Toyota
Highlander Cabin Air Filter Replacement Guide
How to clean or change the A/C system's
cabin air filter element in a 2nd generation 2008-2013 Toyota Highlander.
 2013 Highlander Glove Box |
 Open Glove Box |
 Damper Arm - Right Side |
| This
automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist
owners of the second generation (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 &
2013) Toyota Highlander in cleaning or changing the HVAC system's
cabin air filter element. Owners of other Toyota or Scion vehicles such as the Tacoma, Corolla, Yaris, Prius, Camry, RAV4, Tundra, Sienna, FJ Cruiser, Venza, Avalon, 4Runner, Sequoia, xB, xD, tC, iQ and FR-S may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible replacement filters with their part numbers are as follows: Fram CF10285, K&N VF2000, TYC 800025P, Mann MC 1052, Purolator C35667, Denso 453-1019, Premium Guard PC5667, Mahle LA 395, Pentius PHB5667, Bosch P3502WS, ACDelco CF173 and Beck Arnley 042-2082. No tools are needed to access the OEM cabin air filter. A wet/dry shop vacuum can be useful for cleaning and re-using the existing filter. |
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 Pop Off Plastic Damper Arm |
 Damper Arm Released |
 Pull In Side Walls |
| The first few steps
are to sit in the front passenger seat, open the glove box and empty out the
contents. Then move to the right outer side wall of the glove box and locate the black plastic damper arm. Gently pop the damper arm off the two pronged mounting peg. |
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 Release Side Stops |
 Lower Glove Box |
 Plastic Hinge Separated |
| Firmly push in the
two side walls of the glove box towards each other until the plastic side
stops can be removed. Lower the glove box down to the passenger floor mat. The plastic hinges may come apart when you lower the glove box. They can be easily re-attached later on. |
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 Grey Plastic Access Cover |
 Pull Open Bottom of Cover |
 Access Cover Opened |
| Once the glove box
is out of the way, you'll see the outer light grey hinged access panel.
Pull the bottom of the panel towards yourself to release the two retaining clips and then swing it open. |
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 Push In Side Retaining Clip |
 Push In Right Side Clip |
 Pull Off Filter Access Cover |
| Push in the
retaining clips on the left and right sides of the black plastic filter
access cover to release them. Set the filter cover aside in a safe place. |
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 Old Filter Exposed In Slot |
 Slide Out Old Filter |
 Inspect Both Sides |
| Slide the old cabin
air filter straight out of the slot. Inspect both sides of the old filter. If the old filter is relatively clean, just tap out any 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, insect, twigs, pollen, hair and other debris, it should be replaced with a new element. I recommend buying the Fram CF10285 "Fresh Breeze" filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon. I also like how it has Arm & Hammer baking soda and carbon in it to help absorb odors. |
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 Clean With Vacuum |
 Blower Motor Housing |
 "Up" Orientation Arrow |
| Check the new filter for an "Up" or "Air Flow" arrow that shows how it should be installed in to the blower motor housing. | ||
 Slide In New Cabin Filter |
 New Filter Installed In Slot |
 "Up" Arrow - Filter Cover |
| Slide the new cabin
air filter straight in to the slow with the "Up" arrow pointing towards the
windshield. If the new filter has an "Air Flow" arrow, it should be pointing down towards the floor mat. |
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 Push On Filter Access Cover |
 Snap In Retaining Clips |
 Close Outer Access Panel |
| Line up the
rectangular black plastic filter cover with the "Up" arrow pointing in the
correct direction. Push on the filter cover until the two retaining clips click securely in to place. Swing the grey plastic outer access cover closed and push on the bottom edge to secure the two retaining clips. |
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 Re-Attach Plastic Hinges |
 Raise Glove Box |
 Line Up Damper Arm |
| Line up the plastic
hinges on the bottom of the glove box with the mounting bars on the
dashboard and push them together. Raise the glove box towards the dashboard. Firmly push together the two side walls until the black plastic side stoppers can be re-inserted behind the dash. |
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 Push Damper Arm On Peg |
 Damper Arm Re-Attached |
 Close Glove Box - Job Done |
| Pop the damper arm
on to it's two pronged mounting peg on the right side of the glove box. Replace the contents of the glove box and close it to complete the procedure. Enjoy the fresh clean air! For more, check out my other
Toyota Highlander DIY Repair Guides. |
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