I stopped in to see a friend at the Buick dealer's part department and see if I could find out anything about the cabin air filter, or lack of it, on certain years. I've posted some information previously about there being two different pieces which look like they could hold a filter.
Up until about October of 2010, (from what he could tell on his parts lists) lambdas were built without access to a filter through the glove box. When this changed I don't know for sure, because some earlier vehicles (2007-2008) did have a mesh type filter box in place. If you don't have a removable filter holder, looking behind the glove box you will see a one piece plastic cover which actually does cover the access to where a filter would be. Although it looks like it is screwed in, it is not.
If you have a later built 2011, you may have a removable filter holder. Behind the glove box you will see something very similar to the fixed one piece cover, but yours will have two tabs on top, and two tabs on bottom. Yours will pull out by pressing these tabs, and you should have a filter. I'm not sure if you have mesh under the filter, or if the tray just holds the paper filter. Now earlier models which have the removable holder just had the mesh screen. One of the members here placed a paper filter on the mesh, and it fit.
So what do you do if you want a cabin filter but just have the fixed piece? Well, according to a GM TSB (10-01-37-002) you can add one by cutting out the center of the fixed cover and sliding a filter cover into the cutout. The TSB calls for filter cover 25837964 and filter 20958479 (or CF179C). I've found the filter cover lists for $39.44 and selling for around $26.53 on the web. The filter lists for $43.96 and I've found for $25.94.
Well, I was thinking after seeing the parts diagram of the 2011 which have the filter holder already, perhaps that piece is different than the one the TSB says to use. I found that piece is called a filter holder 20968419, and it lists for $17.54 and sells for $11.80 on the web. It looks like it would work the same as the more expensive piece does that the TSB is calling for. Always wanting to save a few dollars, I went ahead and ordered the second piece instead of the one called for in the TSB. There is a limited supply of them in the GM system right now, but the dealer I ordered it from on the web should get it in about 4-5 days.
There are numerous postings showing pictures of everything I've mentioned here, and I've posted where I think the fixed cover has to be cut out to get the filter holder to work. I am planning on using an xact-o knife to cut out the piece, instead of any power (dremel) type tool to prevent debris getting into the air duct system. I will post pictures once I get the parts and the project started.
Since this applies to all lambdas, I am going to post this on the other boards also because I've seen that not everyone checks all the boards.
Up until about October of 2010, (from what he could tell on his parts lists) lambdas were built without access to a filter through the glove box. When this changed I don't know for sure, because some earlier vehicles (2007-2008) did have a mesh type filter box in place. If you don't have a removable filter holder, looking behind the glove box you will see a one piece plastic cover which actually does cover the access to where a filter would be. Although it looks like it is screwed in, it is not.
If you have a later built 2011, you may have a removable filter holder. Behind the glove box you will see something very similar to the fixed one piece cover, but yours will have two tabs on top, and two tabs on bottom. Yours will pull out by pressing these tabs, and you should have a filter. I'm not sure if you have mesh under the filter, or if the tray just holds the paper filter. Now earlier models which have the removable holder just had the mesh screen. One of the members here placed a paper filter on the mesh, and it fit.
So what do you do if you want a cabin filter but just have the fixed piece? Well, according to a GM TSB (10-01-37-002) you can add one by cutting out the center of the fixed cover and sliding a filter cover into the cutout. The TSB calls for filter cover 25837964 and filter 20958479 (or CF179C). I've found the filter cover lists for $39.44 and selling for around $26.53 on the web. The filter lists for $43.96 and I've found for $25.94.
Well, I was thinking after seeing the parts diagram of the 2011 which have the filter holder already, perhaps that piece is different than the one the TSB says to use. I found that piece is called a filter holder 20968419, and it lists for $17.54 and sells for $11.80 on the web. It looks like it would work the same as the more expensive piece does that the TSB is calling for. Always wanting to save a few dollars, I went ahead and ordered the second piece instead of the one called for in the TSB. There is a limited supply of them in the GM system right now, but the dealer I ordered it from on the web should get it in about 4-5 days.
There are numerous postings showing pictures of everything I've mentioned here, and I've posted where I think the fixed cover has to be cut out to get the filter holder to work. I am planning on using an xact-o knife to cut out the piece, instead of any power (dremel) type tool to prevent debris getting into the air duct system. I will post pictures once I get the parts and the project started.
Since this applies to all lambdas, I am going to post this on the other boards also because I've seen that not everyone checks all the boards.
