Cusewordsmith

After one year I decided to change the cabin air filter on our 2013 RDX. The air is really, really dusty and full of pollen in Arizona. Turns out is was insanely easy -- no tools required.

1) Procure a new cabin air filter -- I didn't see any aftermarket parts at Autozone, so I picked one up from the dealer.

2) Open your glove box and pop off that little shelf inside that holds the owners manual. You'll see a little plate with two thumb-tabs at the top, kinda like a battery compartment -- pop those off and remove the plate.

3) Now you'll see another plate inside with thumb-tabs on each end -- push them in and pop the plate out.

4) Now you'll see the cabin air filter. Note there should be an arrow indicating the air flows from in from the top and out the bottom. Pull out the filter and slide in the new one with the same orientation.

5) Look long and hard at how disgusting the old cabin air filter is -- you were almost breathing that stuff!

6) Reverse steps and put humpty back together.

I was really pleased at how easy this was. On my Suburu, it's much more involved -- like, six screws and removing the whole glove box. This is where you feel good about buying something engineered by Honda. Took me five minutes.

Ted

PS: I took a couple pics, but need to figure out some place to host them. Stay tuned.

Cusewordsmith

Sorry didn't realize I can't go back and edit my posts. Here's what it looks like after you romove the owners manual shelf and the first "plate":

Cusewordsmith

And here's the filter in-situ... note the airflow direction indicator:

Cusewordsmith

Note: I saw today that Wal-Mart is now carrying a Fram cabin air filter that is supposed to fit the RDX for $16.97 (OEM is ~$22).

FWIW, after eight months in the Arizona desert, my cabin air filter is already filthy again (as is the engine air filter), so it's worth keeping an eye on it if you're in a dusty climate. I don't even want to know what my lungs look like....

mdfree

Does the quality of the Fram look similar to the oem? I'm at about 7 months so I will probably change it out soon before the weather gets any hotter

Cusewordsmith

I didn't scrutinize it super-carefully since I had just bought an OEM one from the dealer, but yeah, it looked and felt like a substantial gauzy paper membrane with similar appearance and heft to the OEM.

blueorchid12

I can't get the shelf out. Can any tell me how to pop the shelf out? It begins to pull off the right side, but I'm afraid to break any of the clips holding it by pulling too hard and I certainly cannot find any "tabs" that the book tells me to release. Thanks

Apexigsx

To remove the shelf, I firmly grasped it with both of my hands. Then I gently, but firmly pulled on the right side until it popped out, pulling straight back towards the passenger seat. After the right side had popped out, I did the same thing to the left side. Once both sides have popped out, the shelf just comes right out. Removing the shelf was a little nerve wracking for me the first time I did it since it wasn't my RDX, but it's pretty straightforward and easy once you know how the shelf comes out.

visiter555

Cheapest way to save $$$. Some Oil change places charge $60

Joe Las Vegas

Fram fresh breeze is good, also, knn is making them now, good for life and cleanable, just like their engine air filters.

RenoTL

Yes, replacing the cabin filter is very eay. On my previous car, it was behind the glove box and it took 15-18 screws to remove to get to where the air filter cartridge was located. Still, it was way cheaper to do it myself.

Douggie

Thanks for the information. I was nervous about pulling too hard on the plastic shelf that holds the user manual. I went to the internet to determine if there were specific instructions. There aren't. It pulls straight out (towards you). I gave it a nice tug and is popped off. Replaced the cabin air filter in my 2015 RDX in a few minutes. I used the Fram filter. Autozone and Amazon say it is not a fit for a 2015 RXD, but it does fit.

Joe Las Vegas

FYI: I put a Fram fresh breeze CAF in my newly acquired RDX, was slightly too big, had to push it in hard to fit it in there, funny thing is that I had to do the same thing on my wife's Kia, bought the carbon activated ATP HA5 for the RDX and it fit perfectly, and it was even better at filtering out exhaust fumes from cars in front of me. Had to use a pairs of pliers on each side of the Fram filter to take it out, because it was so tight in there, needles to say, I'm using ATP from now on.