Ford Mondeo Cabin Filter

At 20,000 miles the cabin filter is due for a change. The filter can harbour all sorts of bacterial nasties and the Air-Con won't work properly with a blocked filter. So it's well worth getting this done. There are plenty of instructions on the web, and they all make it sound more complicated than it is, so read on for the easiest method. Yes, it’s fiddly but there are only three screws to remove and you’ll need is a quarter inch ratchet with a 7mm socket. And, no you don’t need to remove the glove box.

These instructions are for right hand drive models and all of the action takes place in the passenger foot well. Start by disconnecting the battery under the bonnet. Then remove the carpet section from underneath the glove box. Squeeze and remove the two plastic retainers (they push onto the yellow pins) and wriggle the carpet out. Then drop down the electronics tray itself. There’s a thumb catch at the front and you need to turn this by hand and slide it to the right until the tray releases.

Pivot the electronics tray downwards (it’s hinged at the back) and then lift it off it’s hinges. DO NOT USE FORCE. The tray will pretty much pop off the hinges on it’s own when it’s in the correct position. If it won’t come out easily, it probably needs to be pivoted down further at the front. You may need to press down on the carpet and/or gently ease the wiring harness to facilitate this.

With the tray off it’s mounts you can move it to one side to make room to remove the filter. I held the tray out of the way with a bungee cable hooked over one of the door hinges. You might find this easier if you unplug one or two of the wiring connectors. You could also unplug all of the wiring connectors and simply remove the electronics tray completely, but that’s not necessary.

With the electronics out of the way we can get into the filter. The cover is held on with three 7mm self tapping screws. Two you can see and the top one is hidden up under the dashboard. Get a torch and wriggle yourself into the foot well. Have a look under the dash and familiarize yourself with the position of the top screw because you’ll have to undo it by feel. Then get your 7mm socket in there and take the screws out (feel free to swear during this part of the procedure!).

With the the screws out, wriggle the cover off - note how it fits. Then just pull the filter out. You’ll need to bend and squeeze the filter a bit in order to maneuver it around the wiring. Note that the cover also has a false screw hole above the middle one - bear that in mind on re-assembly so you don’t waste time trying to re-fit the screw in the wrong place.

Then fit the new filter the same way, just push it in ensuring that the airflow arrows printed on the top point into the car. And there you have it: Refit the cover, clip the electronics tray back into place, refit the carpet and job done! Just don’t forget to reconnect any wiring that was unplugged in the process.