My fit popped an A12 maintenance code a few days ago. I called my dealer to set up an appointment for an oil change this Monday. Of course they want to replace the filters as well. I'm also sure the dealer wants a pretty penny to replace both filters. I ordered a Beck Arnley cabin filter and air filter from Amazon that are direct replacements. It took 5 minutes, if that, to swap them both out.

Picture below of the filters at 23,000 miles (In and around metro Atlanta miles).

Definitely a very easy do-it-yourself job.

 

Oil change at dealer today. I saw on their service list they wanted $69 just to replace the cabin filter!

I'm sure it's even more to do the air filter as well.

 

I took mine in for a passenger side I/P rattle. They wanted to do: $189 tranny fluid change, rotate and balance 4 wheels...(they are new one week ago)...clean and service brakes, change all filters. (changed the oil and filter myself last weekend, along with the air filter) I felt like I was in a Tijuana watch hawker joint. I told them just fix the rattle. Everything else you can do yourself cheap and easy.

 

Haha!

Where was the rattle coming from? Sometimes I hear a noise on the passenger side door.

 

Thanks for the photo! Strangely the car manual doesn't say much about the air filters; I've had to search online instead for this info. So there are two to change...

I got the cabin one already earlier this week with the A12 code; now need to get the other.

 

Don't replace the cabin filter-REMOVE it. You'll get better airflow. Anyhow, both filters are dead easy to put in, buy 'em at a parts store and DIY.

 

The main reason for the cabin filter is to keep the fins on the evaporator core clean. Since 134A, they are closer together. So remove the filter and decrease your a/c efficiency over time as the dirt builds up.

Second guessing the manufacturer is usually a losing battle.

 

yup. same deal on your home HVAC system. The filters are there to protect the air-handler and coils, not your nose.

The amount of crap, large and small, that the cabin filter traps is amazing.

 

Another thing to do, especially for those that buy used.

Put some Febreeze or one of those tree shaped air fresheners in there below the filter. On the tray the filter sits in.
Then when you turn your system on, no more horrible smells from the HVAC system.

My car still smells like strawberry. It's the only thing my girlfriend can put up with, due to her allergies. So I try to accommodate. Even though I hate it.

 

for me, the micron filter helps with pollen. where i'd sneeze and teary eyed in one part of the community, i close the windows and run a/c. no more sinus issue.

so i can't see myself removing the filter assembly.

i bought a fram brand incabin filter from amazon. i had to make 2 slots or something to make it fit, but it was easy and cheap.. with rebate they had going at the time, it was like $10 or so.

 

Points taken-hadn't thought of that!

 

By changing the cabin filter, is their a possibility that the heating/cooling fans will start to make noise? I had my cabin filter changed and now you can hear the fans when they're on. And the more I increase the fans, the louder the fan motors get in my car. Will removing the cabin filter fix that?

 

when you say "hear the fan" do you mean air moving or motor noise?

Either way it's not a good idea to leave the filter out: it keeps the A/C coil and heater core clean.

 

I hear the motor of the fans when I turn on the heater. It was not audible prior to the cabin filter change.

 

There is one fan, a "squirrel cage" style that is in a housing directly below the cabin air-filter. Air is "sucked" through this filter and then blown onto the cooling/heating coils and then distributed around the car.

You can access the filter (and fan) by pressing in on the sides of the lower glove box and pulling forward. It will drop down on its hinges revealing the air filter "drawer" and fan housing.

You can remove the filter in its drawer by pressing in on the tabs and pulling the sliding frame out. Inspect this to make sure it hasn't fallen through the frame and is hitting the fan blades (I can't imagine this happening). You could try running it without the filter, but don't leave it out. The filter keeps crud out of the A/C-heater system.

There have been frequent reports of the Fit's fan-motor failing. Any new motor noise might be a precursor to this but it's probably a coincidence and has nothing to do with the filter being changed.

Here's a partial picture of the filter housing (lower left) taken through the glove box opening. You can see one of the tabs on the right (the left one is off the pic).

 

This was insanely helpful!!!! Thanks everyone for the help!!!!
Looks like it isn't the problem. We did not find a change in the noise when we removed the cabin filter. Looks like it's the fan and motor that are malfunctioning.