FINALLY the E70 Recirc Microfilter replacement instructions
 

I can also email images if interested

RECIRCULATED CABIN AIR MICROFIL TER
NOTE: Numbers in parenthesis refer to numbers in figures.

Page 3 of7
1. Remove lower instrument panel trim on passenger side.Unclip cover

Print Article 9/3/2010

CABIN AIR FILTER -2008 BMW X5 30i

Fig. 4: Removing Lower Instrument Panel Trim
Courtesy of BMW

2. Release screws (1) and remove air duct (2). See

http://www.ondemand5.comlmric/ common/asp/printart.aspx
Page 4 of7

9/312010

CABIN AIR FILTER -2008 BMW X5 30i Page 5 of7

Fig. 5: Removing Air Duct
Courtesy of BMW

3. Unclip air vent (1). Slide lock (2) in direction of arrow and remove. Feed out filter (3)
towards bottom. See

http://www.ondemand5.comimric/commoniasp/printart.aspx

CABIN AIR FILTER -2008 BMW X5 30i

Fig. 6: Removing Filter
Courtesy of BMW

NOTE: Replacement filter consists of two halves.

Page 6 of7
4. To install, reverse removal procedure. Ensure that guides (1) of lower instrument panel trim
(2) are correctly seated in lug (3). See

http://www.ondemand5.eom/mrie/eommon/asp/printart.aspx 9/3/2010

CABIN AIR FILTER -2008 BMW X5 30i

Fig.

© 2008 Mitchell Repair Information Co., LLC.
http://www.ondemand5.comlmric/ common! asp/printart.aspx
Page 7 of7

9/3/2010

Glad you found it.

This filter is in addition to the charcoal ones found under the hood right? Do dealers change both during the maintenance work such as an oil change?

If you have the images could we see them?

+1 can you post the pictures please!

Could you guys re-upload the pictures please, as the writing by itself doesn't make it clear.

My workshop says that there is no recirculating filter, but i have the part number...

Filter
 

They do NOT change this as part of free maintenance....and certainly not as part of the CPO process...I bought my CPO X5 in August and through research on realoeam.com I located this filter and figured out how to replace it.......i just replaced it 2 weeks ago....it was CAKED with dirt....the original filter was a plastic honeycomb type thing......the new filter is a traditional paper type filter.

Do you remember how you got to the filter?

Location
 

How you got to it as in you mean on realoem.com?
1 Main group: heating and air conditioner
2 Housing parts
3 Housing parts - air conditioning
4 item 2 in the isometric
5 Part number - 64319194098
This for an X5 through 10/2009

Hi Jeff,

i think Tony is asking about the location, as i am having the same problem. I changed the two charcoal filters (microfilters) on the passenger side by the front windscreen in the engine bay.

Where would this recirculation airfilter be located?

Thanks
Smiler51

Location 2
 

I think I'm kind of repeating the OP and perhaps hijacking..but here we go:

1 - Remove passenger side footwell upper cover panel (under glove box down low - black - cant seem to locate part #). Three Philips head screws I believe.
2 - Disconnect footwell lamp and position the cover panel which is still connected by another wire of some sort over vertically against the center console.
3 - Remove "Air duct, footwell, passenger side". Two torx screws. Part # 64119129300.
4 - Remove small duct to the right (cant seem to locate this part # either). No removal of screws required. You will see without popping this small duct out you cant accomplish Step 5.
5 - Remove "Cover Microfilter". Part # 64119128857. No removal of screws required. You slide it slightly toward the drivers side and pull out.
6 - Once you remove the cover in Step 5 the filter just slides directly down toward the carpet/footwell area from its slot. You have to bend it slightly to get it out as the corner hits the diagonal carpeted front wall of the footwell.
7 - Install new filter by sliding it up back into the slot.
8 - Reinstall all items in reverse order.

Sorry...no pictures...but it really is strictly logical once your down in that footwell area.

Awesome Jeff! Thank you so much.

I am sure you helped out a lot of us with it.

Yes, thank you Jeff! I'll probably be doing this next weekend. I'll post pics of the DIY if someone doesn't beat me to it.

Filter
 

Your welcome guys...I hope we start to see more real DIY's here as more of the E70's come off warranty!!

Thanks!
 

Did mine today... Man was it nasty dirty.
Thanks for the great info.

Will be looking forward to the instruction pics, Xtony. I will do mine after looking at the pics, as I can't really picture what the words are describing.

Thanks for sharing!

Dear Jeff,
Please help to find out what is the part number of these three phillips srews for plastic? By the way, the part number that they are holding is 51457161786.
Thank you.

screws
 

I see the panel now in the realoeam section:

Vehicle trim => Instrument carrier / mounting parts

Based on this the screws are probably:
10 Fillister head self-tapp.screw w collar 07147136006 ------NOT CORRECT...internet search states this is a TORX screw...mine are clearly phillips head.

This is the problem. That's why I stuck, and none of two dealers I asked, could help me so far.
Any ideas on what to do?

If it's the plastic panel under the glovebox, it's definitely a black phillips head screw. Just go to your dealer and ask them for black interior trim screws. My dealer will just find them in their drawers and they usually know what the screws are for.

DIY A/C Recirculation FIlter Replacement
 

OK, so I got around to doing this today. It really is pretty straightforward.

First, remove the panel under the glovebox which is held in place by three black phillips head screws.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1001.jpg
Pull the panel down and undo the harness to the light by pulling straight out.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1003.jpg
Now you can move the panel out of the way against the center tunnel. You will now see a long air duct that is held in place by two silver T-20 screws. After releasing the screws, pull the duct down and it will unsnap out of the main duct near the center of the car.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1002.jpg
You can now look up and see the side of the filter next to a large wire bundle.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1004.jpg
Next, you'll have to remove a small piece of duct against the firewall that would otherwise keep you from being able to pull out the filter. Just pull on it and it will snap out of the other piece it connects to.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1009.jpg
Now you need to slide the bottom of the filter housing about an inch towards the right and then you can pull the cover down releasing the filter which just slides down towards the carpet. Try to take note of how the filter's bottom cover is oriented when you remove it. It will make it a lot easier when it's time to replace the cover after you install your new filter. You will have to bend it slightly to get it completely out of the housing.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1010.jpg
My old filter was not awfully dirty, but it had a nice layer of dust on it. The new filter I bought was a different material from the original.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1007.jpg
Slide the new filter back up into the housing, replace the bottom cover and the slide it to the left to lock it in place. This picture shows the cover before sliding it to the left. You can see some of the bottom of the filter from below.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...5/DSC_1014.jpg
Replace the two ducts, plug the light back in, and replace the cover and your done.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, Tony,
So far I just spoke to the Parts only. In both dealers nobody from the Parts suggested that the Shop would be the right place.
I'll try your way, definitely.
Tony, maybe you know. This is about another can't-find item.
I'm looking for the white isolation tape, that BMW is using to warp around two or more el.wires. It's narrow (8-10mm wide), and thin.

Sorry, I've only seen that tape in black.

Thank you, Xtony. These pics/explanation will help me a bunch!

Just did this filter replacement. Very easy to do.

It's been a couple of weeks, but that musky smell that I used to have on start-up has disappeared after replacing the filter. Added bonus.

XTony----:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

We should have a few of these like filter replacement, for the engine and cabin, maybe pad replacement etc., etc. from poeple who know how to work on vehicles and show us (less fortunate ones) who don't by way of stickies, We have a sticky for pics,,,so why not minor maintenance items???? Just a thought..........:dunno:

I must say I'm glad I waded through all the usual idle threads about wheels and obsessing over what unpainted parts should be painted to match and how much the dealer charges for that...to find something actually useful.

I've also had the recirculating stink and I bet this is why. I will be attempting this in the near future.:cool:

I also posted a DIY for front brake pad replacement with pictures:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...t-08-4-8l.html

Some more very useful information,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks XTony

Great DIY! For anyone that's looking for the cabin recirculation filter HERE is a link to the part.

ECS Tuning

Great DIY. I did this yesterday. Mine was worse than your dryer screen after ten loads of laundry!

I note that the part on the ECS site says it is for "four zone climate control only."

Does this mean if you do not have the optional four zone(rear) system you do not have this filter?

I'd hate to take things apart, only to find my model/option does not have a filter in that place.

That filter is for cars with X5s with the 4 zone OR automatic climate control. The update just hasn't hit the site yet.

Thanks for the instructions Tony. Very helpful.

I also wanted to change the air cabin filters in the engine bay compartment. BMW says there are two, they even gave me a pair in a box at the parts dept. I found the one on the passenger side, but I can't find the second one. Anyone know where it is?? The driver side has nothing. Any help or info would help. Thanks.

If I recall correctly, they are both on the passenger side at right angles to each other. I believe you have to remove one more piece of plastic housing once you remove the first of the two filters to get to the second one.

Thanks again Tony.
Funny story, 'cause last time when I changed the first one, I didn't unplug the cover completely to look in there. So this time I unplug the cover and put it aside. I started looking in there to see if I could find the second one. My cousin comes around is asking me why is one of the filters old and the other is new? I look at the cover now upside down and I see the second filter, placed right next to the first one, on the same cover. I was laughing, and embarrassed at the same time, since it was right there. Problem is, the graphics (on RealOEM.com * BMW E70 X5 3.0si Microfilter/housing parts) provided by BMW don't show two filters side by side. They just show one.

Here's a picture of it:
Imageshack - img20120701191012.jpg

could swapping out these filters affect how much air i feel coming out of my vents? The side vents for driver and passenger push out so much less air then my center two, is this normal? thanks all.

If the filter is heavily heavily clogged replacing it could increase your air flow.

Thanks Mate!! My independent mechanic did not know where the cabin filter was, so I came home, read your post and VOILA!

This was good, Thank You.

As well, one thing I've been doing as long as I can remember is after you wash your car or it rains, if you turn on the ventilation, bringing outside air into the car and set it on HIGH, you shouldn't get that funky musty smell.

I had learned that the water pools in certain areas and if you wash your car and then let it sit it will get that musty smell.

So I usually will turn on the ventilation on HIGH (not re-circulation) and either let it sit for a moment to air it out or take a quick drive around the block and I've never had that musty smell ever again. :D

Thanks to all that posted tips on how to change the in cabin filter. My filter was caked and gross. I could not have done this without this thread..

Another thing I do when running my AC, is to shut it off before a few minutes before I shut the car off. That gives the AC system a chance to come up to the ambient temp. Not sure if it was an old wives tale when it was told to me by an a AC mechanic, but seems to work.
Also reduces load on the engine on restarts.

I'm replacing my filter now but when I push the filter up into the slot it just collapses and falls into the housing. The blower on high sucks it even further in.

Also, does the arrow go right to left or the other way on a left-hand drive?

Direction of airflow for recirculation filter
 

i know this is an old thread but which way around do I have to put the filter in?I mean airflow wise. this is the direction i have mine in at the moment (flow towards centre of car) (i have a RHD)

https://i.ibb.co/5Wdwrj9/Screenshot-...t-14-43-50.png