Thread: Cabin Air Filter

Hey everyone, new to the forums, Girlfriend just bought a grandprix. And now we have two cars that don't exist. I drive a 2000 gmc sierra 4x4, with a 6.5 turbo diesel ... the new body style for the trucks came out in 99 but they kept the old body style till 00 in the 2500's... so lots of calls to parts guys arguing that no my rear brakes are not disc and are in fact drums similar in size to civic tires. So now the woman bought a 1998 grand prix SE, with a 3.8 series II (not supercharged) and according to most parts guys this car doesn't exist either (no 3.8's in se's under 00 they tell me ...) sigh ... such is my life. ANYWAYS we've been haveing some rain the past few days and we went out to a few inches of rain in the passanger side floor, when I looked under the dash at the blower motor, could see the water dripping off so I figured the drain hole in the hvac box was plugged or something under the cowel was plugged. we finally had a nice day today and i pulled the carpet out to dry, and pulled the cowel off. This is where it went to crap. once the cowel was off i was staring directly at the other side of the blower motor thru a big gaping hole. looks like a spot for a cabin air filter. but looks like maybe the cabin air filter should also have some kind of cover on it. So i phone around a few places today and get "vehicle is not equiped with C.A.F." ... Call the dealer with the VIN and get the same... call canadian tire, yes we have 4 in stock... so I go get it and it fits in perfect, but still no cover ... there is a piece of weather striping on the windshield that extends 4 or 5 inches to either side of the cabin air filter. sooooo my question is can someone take me a picture of what they see when they take they're cowel off? i'd prefer it to be from a 98 SE 3.8, most of the parts guys today told me they didnt start listing them till the 04 model year. i'll put some pics on later when i get a chance to get some ... I'm wondering if there is a cover or if the weather striping is all that is required. I got a print out of the exploded view of the hvac box AND the girlfriend got the gm factory service manuals online and neither show or give details on a cabin air filters, nor is there anything in the owners manual...
n e ways any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
David

The water in the floorboard problem is from a seal under the cowl that tends to become detatched from the body. See link below
http://www.grandprixforums.net/water_floorboard.php

Now on your filter, have them look it up for a 98 Buick Regal. They use the same style HVAC and had a cabin air filter.

and BTW....WELCOME!

Hey guys thanks so much for the speedy and dead on responses. I found the forum last night just before bed and didn't look around enough. If I had, as dad used to say, "opened my eyes before i opened my mouth," I would have found that excelent article. I had kind of figured the weather stripping lying accross the box had something to do with it, but wasn't sure if i had knocked it off in the removal of the cowel or not. does everyone else have that little removable plastic piece with the louvres in it at the front of the openeing too? that's what had me kind of thrown, it looks like it should be the front part of an enclosure that completelly covers the filter ... Any ways, thanks again, carpets drying on the deck, got some adhesive downstairs for the seal (weatherstriping) a good preventive tip for those rubber bits is the same as for the seals on your doors, some silicone lube to keep them supple. aaannnddd i'm off to explore the forum some more
David

No problem man. It's part of owning a new car.

I know this is an old thread, but I just want to say the info in it is spot on. I picked up a cabin air filter for a '98 Buick Regal, and it fits perfectly in my 2003 Grand Prix. Just goes to show, that the search feature does work.