My 2001 civic used to have great air flow in fan/heater/ac modes but now it is almost 1/2 what it used to be, and takes a while to defrost my window. What could be causing this problem, and any ideas on a low budget on how to fix it.

Thanks in advance.

Troy

 

Maybe you have a mouse or something that has made a home in your dash board? That or, the only other thing I can think of is that your blower motor/resistor is on it's way out, but usually there's other signs of impending doom.

 

Clogged cabin filter

 

If you can smell something burning when you turn the air on(blower is going). Also if you turn it on full blast, then turn it off.Then back to full blast a couple of times and the amount of air coming out is different every time.That is another sign that the blower is going.Best bet, check the cabin filter.

 

i second the clogged cabin filter.

 

check your element/cabin filter.

 

so how exactly do you get to those...?

 

it's behind your glove box.

 

when i installed my foglights, i took apart the glove compartment, but i only saw #2. did i just miss the other big filters?

 

yeah you only see the No.2 because that's the cover. You need to remove that and you will find your cabin filters.

 

it seems like with my civ, opening the outside vents doesn't let a lot of air in... is it like this for everyone?

 

Well, you have to consider the speed at which the car is moving. At highway speed (70+), airflow should be relatively strong, maybe equatable to the 1st or second notch of your a/c fan at idle.

City driving...not so much...

 

okay. thanks... my vents are definitely clogged then, because at 70+, the vents have barely ANY air coming through. it's strange, since my car only has 10,000 miles, and this "problem" has been with me since i've gotten the car

 

How hard would it be to get to the cabin filter for a novice? and can I mess anything up getting to it. I do not have much money to get this checked, so would love to try to do this myself if I can. How much would a shop charge to check this?

Thanks sooo much for your help.

Troy

 

shop would charge ~$50. anyways, it's REALLY easy... i've just been REALLY lazy

what you do to get to it is really simple:
1. remove everything out from your glove compartment
2. locate the two hindges on the side
3. push the compartment a little bit in, so the weight of the drawer isn't on the hinges
4. wiggle the two hinges out.

 

Thanks just pulled them and it was the culprit, thanks soo much. I tried to clean them, but they were just too far gone. How much are replacements? Where is a good online place to buy this from? Can I run the ac without them for a while, until I get new ones? Thanks for all the great help guys, you saved me!!

Troy

 

http://www.handaaccessories.com/civmaint01.html

 

it's great that this thread came up. i'm at 12K miles, and that's the recommended interval for changing the filters. i wouldn't say mine are FILTHY, but they are gray... so i guess that's bad? lol.

 

you can also get them at any auto parts store for like 20-25 dollars.

 

i bought mine from NAPA for $15 for the pair.

 

where is the second filter?

i took out the one behind the glove box, but i can't find the second one... help?


Modified by awang at 8:00 AM 10/19/2007

 

it's in the same slot, to the right. grab the little tab on the right side of the opening and drag the entire filter to the side of the opening and pull it out the same way the first one came out.

 

thanks man.

 

i know you have already done the work.. but my local honda dealership does cabin filter install/replacements for $59.99 + tax. Check your local dealership.. or just get the replacement filter from ^^^^ link.

glad you found the problem, and on your own at that