• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Change your cabin air filter!!!

Quick question for you guys. The left and middle screw caps came off fine and were phillips screws but the right side looks like it only has a torx head. Is that normal or am I missing another screw cap with the third phillips head screw like the instructions say?
 
I'm really confused by your question, which is maybe why no one else has responded yet either...

Are you talking about the cowl cover? If so, there are actually FIVE phillips head screws on top, all covered by caps, and three uncovered torx (T30) screws accessible under the hood. Unless you're referring to just the three phillips that attach the passenger side piece of the cover...

As a tip, I would at least remove the inboard screws on the driver's side cover so you can lift it up where it interlocks with the passenger side. Otherwise it's a really fiddly affair to try to get just the one side in and out by itself.
 
I'll take a better look at it in the daylight today. Without opening the hood I'll look for the third phillps head.
 
I'll take a better look at it in the daylight today. Without opening the hood I'll look for the third phillps head.
Four of them (I'm talking about across the entire cowl, not just the pass. side piece) you can see easily, they're staring right at you. One of them, the center one, is actually under the pass. side wiper blade. IIRC you need to tilt the blade up to pop the cap off and remove the screw. Then there's the torx screws inside the engine bay right below the weatherstrip.
 
Yeah its the torx screws that stopped me. Nothing in the instructions said anything about torx heads and I dont think I have one that size.
 
what's the advantage to the charcoal filters, as opposed to the particulate ones? does charcoal just filter better? also, is the filter in the same spot on zetec engines?
 
wow, the 3610 that goes in the tours are REALLY hard to find around here, crazy weird. i've been to quite a few stores already, but i'll keep looking around. i don't really want to buy online.
 
I replaced mine last weekend, and it looked like the first pic. I doubt most people (or shop wrenches) know that it's there, and if the mech does he probably thinks the owner doesn't. I doubt mine had ever been replaced, and the lady lived on a dirt road. Yech.
 
if I get it right, I've to unscrew the three torx screws under the hood, and five phillips screws on the plastic cowl between the hood and the windshield, which are located under caps, right? Then I can lift up the cowl easily, and replace the filter.

Now I was wondering how to remove the caps on the five scres. I looked at them, and they kinda look breakable, which I want to avoid. Worst case I break some, can I get other ones somewhere? Is there a good technique to lift them?

Thanks, and Merry Christmas.
 
Just pop them off with a small flathead screwdriver. You're more likely to lose them than break them. If you do, I'd say junkyard is the best bet. Or the next Contique you see in a parking lot.

jk of course. ;)
 
Seems to be another choice for cabin air filters that hasn't been discussed. The FRAM fresh air filter with baking soda (CF4086A) - anyone try this yet? I don't know how long it's been on the market, but at $22 (RockAuto price) it's cheaper than the Bosch activated carbon filter (P3610) at $31.
 
when I changed mine for the 1st time, It was black as can be, so it seemed to be the original cabin filter!!!
 
Back
Top