EdRich

I spent the afternoon changing the engine air filter and the spark plugs with the help of AudiWorld posts. It was still a major pain. Next time will be easier. I did notice that the when I had the engine cover back together I could see the orange edge of the filter at the hinge area. It may have had that small gap on the corners previously, I just didn't notice it. Hope that's not a problem.

I failed on my third goal of changing the cabin air filter. I see conflicting posts on the topic. I looked underneath behind the glove compartment. I took out the two screws and the whole panel include the glove box bottom came loose. I didn't see a filter access. My A/C stinks and I've got to get this thing replaced. Can someone throw me a line?

PS, My dear wife bought her mid-life crisis car, a 2011 Camaro SS. Quite a contrast to my A3.

Thanks, Ed
'07 A3 2.0T
'99 A6 2.8

MikeSS

There should be a couple of screws right above the passenger footwell.

Cris

The glove box should not come off. I made the same mistake when I changed the filter in my fiancee's A3 - thinking i need to remove the glove box to access the filter. Get a bright flash light and lie on your back in the passenger footwell. You should find a black plastic cover trim... I don't remember now if there are screws to remove, but you need to find the plastic trim cover. Slides the cover to one side (been a while, so forgot if you side left or right), then the trim cover comes lose exposing the old filter out.

EdRich

Thanks for the feedback. I got it done last Wednesday night. I did remove the glove compartment and trim because I could not see it. Now that I've had it all apart, I can see how to get to it for next time. There was just one plastic nut to twist off to open the panel. Very awkward access. Thanks, Ed

cydonian

Just wanted to thank all who posted here. For those like me who are visually vs. verbally oriented learners, here are some photos of what to look for when replacing the cabin air filter. I didn't get a photo of the 6 lbs. of dead leaves that fell out of the housing when I removed the filter, so be prepared!

The 2 black plastic trim screws need to be removed and the foam-like trim they secure (photo #1) needs to be pulled down and out from under the passenger footwell. This piece is forward of the glove compartment and is NOT easy to see unless you get your head WAY up and under the footwell. The filter itself sits on top of the rectangular honeycombed piece of plastic (the filter holder?) in the 2nd photo. There are 6 tabs hooked at a right angle on the other side of this piece of plastic that fit into the 6 rectangular slots on the bottom edge of the filter, visible in the last photo. They only fit together one way, so it's pretty difficult to install the filter incorrectly. To disengage the filter "holder", simply slide the holder toward the passenger door and the filter will partially fall out of its housing. It can then be pulled out of its housing, but it gets stuck easily, so pull gently if you plan on reusing the filter. I vacuumed mine and it looked good as new, so I just reinstalled it.

Please be advised (and warned!) that I have a 2011 A3 2.0 TFSI FWD and that this information might not be applicable to your specific vehicle. Also, my vehicle only isn't quite a year old with 10,000 miles on it and the cabin air filter was PACKED with dead leaves, so I would strongly suggest brushing/vacuuming/cleaning the filter and housing every few months if you don't have the luxury of a garage.

Cheers and good luck!

Aaaa^4

Have you tried any of the non-charcoal plain paper aftermarket filters? Worth paying a little more for the charcoal?

DarthBobul

I am planning on undertaking this project in the next few days. After the techs quoted my wife at a $400 bill to do it for her, I told her to opt out and wait till I could research the problem. I already know that there is going to be 10 pounds of leaves that fall from inside. My question is, is there a way to run a flush to make sure that everything is out before I go and put the new filter in. Also, does anyone know where the intake is? The techs are claiming that most likely there is mildew inside the chute, a concern seeing how my wife is pregnant. Id like to run some lysol spray through it and drive it myself for a few days to flush chemical out of the system. Any thoughts?

deutschmick

Thanks for this helpful post.

jennysmith

Cabin Air Filter is A high quality, direct fit OE replacement cabin air filter which Provides effective protection against harmful dirt particles, airborne pollens, unpleasant odors, and condensation.

Paul@LP

I used the images and data to re-clean my a3 3.2 cabin filter, w/ 103k miles. Very helpful images and instructions cydonian (OP) ! I wish all maintenance was that clear & simple.