V36 Skyline Cabin Filter Replacement Diy

[KwS]

Welp, when driving the car home last weekend not long after i left New Plymouth i started to notice the blower fan was blowing a rather unpleasant smell. It got so bad that i had to stop and get an air freshener (it was hot so i had the fan on high).

The other day i purchased a new cabin filter, on the premise that it was probably stuffed. After reading plenty of LHD US G35 DIY guides for the filter i decided to rip into it today. I have written this as i had some trouble finding a step by step DIY guide for RHD Skylines as they are slightly different.

Step one is to remove the little panel under the glovebox. Just grab it at the front edge and pull down. It is held in by two hooks towards the front of the car, it needs to be gently pulled towards the rear of the car to release it.

Once that is off, open the glovebox grab the top edge and pull up towards the roof of the car. You should feel it pop out of the clips at the bottom edge. You then need to wiggle and twist to get the side pegs out of their slots. I found it was easiest to push the LH side of the glovebox towards the windscreen and then pull the RH side out towards the rear.

There is also the little retractable cord that needs to be removed. I gently wiggled and pulled and it came free.

Once that is out, i also removed the little side panel in order to see the panel clips for the next step. This just pulls off.

Ok, so now you have the covering panel

In order to remove this, there are two screws in the lower corners, and four along the top edge.

Interestingly, there was a sticker that indicated that the filter was last replaced in December 2014 at 52356KM (which it cant have been as the car is at 141000 now).

Anyway, with that panel removed, you are greeted by the blower fan and filter housing.

The covering panel is right in the middle and comes free quite easily. A clip on the LH side and then the panel is moved to the left to release it from its slots.

Once removed, this is what greeted me. A black filter that was certainly not correctly fitted.

Removed, it was clear why i had bad smells and bad airflow

And compared to the new filter

This is the new filter,

Slap the foam on the sides as per the instructions with the filter (they go on the two sides. The front is where "UP" is written). Gently slot it into the housing. It will go up on rails and sit at the top of the housing. It should sit flat, other than the front. The front will be lifted and supported by the front cover which has raised ridges to hold it.

Stick it all back together, which is reverse of disassembly, and away you go.

My fan now blows more air, is quieter, and best of all, actually smells fresh and clean. Mine also had the side effect of no longer having a misplaced filter blocking one of the vent flaps.

[xfuzion]

Great guide and good on you for taking the pictures. Will definitely need them when I get around to changing mine

Just out of interest, did your center display show the status of the air filter correctly? I think it's that bunch of circles that look like a bunch of grapes. I think empty circle means filter is on the way out..

RE the dates on the sticker, the Japanese use a different method to count years. Heisei 21 is 2009, so it was changed in 2009 dec 14th

[KwS]

i do have the "bunch of grapes" on the display, but i thought that was just the icon for the plasmacluster system, which mine is optioned with.

Ive turned off all the maintenance reminders in the system, and i havent noticed that grape icon change. Its got all the dots filled except for one, like this but with purple dots (and the pink dot in the below pic is empty).

I have since been informed by a friend of the Heisei years thing, and it does make sense (and aligns with the mileage). Crazy way of working out the date!

Edited February 22, 2015 by KwS

[Leon.T]

great guide. Whereabouts did you purchase the filter from?

[KwS]

Hi, i got it through my local dealer. Part number is on the box in the picture.

[LesF]

Where can I find a part code for the filter?

I have a 2010 370GT, it's the DBA-CKV36 coupe.

I assume it has been some time since the filter was changed, tho maybe if I start removing panels I may come across a label with the last change date on it.

I think it is worth changing it anyhow.  Just to be sure.

 

[Leroy Peterson]

Where can I find a part code for the filter?
I have a 2010 370GT, it's the DBA-CKV36 coupe.
I assume it has been some time since the filter was changed, tho maybe if I start removing panels I may come across a label with the last change date on it.
I think it is worth changing it anyhow.  Just to be sure.
 

If you crack it open as per the images in the first post, you can see how dirty it is. And once it's out, you can just go to any auto store and try to find a filter of similar/same size. Might even find one that doesn't need the foam bits on the side.

As for part number... The image in the first post shows the part number of the filter they used....

[niZmO_Man]

My guess is this Ryco might fit: RCA380C

[LesF]

On 09/05/2019 at 10:08 AM, Leroy Peterson said:

As for part number... The image in the first post shows the part number of the filter they used....

I finally got round to pulling the filter out.  The images, for me, have a "photobucket" logo posted over the top and look like they are intentionally blurred so that I cannot read any text in the pictures.  Anyways, going to an auto store now to see if I can find a match.

[GTSBoy]

It'll be the same as Maxima or Pathfinder or something equally shitful.

[LesF]

Repco NZ have a RCF592, which is the same size, minus the adhesive foam strips on the sides.  I got some adhesive foam and made it match.  Just a little uncertain about which way it goes in; original filter had an arrow labeled 'up', new one has an arrow labelled 'air flow'. Since the old one is dirty on top, I assume the airflow is downwards (?)  where's my calculator...

 

 

[GTSBoy]

Correct assumption.