A Breath of Fresh Air
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Since “real men” don’t have a propensity to read owner’s manuals, I only learned about a cabin air filter from a friend with the same truck — and consequently verified that he was right by perusing the manual while looking up other maintenance schedules. I discovered that the cabin filter must be changed after 40,000 miles and that it’s a very simple thing to do. There are easy to find videos online that will show you how to do it.
I purchased a good quality carbon-activated, cabin air filter on Amazon for $11.62 (Spearhead Odor Defense Breathe Easy AC + Heater Cabin Filter BE-671) rather than get a cheap paper filter that might get damp or even deteriorate quickly. The one I opted for is made of industrial strength electrostatic media that’s touted to last 25% longer.
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Armed with the good quality drop light, I removed the spring-loaded cable that is attached to the side of the glove box. Doing so allowed the glove box to slowly open without extending it too far. I couldn’t see where the other end of the cable was located, but the video I watched showed that I could let it go without a problem and it would snap back — which it did. The next step was to pinch the sides of the glove box — so that the two little “fingers” sticking out could clear the opening — and the glove box fell right out. The hardest part was getting my big hands into a spot where they didn’t fit and releasing the tabs by feel that held the door shut on either side of the rectangular box for the filter.



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

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
I noticed that there was an arrow on the new filter that pointed downward, so I was able to slip it in the holder by feel once oriented properly. The glove box was reassembled, and the job was done. Interestingly, the Ram owner’s manual suggests replacing the cabin air filter at 40,000 miles while the product description on the new one suggests that it be changed every 15,000 miles. After seeing the original cabin air filter, I was convinced the product pitch was not hype.
The whole job took maybe 10 minutes, and a reminder was added to my phone app to check the filter annually. If your truck doesn’t have a chamber for the filter, you may find instructions online or via YouTube to fabricate a provision for one.
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