Air Filter Replacement

Replacing your vehicle's air filter is one of the most important maintenance tasks you can do for your vehicle. On most vehicles, replacing the filter takes about 5 minutes and requires no special tools. RepairNation.com shows you how.

What you need: New air filter Screwdriver/Pliers (where necessary)

Step 1. Locate air filter Open your vehicle's hood and locate your engine's air filter. On older vehicles the air filter element is typically on top of the motor in a round canister. On newer vehicles, the air filter is typically housed in a plastic square box on one side of the engine compartment as in the picture on the right. Check your owners manual if you are unsure of it's location.
Step 2. Remove filter box cover Loosen thumb screws or remove spring clips as necessary to remove air box cover enough to remove air filter. Fasteners can usually be loosened by hand, but on some vehicles, you may need to use a screwdriver or pliers.
You may not need to remove the entire filter box cover as we did if you can lift the cover above the filter enough to remove the filter element.
Step 3. Replace filter Lift out old filter and replace with new. Be sure new filter is firmly seated in it's proper position. Inspect filter box and clean if necessary. As you can see from the picture, a mouse or other animal began building a nest in our filter box. That's not uncommon.
Step 4. Replace filter box cover Reinstall the filter box cover in the reverse order of removal. Pay attention that the air box cover fits securely in it's seat so that no infiltered air can seep in. Also, double-check hoses (if any) that connect to the air box cover to be sure they didn't accidentally get pulled off or disconnected.

New Air filters are available at auto parts and most discount stores like Walmart and Kmart. They generally cost between $50-$15 ea.

When you go to buy a new air filter make sure you know your vehicle year, make, model and engine size. In some cases you may need to know the date your vehicle was manufactured.