[halfast3]

...snip... Getting to old for the bent over in the foot well nonsense....snip...

I resemble that remark.

Oh, and having read your sigline, I wanted to thank you for your support of our local economy.

 

[event]

I just did this a couple weeks ago without moving the fuse box... huge PIA. Would not recommend. Hands still healing. My filter appears to have never been replaced (its a 2015, 24k miles) and there was mold growing on it. Replaced with a carbon filter but it still stinks. I was going to spray lysol into the intake but for the life of me could not find the intake! Where does it pull air from when in recirc mode (or fresh air mode for that matter, I couldn't find either!)

 

[Ilovedoughnuts]

I have already tried this and it works great! It did feel a little weird going to the Jaguar/Land Rover dealer though

 

[ecoDrive]

Replaced with a carbon filter but it still stinks. I was going to spray lysol into the intake but for the life of me could not find the intake! Where does it pull air from when in recirc mode (or fresh air mode for that matter, I couldn't find either!)

Fresh air enters through the passenger side cowel area but it would be useless to spray there as the filter will block most of the spray from getting to the evaporator coil. It's the evaporator that stinks. I use this stuff called Frigi-Fresh.

https://www.amazon.com/Detail-King-Frigi-Fresh/dp/B00ZRZJL9O

It's what the dealer uses as well. With the air filter removed I spray it into the filter box and at the evaporator coils. Seems to work well for about a year. I'm not sure where the recirc intake is on this car. I've used Lysol too in the past and it works but then the car smells like lysol. This stuff smells pretty good. No perfumery odor.

 

[6473STO]

2015 v60

Hi, Thanks to Luca. Very good write up. I have 2015.5 V60 and his instructions covered replacement of the filter.
I don't have IQAS on my car, so I used the non-carbon impreg filter. The volvo PN: 31449209. The previous
photo showing the fuse box, plastic tab at top needs to be depressed with short screw driver to release
the top of fuse box from its mounting bracket (white pained sheetmetal). You can's see the plastic tab, so have to feel around
at top to locate. Once the fuse box was unlatched from bracket and folded down, job went as described in Luca's post.

 

[Archguy]

Last change was by Volvo Dealer - they crucified the filter when installing. When I removed the cover I could see no evidence of a filter and had to put my fingers way in to grasp it. It was contorted when I did get it out and it was very black so it was time to change.

Great to know... mine charges $190 for the install too. That's why they make the big bucks...so they can mangle things.

 

[hastee]

poor design in my mind, not just the filter placement, but, also the 'built-in' cost/profit to the dealer.

 

[Archguy]

Great to know... mine charges $190 for the install too. That's why they make the big bucks...so they can mangle things.

Little did I know all maintenance and wear items are covered under the factory warranty!
Definitely good news--I didn't realise this when I bought the car recently.

 

[Sysyphus61]

Thanks for the write up, will be doing mine soon... seems to be a Volvo trait.. my C70 is at least as bad: similar position but access from the drivers side, requires removal of the gas pedal... very hard on the knees and ribs

 

[EricJRW]

poor design in my mind, not just the filter placement, but, also the 'built-in' cost/profit to the dealer.

So true. After seeing this, I'm kinda glad, but a little embarrassed, I let the dealer do it. To make things even I took a big cup of M&Ms and a extra water.

I may try it someday, but not without this guide very handy.

Some design.

Thank you for the write-up.

Eric

 

[Captain Tom]

The top image saved me from calling it quits. I was feeling for the white tab at the top and couldnt find it. When I saw the top image image the box came off in 2 seconds. Great writeup!!

In reply to the note in post #30 above about how useful the photo of the top part of the electrical box is:

There was no way I could "gently lift" those two mounting tabs at the bottom of the box/assembly.

I could feel that white tab hiding up there at the top of the elec. box on my '12 S60 but discovered I couldn't get my finger under it to lift it since it was hidden so well and it had a plastic shroud over it. Pushing a short flatblade screwdriver with a narrow (3mm) blade forward under the white tab did the trick.
Popped it right off.

I take care of 4 different cars with cabin air filters on them. This one is by far the hardest one to deal with. At least next time I do this it will take just half the time.

 

[rovolet]

55 years of Volvo ownership. Never had a year in my life without one and was a Volvo auto shop for years.
My remark about this filter system is that IT WAS NOT ENGINEERED BY HUMANS. Almost as bad 240 series heater motors. Impossible to understand how this incredibly important component got so screwed up.

 

[ecoDrive]

Just did this again and let me say it was a whole lot easier this time than the last time due to the type of filter I bought.

To get this thing in you have to bend it at a 90 degree angle to wiggle it in place. The Mann filter I just bought allows you to do this. The cheap-ass filter I bought from amazon last time did not, a Potauto filter, and ended up so mangled it was probably useless as filtering. It didn’t quite fit right either. The Mann slipped right in.

And since the system was stinking again I sprayed a shot of Frigi-Fresh at the evaporator coils while the filter was out. I also spray this stuff in the air intake with the filter out and filter door in place. Hopefully that will freshen things up for a year.

 

[nirvana_1959]

Thanks Lucca (for those excellent photos) and dogworks (for the last piece of the missing puzzle!!)!!!

 

[Venth]

I'm due for the yearly cabin filter replacement...

Just noticed Mahle has an upgraded version of the OEM filter branded as caremetix. Anyone have experience with these?

 

[rallyr32]

I'm due for the yearly cabin filter replacement...

Just noticed Mahle has an upgraded version of the OEM filter branded as caremetix. Anyone have experience with these?

I don't, but I do with Mahle VS OEM VS Mann (pollen - charcoal activated versions). I'm planning on starting a build thread and will detail it more there, but there is a substantial difference between Mann/OEM and Mahle. I haven't had any issues using either of these, but I was surprised that the Mahle weighed in at 5.0 oz, whereas the Mann was almost twice as heavy (9.4 oz) and the used OEM Volvo branded weighed in at a similar 9.0 oz.

The only other difference was that the Mahle has a foam padded endcap vs the paper tab on both the Mann and OEM filters.

 

[Venth]

I don't, but I do with Mahle VS OEM VS Mann (pollen - charcoal activated versions). I'm planning on starting a build thread and will detail it more there, but there is a substantial difference between Mann/OEM and Mahle. I haven't had any issues using either of these, but I was surprised that the Mahle weighed in at 5.0 oz, whereas the Mann was almost twice as heavy (9.4 oz) and the used OEM Volvo branded weighed in at a similar 9.0 oz.

The only other difference was that the Mahle has a foam padded endcap vs the paper tab on both the Mann and OEM filters.

I'm on a mann filter right now from last year; iirc the mann filter was wider than the opening inside the car so the filter compressed on the edges for its seal.

Either way, looking forward to your write up.

Cheers

 

[Dyno]

Just had cabin filter replaced at dealer. $80 labor!

$40 to R&R filter element

$40 to "clean and disinfect"

 

[Venth]

Just had cabin filter replaced at dealer. $80 labor!

$40 to R&R filter element

$40 to "clean and disinfect"

If that included cleaning the evaporator with some sort of foaming product, it's not that bad.
I don't know your mechanic but hourly rates are usually at ~$120.

 

[Dyno]

Yes, I assume they cleaned the evap and case.