Changing Your Car's Air Filter

Changing your car's engine air filter is a quick and easy DIY maintenance job that will help your vehicle run better and more efficiently.

Check your owner's manual for the air filter change interval. A general rule of thumb is to change the filter every 30,000 miles. It is also a good idea to check the air filter every time you change the oil.

Follow the photos below to change the air filter
These photos were taken when I did the 30,000 mile maintenance tune up on our family sedan, a Ford Five Hundred. Most car's air filter housings will be similar to this, however, your vehicle's air filter housing may be slightly different. On the wife's old Malibu, the air filter housing was held closed by two screws instead of clasps like the Five Hundred. On my Ranger, the air filter housing is held together by a collar clamp (here is a video showing it on an Explorer which is the same procedure on my Ranger). In any case, it should not be difficult to open the air filter housing to change the air filter.