right side above the Accelerator pedal and did not see anything that could be called an Access Door. I am stumped.

eddie036,

Although I do not have a '99 PA (I have a '98 PA), I do not believe you need to remove any of the plastic shielding you mention (I did that too). What I had to do to find the plastic 'door' to the cabin filter was to set the front seats as far back as they would go, with a small flash light, lay on my back on the front seat and stick my head as far as I could up under the dash by the accelerator pedal and with my free hand I could feel what I thought to be the 'door' I was searching for. The door is really a piece of plastic that snaps at the top and is hinged at the bottom. There is a piece of plastic that sticks out on the top that you can grab a hold of to remove the 'door. The 'door' is a about 4" high and about 1" wide. On my car the 'door' is white. Let me know if this helps.

[eddie036]

Thanks for your post, after repeated attempts I finally located the white door with the help of a mirror. As stated it is at the front of dash near the accl. ped. Thanks for the help.

[steelman1958]

Originally Posted by tman2093

86parky- That procedure is correct for the regal, but it's elsewhere in the Park avenue.

Under your dash, look underneath it, on the exhaust tunnel. You'll see a small white cover about three inches in length. Remove it, and you'll have access to the filter. It's in three parts, and each part is connected to the part before it.

Does the '96 PA come with a Cabin Air Filter?