Hi there,

Are Xterras are supposed to have cabin air filters in the vehicle when you buy them new off the lot? I have a 2006 Xterra that I bought new (so no previous owners) and get oil changes, fluid and such services at Mr Lube and repair work at certified Nissan service shops.

Yesterday, I was getting a routine oil change and the employee at Mr Lube asked me if I wanted him to check my cabin air filter because it shows its due to be checked. He took off the glove box to check the filter and to his surprise, the spot was empty and there was no cabin air filter.

I'm wondering if my vehicle has never had one or if the dealership took it out?

Would it cause my vehicle any harm by driving 125,000 km (approx 60,000 miles or so) by not having one?

Would you ask the dealer why? I would think this is something they might have done wrong along the way.

It is a big mystery! Some X have and some don't! There is a do it yourself for installing them on Xs that have never had them before.

Dealership option I believe.

It filters cabin air, if your ok with the dust coming at you through the A/C vents you'll survive. It filters the air you breath, doesn't cause any vehicular maintenance issues.

Your vehicle wouldn't have any problems from it, but I highly doubt the dealer would take it out. I'm surprised that some Xterras don't even have Cabin Air Filters. I also just looked at how to get to the air filter and I must say, its WAY easier than it was to get to mines in the old Infiniti. Mr. Lube would've been sorry for even trying to get to my old cabin air filter.

I'd just DIY the job if you want a cabin air filter. My old one had a bunch of pollen stuck in it since I have Oak trees all on my house. Kind of interesting to see what gets stuck in these things.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/10/18/145804.html Apparently it just cleans the air you take into your body.

I hope they didn't charge you anything to remove a few screws... http://www.micronair.us/assets/pdfs/260.pdf

its way eisier then on my mazda was. infact i need to order a new filter this week.
no real problems with out having it. be sure and clean the coils with "coil cleaner".

You don't even need to pull the glove box to get to it.

Same exact thing happened to me at MR.LUBE two days ago. Guy comes up to my window and says someone took out my cabin air filters. New ones are like a hundred dollars (Can$). I had a feeling they were dirty when I got my X but it never crossed my mind that they weren't there at all. Not totally sure but wont the blower motor have to work twice as hard without the filters.

It shouldn't because theres less restriction.
If theres TOO MUCH restriction, i.e. a clogged filter, then your evaporator coil will freeze over because the coil's temperature goes below 32 degrees (32 is Fahrenheit's freezing point) which leads to the humidity and condensation to ice over. Then since it wont have enough air flowing, your compressor can get damaged. That doesn't happen too often though.

Thanx for the info

Yup, dealership option. You have to ask for them.

Foolish me, I assumed that my SE would have them and when I went to change them...no filters. Had to cut out the slot and install them for the first time. Easy on the Gen1, not sure about Gen2.

Its kinda nice not to have one because replacements are about $80 for em. Then again, its nice not to breathe in pollen when the season comes in.

I bought a used 2007 Frontier from a used dealership. Price could not be beat, but when I drove it, I could definitely smell something nasty. It was like fish or something. I took it back and said, I'm not buying this car if it was in a flood, so they showed me the carfax, and said that it was not detailed yet. It made some sense to me, so I let them detail it again, and it smelled fine - more or less covered the smell up.

Two weeks later, and beyond the return policy, the smell is still there. Shampooed the rugs, air fresheners, etc. Now, I am reading that there is an air filter? That's totally news to me, and I'm hoping it will solve my problem, especially with that link to the PDF with instructions on removing the glove box. Before I go cracking open my dash, can you guys tell me if that smell is anything you've experienced before? BTW - it does go away when I turn on the heat, which is what some other resources recommended as a troubleshooting tip.

Your advice is huge! Thanks in advance!

i had that same proplem with another truck , a snake got in to a/c box and died it smelled like dead fish . when you change the filters you need to wash the box with soap and water , you might also get this pink clearner for a/c coils at home depoe also make a 3/8 hose about 2ft long with a adapter to your shop vac to clean were you cant reach . i think it will be a lot better and in 90 days the smell will be total gone. keep you filters fresh every year and your truck will have new truck smell again

Hopefully, my problem isn't a snake in the unit. That sounds pretty nasty, but I guess you never know.

Thanks!! I will give it a shot.

it was really small less then a foot it when up drain hole i parked in some high weeds for 2 days hunting and really had a bad smell for a small snake i dont know if it was the high weeds or just bad luck but i never leave my truck parked like that again ,let me know what you find

i went to the stelership fri and asked for the cabin air filter. first time he comes back with the engine filter, now i have athe wrong cabin filter. about 1/2" too long.

now i have to go back and explain why im not paying there restocking fee this is going to be fun...

you can buy them at auto zone ,pep boy a lot less money

I bet you that it is not too long. I bet you just have to fiddle with it a little bit more.

I went in and opened up the filter cover (broke the tab in the process - now held closed with a wire tie), and took out the filters, and they looked ok. My wife, being the clean freak that she is, went out and bought "duct cleaner" spray. It worked like a charm! She sprayed it into the exterior vent, and the floor vents, as well as the dash vents. It isn't a mask, either. It isn't scented, just an antibacterial spray. She got good advice from the pep boys guys, who, in a nutshell, said that using the heater before shutting down the A/C will limit the chances of more bacteria building up in there. My question is, are Nissans known for this problem?