DIY: How to Replace Change Cabin Air Filter 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Written Guide with Pictures

written 3/17/24, updated 3/17/24

Overview

Materials and Cost

I bought the Purolator for $28.20 from Amazon. A flashlight/headlamp might also be useful

ITEM	PRICE
PurolatorONE Advanced Cabin Air Filter with Activated Carbon (C31449C)	$28.20 (Amazon) or $29.49 (Advanced Auto Parts)
Or if you’d like to stick with OEM:
Motorcraft Cabin Air Filter (Part #: FP100A)*	$30.56 (Ford) or $20.97 (PartsGeek)

Time and Effort

Contents

Installation

It’s best to be in a parked where you can comfortably open your passenger side door wide

Empty Glove Compartment

It is highly recommended to remove the contents of your glove box.

Unlock the stop Arm

With the glove compartment open, look to the right side and locate the stop arm. Use a finger to pull it until it pops off.

NOTE: I’ve had lots of trouble with this step in previous cars, but this one came off exactly like it was supposed to. Nice surprise.

Then press the tabs on either side of the glove compartment to unhook the box.

If you didn’t unload the contents, everything gets dumped on the floor as it swings on its hinges.

Undo Side Tabs

On either side of the uppermost, solid plastic, rectangular door with the stamps, are 2 tabs that keep it in place. Push aside (outwards) the plastic tabs until both sides free from the little tab. Be careful not to break anything!!

Hint: you may need to push aside any impeding wiring bundles. The rightmost one for me was easy, but the leftmost one required me to push with my left hand while my right hand pulled the filter door down

In these images, the orange is showing what you need to push aside to free the filter door. The green is trying to show the square piece that fits into the orange tab and hold the door in place

Here’s a close up of the left-side tab. You can see how it butts right up against the wiring bundle which therefore prevents it from staying unlocked. That’s why I needed one hand to hold the tab open and the other to pry down the door

Pull down the Door

Push up or aside any wayward wiring bundles and reach your fingers (or a plastic pry tool) up and around the two sky-facing tabs. Pull carefully down to open the door

NOTE: I have a history of breaking things by using too much force, so I’m always trying to be careful. Also, be careful of the metal frame! It’s sharp! You may wish to employ gloves

HINT: do one side at a time if you’re having trouble. See the tabs in the images below

Pull Old Filter Out

There it is! Just reach in and pull out the old, used air filter, and note the direction of the airflow arrow. Ford’s OE filter is really flexible, and so I managed to rip it on the way out.

Replace With New Filter

Compared to the Motorcraft filter, the Purolator is much stiffer. Just position and slide it in

NOTE: I managed to really scrape up my finger on the metal. I wish I’d worn gloves or something. Because the Purolator is so stiff, removing it requires either two hands, one on either side, or the use of a tool to help

Yeppp. I’d say it’s time to change it. Had the car about 14 months before doing this

All Steps in Reverse

Close the filter door, making sure the tabs are popped back into the side clips

Pull the glove compartment back up into position until the side tabs click into place

Replace the stop arm on the side of the compartment by just giving it a nice push

NOTE: you might have to pull forward into position if it slid backwards

Put your stuff back in

All done! YOU DID IT! Super easy, AND you saved yourself some money!