How to Change a Toyota Sienna Engine Air Filter

One of the simplest filters to change in a Toyota Sienna is the engine air filter. Despite this, it's the one most often forgotten. The maintenance schedule will recommend how often to change this in age and mileage use. Being a key component that brings air to the engine, if this inexpensive and easy-to-install air filter gets clogged, it can make the vehicle run poorly and decrease fuel economy. By checking and changing this yourself per recommendations of the maintenance schedule for the vehicle, you can save money on labor charges at the dealership, save money on fuel and help keep the Sienna running properly.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• 3/8-inch ratchet Small 3/8-inch extension (3 inch should work fine) 10-mm socket

1. • 1

     Locate the air box under the hood. It is on the driver's side at the back of the engine, in front of the firewall and directly behind the battery.

   • 2

     Locate the two 10-mm bolts that hold down the top of the air-box housing. The one in the back will need the extension on the ratchet and require a little tenacity to loosen. These are fixed bolts and will remain in the housing cover, so you cannot remove them.

   • 3

     Lift the front of the air-box cover up and then pull out slightly. There are two seated tabs that hold it into place in the back. You will have to re-seat these tabs back in to properly seal the air box. Once those tabs are released, you should have plenty of room to lift up the cover and extract the old air filter and install the new one.

   • 4

     Re-seat the tabs in the back. Push the 10-mm bolts down by hand first to ensure they're properly line up in the threaded holes on the bottom of the air-box housing. Tighten. Collect your tools and old filter. Close the hood.

Tips & Warnings

• As is the case with anything in life, the higher-quality air filter you purchase, the longer lasting and better performance you'll get out of it. Re-cleanable filters such as K&N filters are very expensive, and although they work nicely, you also have to buy expensive cleaning kits for them and follow procedures in order to clean them. The problem there is people pay big money for these filters, and then they forget about having to clean them or simply do not clean them enough. Buying a disposable filter directly from Toyota or a premium-grade after-market air filter should do fine if you're going to change it per recommendation of the maintenance schedule.