Toyota Prius
HVAC Cabin Air Filter Replacement Guide
How to clean or change the A/C system's
cabin air filter element in a 2nd generation 2004-2009 Toyota Prius hybrid.
2006 Prius Glove Boxes |
Open Lower Glove Box |
Damper Arm On Right Side |
This
automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically created to assist
owners of the 2nd generation (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009)
Toyota Prius hybrid in cleaning or changing the HVAC system's cabin
air filter element in the blower motor housing. Owners of other Toyota or Lexus vehicles such as the Corolla, Yaris, Camry, Sienna, Tacoma, Avalon, RAV4, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Venza, Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia, Land Cruiser, IS 250, ES 350, and GS 350 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible replacement cabin air filters with their part numbers are as follows: Purolator C35516, TYC 800005P, Mahle LAK 131, Mann Filter MCF 1005, Wix # 24875, Denso 453-1013, Champ CAF1766, Beck Arnley 042-2014, Premium Guard PC5516, Hastings AFC1310 and Pentius PHB5516. No tools are needed to replace the filter. A wet/dry shop vacuum can be useful for cleaning and re-using the OEM filter and the bottom half of the air box. |
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Pull Damper Arm Off Prongs |
Push In Side Walls |
Release Plastic Side Stops |
The first few steps
are to sit in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, open the lower of the
two glove boxes and empty out the contents. Then pull the plastic damper arm on the outer right side of the glove box off the two prongs on the mounting peg. Firmly push the two side walls of the glove box in towards each other until the plastic side stops can be released from behind the dashboard. |
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Lower Glove Box To Floor |
Blower Motor Housing |
Push In Release Tab |
Gently lower the
glove box down to the passenger floor mat.
The plastic hinge at the bottom of the glove box may separate, but it can easily be re-attached later. Once the glove box is out of the way, you'll be able to see the white plastic blower motor housing and the rectangular filter access cover. |
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Push In Right Side Tab |
Slide Out Filter Tray |
Cabin Filter Tray Removed |
Gently push in the
tabs on both sides of the filter access panel to release the retaining
clips. Slide the white plastic filter tray straight out of the slot in the blower motor housing. |
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Pull Filter Out of Tray |
Insert New Filter In Tray |
Clean Slot In Blower Housing |
Pull the old filter
out of the tray and inspect both sides of it. If the old filter is relatively clean, just tap out the large debris and remove any fine dust with a vacuum. If the old filter is dark grey or black and clogged with dirt, dust, leaves, insects, twigs, pollen and hair, it should be replaced with a new element. I recommend purchasing the Purolator C35516 cabin air filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon. The new cabin air filter may have an "Air Flow", "UP", or "DOWN" direction arrow. If it has an "Air Flow" direction arrow, it should be pointed down towards the floor mat. Install the new filter in to the plastic filter tray with the arrow pointing in the correction direction. If you have a crevice attachment for your shop vacuum, clean out any visible debris such as sand, leaves or pebbles inside the filter slot in the HVAC blower motor housing. |
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"UP" Direction Arrow |
Slide In Filter Tray |
Re-Attach Glove Box Hinge |
Slide the filter
tray back in to the slot with the "UP" arrow pointing in the correct
direction. Push the tray until you feel or hear the two retaining clips click securely in to place. Line up the plastic hinges on the bottom of the glove box and gently push them back together. |
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Raise Glove Box |
Push On Damper Arm |
Push In Side Walls |
Raise the glove box
towards the dashboard. Push the damper arm on the right side over the two prongs on the mounting peg. Firmly push in the two side walls of the glove box towards the middle. |
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Re-Insert Side Stoppers |
Glove Box Re-Installed |
Close Lower Glove Box |
Re-insert the
plastic side stop on each side of the glove box in to place behind the
dashboard. Replace the contents of the lower glove box and close it to complete the job. Be sure to record the filter change in your vehicle's service records. For more, please check out my 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Rear Window Wiper Blade Replacement Guide and 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Engine Air Filter Replacement Guide. If you have a 3rd generation vehicle, please
visit my
2010-2014 Toyota Prius DIY Maintenance Guides. |
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