‘I dang sure ain’t gonna do the fricking pulling the BCM and all that extra stuff for 0.2 [hours of pay.]’
A mechanic is completing routine maintenance on a Lincoln and then discovers the nightmare location of the air cabin filter.
In a TikTok, Hunter (@rbgaragevideos) showcases the process and the difficulty of completing what is usually a simple, straightforward task. The TikTok has over 1,400 views as of this writing.
The mechanic shares how he is working on a 2015 Lincoln MKC and doing basic maintenance with fluid changes and filter replacements. When it comes time to check out the air filter cabin, the mechanic runs into some obstacles when replacing it.
To begin, the glove box needs to be taken entirely off. From here, two panels need to be popped off, including the center console side panel. The mechanic notices that the BCM and fuse block are in the way of the cabin filter. Instead of taking these components off, Hunter finds a way to still remove the cabin air filter with the parts blocking the path.
“Do all that stuff to just get the cabin filter off,” Hunter shares.
Hunter showcases the air cabin filter being tucked away deep in the corner beside the BCM. This job became a nightmare when discovering how the BCM and fuse block were in the way.
While Hunter does mention he could’ve removed the BCM to make the job easier, he shares that it wasn’t worth the money to do the extra work.
“‘Now they are going to cut the labor times.’ What’s weird is that it says it’ll pay 1.2 to change this cabin filter out, but at the dealer I’m working at, it only pays 0.2. So I dang sure ain’t gonna do the fricking pulling the BCM and all that extra stuff for 0.2,” he shares.
Hunter told Motor1, “The location is a pretty typical spot if its not located behind the glovebox itself, the odd part of it was how that fuse block/bcm was right in the way of it and the manual said to remove it to get the cabin filter out, which didn’t need to be done.”
Other mechanics agreed with Hunter’s decision to skip out on doing the extra work with the 0.2 rate.
“That one is never getting checked for .2,” one TikTok commenter shared.
“Pulling the dash on these is a nightmare,” another added.
Another viewer went to the comments section to express their similar frustration around low pay for complex repairs.
“I had a Tesla model x driver side outer tail light today. Pays 2.7 because pro demand says it needs the whole driver side of the trunk and charge port cable taken out. I pulled the trunk liner back with all my strength and stuck a wrench in. It sucked but I did it in 0.5.”
“I’ve done crap like that, jamming my arm down in some panels that are supposed to get taken off, few minutes of pain for 4x pay,” Hunter replied.
Routinely changing out the cabin air filter is a necessary step to ensuring clean air is coming into your car. Having a dirty cabin air filter impacts the quality of the air and will potentially make the vehicle smell foul.
In most cases, the cabin air filter is located behind the glovebox.
According to AAA, most cabin air filters can be changed out in 15 minutes with basic tools. This job usually can be a DIY task, but not in all cases. Some may require more attention if the fuse block BCM is blocking the filter, similar to the Lincoln MKC Hunter serviced in the TikTok.
So, when considering whether to do this task yourself, it’s important to find out where the cabin air filter is. This information can be listed out in the owner’s manual or a simple Google search. When it’s behind the glove box, this task is considered to be an easy DIY car maintenance task.
It’s suggested to replace the cabin air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles to reduce harmful contaminants, pollen, and dust getting inside the car.
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