Well after some initial headbeating, and some great help from others, I figured out how to replace the &$&% cabin filter. For all future people about to pull out your hair. Here is my step by step analysis.

1. Remove glove compartment. There are two clips at the bottom edge. You just have to pull out and up, holding on the bottom, and trust it will come off. Then wiggle off the right side off the track. Then unplug the “dampening pin” which is the part connected to a rope. Just pull straight out left on it. The whole black rectangle piece comes off. Then get the left side off the track and that is all you need to remove the glove compartment.
2. Remove big flat bottom trim piece. It comes right off by pulling directly down.
3. Unscrew the seven screws (four on top, two on bottom, one in the middle/back.
4. Take the very far passenger side of the dash off (rectangular type piece). It pops right off, pulling out to the right.
5. YOU DON'T have to remove the metallic (or wooden, depending on your trim style) piece that lies immediately above the glove compartment.
6. Pull the big black glove compartment holder off. It may stick a little on the top, but it is okay, pull that baby off.
7. Hold it on the way down and be CAREFUL not to dislodge yellow cable to the AIRBAG.
8. Dislodge the white rectangular piece that encloses the cabin filter. Pull the tab off on the right. Be careful not to pull out to quickly. You need to dislodge it and then pull the whole piece to the right. There are two tabs that are stuck in the left that you don’t want to break.
9. Replace filter. Make sure arrow of air flow points DOWN.

Putting it back on.
1. Put white part back. TIP: push hard when putting the two tabs in the left side. That is the key to making it fit snuggly.
2. Fit big black compartment holder back on.
3. SKIP
4. Screw the seven screws. TIP: you really need to push pretty hard to get the thing lined up right with the screw holes. Be sure you have pushed metallic piece down snuggly.
5. Put on side trim piece.
6. Slide right side of glove compartment track on.
7. Snap on the dampening pin (snaps in two places).
8. Slide left side of glove compartment tract on.
9. Snap on two clips at bottom of glove compartment.
10. Snap on bottom trim piece. You are done.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE TRIM PIECE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR/FLOORBOARD AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE KICK PLATE.

I hope this helps someone!

 

One more thing. I got the Fram Fresh Breeze filter. It has activated carbon and baking soda to give you fresh air (important for me because the previous owner was a smoker and the only remaining remnant was the first five seconds of the air conditioner).

The part number is CF10140. It was $13 on Amazon.com and if you spend $25, you get free shipping. Compare that to the over $80 a carbon cabin filter costs at Infiniti. Also, they were going to charge me $110 to replace the filter with a regular filter and $170 for a carbon filter. Crazy.

 

FYI, I had the $&%* direction wrong. I edited the post to correct. The air flow should be pointed down.

Another FYI, I timed myself and replaced it the second time in 5 minutes 36 seconds.

 

thanks for the update, speedy

 

Just wanted to add that when you put the glove compartment back on, try to align everything carefully. Otherwise, you'll end up with a little gap between the Washi finish and the glove compartment door.

 

Just followed these directions to do the in-cab on my 08 G35. Pretty good writeup.

Used the non-charcoal OEM filter ($30).

Saving $$ at the dealer on my 15k.

 

Good deal. Thanks for letting me know.

 

Thanks a lot Chris! I just went through the process and it worked great. It's definitely worthy of getting posted in the DIY section.

I do have some question regarding the airflow direction though. If you go over to the General Tech section, someone has got a similar thread going and they reference the instructions at this link:

http://www.infinitihelp.com/diy/gsed...eplacement.htm

If you look through there, it says that the arrow should be pointing upward. Neither of us used an OEM filter so I'm thinking that's discrepancy. Do we know which direction the airflow actually goes? My guess is that the unit underneath is an impeller and the air gets pulled down into that. If that's true, then the airflow direction is down and your directions are definitely right in our cases. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Matt

 

FRAM CF10140 is listed as $22 on ebay

Theres another one thats $13 but it doesnt fit our 2007 Gs. Which one did you get and what do you think about its performance?

 

How often do you guys think this really needs replaced? The dealer tried to do it on mine, 14K miles, but I said no. I only drive about 6k miles a year, and I dont smoke, i just cant imagine it really needs replaced already.

 

Service manual says 30k..., but living in SoCal.... lol I change mine every 15k with charcoal filter.

 

Thanks for the write up. It took a bit of a pull to get the plastic piece out and put in the filter but got the new filter in. The Fram filter with charcoal cost me $20 bucks. There's no way I'm going to pay for the dealer to put this in. The stock filter looks cheap.

 

How dirty did your filters look after 15K or whenever it was that you replaced them?

 

the dealer generally goes by ever 15k for the filters. and around the time the filters are plenty dirty......they dont wait til its black or nasty, otherwise they would've said 30k but by that time you'd have a nasty musky smell. idk how fram filters fit but i've ran into customers using aftermarket cabin filters and they collapse and start making noise and whatnot cuz they dont fit right and get sucked into the blower. just a thought.

 

I have had my aftermarket charcoal/baking soda in for quite some time now, no problem. And thanks for the thanks. It is good to know the post helps people.