Chevrolet
Equinox Cabin Air Filter Replacement Guide
How to clean or change the A/C system's
cabin air filter in a 3rd generation 2018 to 2022 GM Chevy Equinox.
 2018 Equinox Glove Box |
 Open Glove Box - Empty |
 Glove Box Damper Arm |
| This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third
generation (2018, 2019 and perhaps also the updated 2020,
2021 and 2022 model years) GM Chevrolet Equinox SUV in cleaning or changing
the A/C system's cabin air filter element located in the HVAC blower motor
housing. Owners of other General Motors vehicles from Chevy, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Holden such as the Trax, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Cascada, LaCrosse, Encore, Envision, Enclave, Regal, Canyon, Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Savana, XT4, XT5, XT6, Escalade, CTS, XTS, CT6, Astra, Commodore and Trailblazer may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible replacement cabin air filters with their part numbers include the following: Spearhead BE-966, Fram CF11966, EcoGard XC10022C, ACDelco CF185, Premium Guard PC4211C, TYC 800181P and Wix 24211. The tools needed to access and replace the filter include a 5.5mm socket, a short extension bar and a 1/4" drive ratchet. A wet/dry shop vacuum may also be useful if you plan on cleaning and re-using the old filter. The first few steps are to sit in the front passenger seat, open the glove box and empty out the contents. Then locate the damper arm on the outer right side wall of the glove box. |
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 Pull Off Damper Arm |
 Dampening Arm Released |
 Push In Side Walls |
| Gently pop the
damper arm off the two prongs on the end of the plastic mounting peg. Next, firmly push in the two side walls of the glove box towards the middle until the two plastic side stops can be released from behind the dashboard. |
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 Release Side Stoppers |
 Lower Glove Box |
 Blower Motor Housing |
| Once the two side
stops have been released, gently lower the glove box down towards the floor
mat. The plastic hinges may separate when you swing the glove box down. They can easily be re-attached later on. After the glove box is out of the way, you'll be able to see the rectangular filter access cover on the HVAC blower motor housing. |
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 Plastic Hinges Separated |
 Loosen Counterclockwise |
 Left Screw Removed |
| There are two
screws and two retaining clips holding the filter service cover in place. Loosen the screws by turning them in the counterclockwise direction with a 5.5mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet. I found it easiest to also use a short extension bar on the ratchet to keep my knuckles from scraping on the filter cover. |
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 Loosen Second Screw |
 Right Screw Removed |
 Two Small Screws |
| Set the left and right side screws aside in a safe place. | ||
 Push In Release Tab |
 Release Right Side Clip |
 Swing Up Hinged Cover |
| Then gently push in
the tabs on the left and right side of the cover to release the retaining
clips. Swing the hinged filter cover up and out of the way. |
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 Slide Out Old Air Filter |
 Old Air Filter Removed |
 Inspect Both Sides |
| Slide the old
filter straight out of the slot. Inspect both sides of the old filter. If the old filter is dark grey or black and clogged with dirt, dust, leaves, pollen, soot, insects, hair, twigs, sand and other debris, it should be replaced with a new element. I recommend buying the Spearhead BE-966 cabin air filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon from other Equinox owners. If the old filter is relatively clean, just tap out the large debris and remove any fine dust with a vacuum cleaner. (The OEM [original equipment manufacturer] filter part number was marked as GM 13508023 or MicronAir GS600001.) |
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 Clean With Vacuum |
 Empty Filter Slot |
 Install New Air Filter |
| Check the filter
slot in the HVAC blower motor housing for any large debris such as leaves,
twigs or bugs.
If you have a crevice attachment for your vacuum, clean out the slot. Orientate the new filter with the "Air Flow" arrow pointing down towards the floor mat. Slide the new filter straight into the slot. |
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 New Filter Installed |
 Swing Down Filter Cover |
 Push To Secure Clips |
| Make sure the new
filter is fully seated in the slot. Swing down the filter cover and push on it to secure the two retaining clips. You should hear or feel the clips "click" securely into place. |
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 Spin In Left Side Screw |
 Replace Right Side Screw |
 Tighten Clockwise |
| Spin in the two
screws a turn or two by hand to prevent them from falling down into the
dashboard and becoming lost. Tighten the two screws by turning them in the clockwise direction with the 5.5mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet until they are snug. |
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 Tighten Right Side Screw |
 Filter Access Door Secured |
 Line Up Plastic Hinges |
| Try to avoid over
tightening the screws to prevent from cracking the plastic cover. Raise the glove box towards the dashboard. Line up the plastic "C" shaped sockets with their corresponding plastic mounting bars. |
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 Re-Attach Hinges |
 Raise Glove Box |
 Push In Side Walls - Stops |
| Snap the plastic
hinges back together. Rotate the glove box up towards the dashboard. Firmly push in the two side walls until the plastic side stoppers can be re-inserted behind the dashboard. |
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 Glove Box Damper Arm |
 Pop Arm On Mount Peg |
 Close Glove Box |
| Push the hole at
the end of the dampening arm assembly over the two prongs on the mounting
peg on the right outer side of the glove box. Replace the contents of the glove box and close it to complete the job. Be sure to record the filter change in your vehicle's service records. Enjoy the fresh clean air from your A/C system! For more, please check out all of my
2018-2022 GM Chevrolet Equinox DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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