Cabin Air filter

mbowman · January 30, 2007

I have a question for all you GM guys. My 05 silverado EXT cab does not have a cabin filter and living in arizona that sucks.

My question is, is there an easy way to add one, or an aftermarket kit that will allow m to do that.

Thanks

Martin

C & A s Dad · January 30, 2007

You would have to replace the duct/cowl assy under your dash with one from a truck that did have a cabin air filter. There is no way that I can think of that would allow you just to simply add the filter without having the entire duct/cowl assy.

mrsilv04 · January 30, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

asepgrad98 · January 30, 2007

i think only 99-02 silverados have them.

they got taken out along with the trans/diff drain plug, under hood light, locking console etc.

SoCalChris · January 31, 2007

Actually, the duct/cowl assembly is the same in the new trucks as it was in the trucks with the filter. GM just didn't cut the hole for the filters to be inserted into.

I had looked into this a while ago, and found instructions to cut the hole out using a dremel tool, and how to fabricate a cover for it. If you don't want to make your own cover, ther eis a guy on another forum selling kits that have everything you need, I think they're about $35, which includes the cover, a template to cut, and the filters.

I drive a lot of dirt roads, and not having a filter in the summer really sucks. I'm planning on buying one of these kits in a few months, once it starts warming up, and the roads are covered in dust instead of ice.

Here's a link to the kit...

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53218

And here's some threads discussing adding the filters...

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5065

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39555

C & A s Dad · January 31, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

Norseman · January 31, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

You will have to remove the access cover first.

SoCalChris · January 31, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

You will have to remove the access cover first.

Actually, you don't need to remove anything (At least not on my 2006). It's behind where the cover is, you can easily see it without removing anything.

C & A s Dad · January 31, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

You will have to remove the access cover first.

You are correct ole wise one, you got me. It has been about a year since I changed mine and I forgot about that D@&n cover. I remember it well now and especially that one screw that is behind the console.

builderpaul · February 1, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

You will have to remove the access cover first.

Actually, you don't need to remove anything (At least not on my 2006). It's behind where the cover is, you can easily see it without removing anything.

2006? did they start putting filters back in. I know 04 an 05 don't have them.

desrtrat · February 1, 2007

i think only 99-02 silverados have them.

they got taken out along with the trans/diff drain plug, under hood light, locking console etc.

my 01 had one, but my 03 does not

Norseman · February 1, 2007

How can one tell if the truck has a cabin air filter or not?

Bought mine used, have no idea.

Lay on your back in the passenger side floor and take a look at the cowl assy. If you see a small door or access panel about 10" long by 3" wide, you have a cabin air filter behind that door.

You will have to remove the access cover first.

You are correct ole wise one, you got me. It has been about a year since I changed mine and I forgot about that D@&n cover. I remember it well now and especially that one screw that is behind the console.

Yea, that one screw is a SomBee to get back in.

juliedean · February 1, 2007

Actually, you don't need to remove anything (At least not on my 2006). It's behind where the cover is, you can easily see it without removing anything.

2006? did they start putting filters back in. I know 04 an 05 don't have them.

If the 06 and 07 trucks have them, I guess GM must have snuck it back in, just as they did when they took the cabin filter out starting with the 2003 model year. That one thing really pissed me off. The 03 Sub & Tahoe Owner's Manual lists the replacement part number for the filter element, implying that the truck actually has cabin air filter. Needless to say, the manual doesn't describe how to replace it, just as it doesn't tell you how to resync the remote control after battery change, which it says that you have to do (though the remote actually worked opening and locking the doors after the battery replacement). I had to browse online forums and third-party repair manuals to find out how to get to the filter, simply to find out that our truck didn't have it.

GM probably realized it looked really stupid when they did away with the filter to save thirty bucks (or whatever the cost saving was) and basically everyone else (at least in the higher end models) has them.

juliedean · February 1, 2007

Actually, the duct/cowl assembly is the same in the new trucks as it was in the trucks with the filter. GM just didn't cut the hole for the filters to be inserted into.

I had looked into this a while ago, and found instructions to cut the hole out using a dremel tool, and how to fabricate a cover for it. If you don't want to make your own cover, ther eis a guy on another forum selling kits that have everything you need, I think they're about $35, which includes the cover, a template to cut, and the filters.

I drive a lot of dirt roads, and not having a filter in the summer really sucks. I'm planning on buying one of these kits in a few months, once it starts warming up, and the roads are covered in dust instead of ice.

Here's a link to the kit...

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53218

And here's some threads discussing adding the filters...

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5065

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39555

Thanks for the links, Chris.

The lack of cabin air filtration has been one thing (pretty much the only thing actually) that has truly bugged us about our truck. Last summer we spent a few days in Badlands National Park, then a week camping at Yellowstone (by a creek two miles in from the paved road). You could taste the dust, and it didn't even get very dusty inside the truck, but every time we start the truck the air goes to "fresh air" so part of the dust collected on the outside of the truck gets sucked in and pushed right into our faces. Thanks GM! I guess it was a stretch for them to realize that some of us actually take these truck out of the asphalt jungle.

So, we've thought about a "home conversion" ourselves as well, and this info will come in handy.

UPDATE:

I've checked out the linked sites. The discontinuation of the cabin air filters is a very hot topic; one thread had 144 postings. A lot of people are very unhappy with GM for dropping the filter setup. There is some very good info there, and the kit should work great and should be a good value. We'll probably fabricate the cover ourselves. Probably have enough materials lying around in the garage.

If you have a Dremmel and feel comfortable using it, the whole thing should be fairly easy. I was just concerned about whether the inside of the housing would accept the filters once I cut the access hole. From what I read at the links, the space for the filters is still there.

tubby_in_texas · February 1, 2007

good info to know, i also know wix has the cabin filter if you have the slot for it and i found it at O'Reilly auto parts, i dont have a part number but they have the cross reference information