HOW TO: Drivers Seat Filter Replacement
11-25-2011, 02:21 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 148
HOW TO: Drivers Seat Filter Replacement
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible if you screw this up. Its really really really hard to do, but its your own fault if you do. This is just for reference.
I decided to change the filter in the drivers seat this weekend.
It is recommended in the owners manual that it be replaced every 15K and at the price the dealer wanted, more on that in a minute, it seems absurd.
My local dealer quoted me 2 hours of labor based upon the instructions from the factory. At $100/hr this becomes a $300 repair job. Following this guide: $25ish or possibly free and less than 30 seconds of time.
Here is a diagram of the bottom of the seat:
The area where the filter is located is item 4. It is the round hole, this is the entrance to the blower motor and where the filter goes (red circle).
This job is actually very very simple, if it takes longer than 30 seconds you are doing something wrong.
Step 1)Raise the back of the drivers seat as high as possible
Step 2)Insert hand under the seat on the left of the seat if you are facing forward. About 3 inches in you will feel a fuzzy disk. Spin that counter-clockwise (your hand is upside down) and remove.
Step 3)Replace filter.
Your done.
AFTER I went through the effort of disassembling the seat back and looking around I realized how easy this job is.
So the next thing I noticed. This is just a synthetic fiber mesh. There is no paper involved. So I just washed mine with dawn and let it air dry for a few minutes. This cleaned it 90% of the way, it was pretty gross to start with. Here is the after, sorry no before pics:
Front (fuzzy side):
Back (Rigid side):
When inserting make sure that you put the rigid side up. The fuzzy side should be facing the floor of the car.
Now the next thing I got to thinking, the price. The nissan dealer quoted $96.XX+tax and no one seems to have heard of them or for that matter has them in stock. After seeing the part if I had paid their price I would have been EXTREMELY pissed. I found a local infiniti dealer who had one in stock for the same price but there is a much better solution.
My dads 2011 F-250 King Ranch has the air conditioned seats on both sides. He has yet to replace the filter but he knows it can be done in less than a minute. So we took his filter out, and sure enough, IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME! My guess is there is a patent on this and every manufacturer leases that patent, which could explain why there are no aftermarket parts available from any of the local parts stores or even rock auto. But the local ford dealer only wants $42 for them...still there is a better deal to be had. There is a guy online Parts Guy Ed who has them for $22.21 + S/H depending on the situation. There might be other places that have them for less, if you find them post them for others.
Bottom line, don't pay the inflated nissan prices. It is exactly the same part, I know this is hard to believe but it is true. I put my dads part into my drivers seat blower motor, and mine into his and there were no fitment issues whatsoever.
I decided to change the filter in the drivers seat this weekend.
It is recommended in the owners manual that it be replaced every 15K and at the price the dealer wanted, more on that in a minute, it seems absurd.
My local dealer quoted me 2 hours of labor based upon the instructions from the factory. At $100/hr this becomes a $300 repair job. Following this guide: $25ish or possibly free and less than 30 seconds of time.
Here is a diagram of the bottom of the seat:
The area where the filter is located is item 4. It is the round hole, this is the entrance to the blower motor and where the filter goes (red circle).
This job is actually very very simple, if it takes longer than 30 seconds you are doing something wrong.
Step 1)Raise the back of the drivers seat as high as possible
Step 2)Insert hand under the seat on the left of the seat if you are facing forward. About 3 inches in you will feel a fuzzy disk. Spin that counter-clockwise (your hand is upside down) and remove.
Step 3)Replace filter.
Your done.
AFTER I went through the effort of disassembling the seat back and looking around I realized how easy this job is.
So the next thing I noticed. This is just a synthetic fiber mesh. There is no paper involved. So I just washed mine with dawn and let it air dry for a few minutes. This cleaned it 90% of the way, it was pretty gross to start with. Here is the after, sorry no before pics:
Front (fuzzy side):
Back (Rigid side):
When inserting make sure that you put the rigid side up. The fuzzy side should be facing the floor of the car.
Now the next thing I got to thinking, the price. The nissan dealer quoted $96.XX+tax and no one seems to have heard of them or for that matter has them in stock. After seeing the part if I had paid their price I would have been EXTREMELY pissed. I found a local infiniti dealer who had one in stock for the same price but there is a much better solution.
My dads 2011 F-250 King Ranch has the air conditioned seats on both sides. He has yet to replace the filter but he knows it can be done in less than a minute. So we took his filter out, and sure enough, IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME! My guess is there is a patent on this and every manufacturer leases that patent, which could explain why there are no aftermarket parts available from any of the local parts stores or even rock auto. But the local ford dealer only wants $42 for them...still there is a better deal to be had. There is a guy online Parts Guy Ed who has them for $22.21 + S/H depending on the situation. There might be other places that have them for less, if you find them post them for others.
Bottom line, don't pay the inflated nissan prices. It is exactly the same part, I know this is hard to believe but it is true. I put my dads part into my drivers seat blower motor, and mine into his and there were no fitment issues whatsoever.
Last edited by vr4z06gt; 11-26-2011 at 06:14 AM. Reason: wrong spinning direction
11-26-2011, 08:21 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 148
Just the ones with the cooled seats. I don't think there is any filter on the ones without the cooled option. Nissan refers to it "climate controlled seats" and makes reference to "if so equipped"
You could test in a minute by feeling around under the seat.
You could test in a minute by feeling around under the seat.
11-27-2011, 10:22 AM
#8
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 229
I have larger than average hands and I cannot get my hand under the side of the seat at all. I reached under from the back and its right there and very easy to do.
My 2010 has 19,XXX miles on it and I it is 19 months old. I use my ventilated seat all the time and my filter was still bright white.
-Thanks for the right up I have been curious about this!
My 2010 has 19,XXX miles on it and I it is 19 months old. I use my ventilated seat all the time and my filter was still bright white.
-Thanks for the right up I have been curious about this!
11-27-2011, 12:19 PM
#9
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 252
This was a terrific write up, I was running the vacuum and decided to see what this was, Raised the seat, found and removed the filter, vacuumed it out, installed it and it took all of about 20 sec. nest time i get to the dealer i am going to ask them what their flat rate is to do this.
01-31-2015, 07:31 AM
#13
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1
Part Number for Drivers Seat Air Filter
According to a post at Nissan Infiniti Car Owners forum*, The Motorcraft (i.e. Ford) part number for the circular shaped drivers seat air filter is FS-104. These filters are used in the 2011 Infiniti M37s as well as 7th Gen Maximas and are readily available from Amazon for less than $25.
* = http://forums.nicoclub.com/howto-rep...s-t571510.html
* = http://forums.nicoclub.com/howto-rep...s-t571510.html
03-07-2015, 12:12 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,802
After a few years of cleaning my filter, I invested the $22 for a new Motocraft FS-104 from Amazon.com. It is true that it fits perfectly and mitigates having to wait for the filter to dry. Thanks for the tip and research!
03-07-2015, 12:24 PM
#16
Excellent thread guys and im grateful. I didnt even know mine had a seat filter too. Now i can bang out this and the cabin one today. Awesome write up and thats what i love about this org. Saving us money and time.
06-13-2016, 05:45 PM
#19
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6
Where on 2016
Does anyone know where the filter is on a 2016 Maxima?
I've reached around and did a little looking and don't see the obvious white circular filter hanging out.
My phone battery was out so I couldn't take a picture...
I've reached around and did a little looking and don't see the obvious white circular filter hanging out.
My phone battery was out so I couldn't take a picture...
06-14-2016, 01:54 PM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,802
03-03-2017, 02:50 AM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: maryland
Posts: 732
Wow!!!! Great write up / find!!!!!
I would never thought of a filter. When I saw the post heading on the main page, I thought this was a prank as I (thought I) know where all the filters were located.
Have 108k miles, can't wait to check mine.
Bombastic!!!!
I would never thought of a filter. When I saw the post heading on the main page, I thought this was a prank as I (thought I) know where all the filters were located.
Have 108k miles, can't wait to check mine.
Bombastic!!!!
03-03-2017, 07:57 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,802
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