1. Home
  2. Saturn Cars Forum
  3. Cabin air filter

Cabin air filter

In the nice weather the other day, I inspected the engine and passenger compartment air filters on the '01 LW300.Both were very choked with leaves and all manner of road debris. The engine filter cleaned up nicely after vacuuming with the trusty shop vac. Cabin filter needed to be replaced. One parts place didn't know what I was talking about so I was about to go to Saturn parts. On a lark, I tried the local CarQuest dealer and they had the filter for $12.

Nice that the HVAC system uses a filter. One more thing to plug up and change. Still if you have ever tried to clean a heater core or evaporator that became plugged with pine needles or leaf smutch, changing a filter is far preferable.

Washed the car too. I bought a 1500psi pressure washer last year from Sam's club for $120 (iirc?). This is the greatest thing since sliced bread for cleaning brake dust off of the alloy wheels. Curious that the front brakes seem to make far more dust than the rear. Both are disk but I guess that the system is balanced to give more braking power on the heavier front wheels.

Oppie

Reply to
Oppie
Loading thread data ...

Any idea on brand and part number? We have to replace ours, and saturn is saying it's a $90 part!

Reply to
Vidar

Pretty much every car on the road today generates the majority of it's braking power from the front brakes - much more downforce on the front wheels, particularly when stopping and the car starts to nose dive.

Reply to
David & Caroline

| | Any idea on brand and part number? We have to replace ours, and saturn is | saying it's a $90 part! |

Carquest part #89865 Lists for $19. (what you bill the customer for the part) Net $11.80 (what it cost me)

The owner's manual has the instructions to get at the filter. If you don't have the manual: Open the hood and remove the gasket at the top of the firewall by pulling it upwards starting at the sides. No need to completely remove it, just to clear the center section. In the center, in front of the windshield, the plastic cover is hinged, pry it up from the forward side. The filter is directly below the opening. Release the two plastic side clips (moving them to the sides) and pull the top of the filter forward to a vertical position and then up to remove. Note the way the old filter was installed. The OEM filter has arrows for airflow indication, the carquest one does not. FWIW, the OEM filter is supposed to be a heppa type and the carquest is only a plain pleated filter. Is it worth the additional $68? that's your call.

Also saw the set of torx sockets needed for some of the engine maintenance. Lisle #STL26750 net $20.33

In all a worthwhile trip.

Oppie

Reply to
Oppie

Your dealer is either ripping you off or they made a mistake. My Saturn parts dept. charged me $12 for the part only.

Dana

2002 LW300
Reply to
Dana Rohleder

$90 sounded excessive even for the dealer to install the filter...which is why I try to do as much of my own work as possible. Bob Oppenheimer

Reply to
Oppie

I went to my dealer and paid $24 for a box (3 filters). They were definatly ripping trying to rip you off.

Reply to
Zeppo

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.