lots of info out there but not enough pictures... i had time today and my car is a little over 10,000 so it's time to change... this is a 2008 TL so it might be different from the 04-06s

first remove the 3 black engine bay panels



look closely they are circled. remove the black plastic plug, loose the large clamp (10mm), disconnect the small clamp, loose 4 screws (don't worry about them coming out, they can't, just lose them all the way) at corner of the filter box




remove this drive side trim give you a little more room




again unpluged black plug, loosed 10mm clamp ring, vise grip is good for the small clamp




you want to pull out the big thing first (clamped by the 10mm). then carefully disconnect the small clamp (just hold on the clamp and wiggle the metal hose out


after that you can lift up the filter box and place it on the side, becareful you don't want to bend anything





left new oem from dealer, right old




left new again back side, right old, noticed how dirty it is and my area is pretty clean. so every 10000 is fair game




interestingly the new filter's sides are lubricated out of the package. i think it's easier for sitting snug/smooth into the filter box




notice the uneven filtering. i hope it's normal




old filter in




new filter in



insert new filter - reconnect the large hose (line up the notch and tighten the 10mm clamp) - vise grip the small clamp then wiggle metal hose back in - tighten 4 screws - done


air is definitely better even without the new cabin filter replaced. total time about 30 minutes but next time will be 5 or so heehh. i'm replacing the cabin filter tomorrow.

difficulty level 2/10

 

Nice write-up and pics.

 

Excellent illustration for new TL owner like me.
Questions:
Will DIY void the manufacturer warranty? I thought I saw/heard somewhere saying in order for Acura to honor the warranty,
all schedule maintenance is required to be performed at authorized Acura shop. Is this True?

 

Not true. I do most of my own maintenance. Oil changes, cabin filter, air filters, etc.

 

No, it's not the edges that are oiled. It's actually the blue side of the filter element that is oiled (similar to K&N). This allows most of the dirt to clump up and catch more dirt over time.

Interestingly, I found that when I recently replaced my OEM filter, I noticed a considerable drop in performance. The motor would stumble when adding throttle in the low rpm, and lacked good power in the mid & high rpm. Thinking perhaps the filter was over-oiled, I decided to pull it and set the oiled side on some folded sheets of newspaper (so it lay directly against the blue pleats). The idea was to wick up as much excess oil as I could. I swapped out the paper every hour (3 times) and couldn't believe how much excess oil was pulled out. After reinstalling, the car performed like normal again. I'm very happy now...

 

Great to know. Thanks for sharing.......

 

You should keep receipts of the DIY items and record keep dates and mileage. You can do that record keeping on the Acura website. A dealer can't reject legitimate warranty work if you do not have your car serviced by Acura, it's illegal. So whether you go to a indy shop or DIY, keep the records. It's actually spelled out in the warranty booklet, what they require for documentation.

 

Can you let me know what part number the filter your using is? I searched amazon for a filter that would fit my 05 TL and in the picture it doesn't look like the one your using. It is a complete rectangle, the one corner isn't cut off.

 

OP -

Nice write up. As a tech, I would like to add my to save you some time, the next time around First, that long black trim piece the runs along the fender, you don't need to remove that. Additionally, you also don't need to actually remove the top half of the intake box/hose to the TB.

At work, it takes about 2-3 mins max to change the filter. As you stated, remove the battery cover, unscrew the 4 8mm/Phillips bolts. Now here's where I deviate. Pull the box lid up to seperate it, then push it back, as in towards the engine. The battery tie down will be in the way, but you'll see the motion I'm talking about in regards to why you push it back towards the engine. Then, just simply lift the front section of the box housing up, and remove the old filter, and put the new one in

Again, please don't think I'm saying your write up was incorrect or wrong. On the contrary, like I mentioned, I just want to save you, and others, some time Props for the pics though, I'm sure it's very helpful for those who don't do this often!

 

Did my first air-filter change today. Thanks to the pics and the detailed write-up.

 

can you give me the link to buy the appropriate engine air filter for the 2007 TL 3.2?

Thanks

 

Apparently some 2007 TL 3.2 engines use a different air filter. FRAM Website lists CA9600 for 3.2TL but my car's air filter is like the TL Type S. It is 5-sided instead of rectangular.
The correct FRAM number is CA10551 which corresponds to Honda Part 17220-RDA-A10. It is also a two stage type and looks very different than the CA9600. The one pictured above is like mine.

 

Installed mine in about 10 minutes. Mine looked exactly like the pictures about. I removed the side trim that is pictured and the 4 bolts hlding the cover. Thats it. Did not remove any clamps or connectors. Was able to lift cover up, remove old filter and install new one without any trouble. There is plenty of flex in the air inlet tube. Very easy to do. The FRAM filter CA10551 was an EXACT match to the original Honda filter that came with the car, down to the exact code numbers and name molded into the plastic. My guess is that Honda and Fram have the same source for the filter.

 

Thanks for the write-up. I swapped mine out for a K&N air filter today and only removed the battery cover and the four bolts and then used acuratech's advice. The new filter was only about half the height of the old one but it fit perfectly in the slot.

 

Agreed with Acuratech...I only removed the 4 screws and had no problem. No need to remove anything but the battery cover or fool with any clamps. Literally a 3 minute job.

Note that the filters are different between '04-'06 and '07-'08. I bought the '06 one originally and it wouldn't fit. (only because the old ass Pep-Boys "computer" in the filter aisle only went up to '06). Ended up just going to the nearby Acura dealer.

 

Glad my suggestions on how to save time are working for some of the other users on here!

 

How good are the K&N drop in filters vs stock?

 

I had the same problem with a new OEM filter I put in my 2004 TSX last week (looks like the same filter from your pic). Just seems like the throttle response is slow and until ~ 2,500 RPMs the overall acceleration just seems to lag. I remembered that the filter has the same blue oil yours did (lots of it).

I thought I was imagining it and almost bought a K&N drop-in filter just to be rid of the problem. I will try your solution first. THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS.

 

I swapped out my OEM air filter today with a K&N filter and made a stupid mistake . I forgot to reconnect the "black plug" shown above after the replacement and when I started my car, the first thing I noticed was a very rough idle. Also, the VSA, exclamation mark indicator, and check engine light came on. I then realized what I had forgotten and turned off the car to reconnect the plug. Now, when I start the car, I don't notice anything abnormal but the check engine light is still on. Should this be of any concern?

 

Pictures are dead. Please repost if possible! Thank you!

 

Nevermind sorry

 

I had to remove the clamps but couldn't get trim removed. I tried with just removing the 4 screws but couldn't get the filter out. I guess I wasn't rough enough.

My girlfriend could relate.

 

It is just storing the code. If you have an OBDII scanner, read the code, verify its from not connecting the sensor 1st, and then clear it. Good luck!

 

just a quick FYI. If you have to disconnect the MAF sensor to swap out the air filter, for some reason the ECM throws a DTC+MIL. It will clear if you disconnect the battery for a min or so, then reconnect and start up again. The problem is, you'll lose your radio and NAV codes and have to reenter factory codes so have them handy.

 

this is an excellent post. I did this change last weekend with a K&N air filter(car has 40K on it but bought it used so I figured what the hell) and noticed immediate performance boost. Side note that side bar removed helps out when taking out the air filter cover. Also I found a dead mouse(petrified) underneath where the air filter goes. Would post pics but newbie to the site.

 

you probably don't have to completely remove the filter cover and clamp as the OP did. Prob just need to remove 3 screws. These are meant to just have 1 side open and you should be able to slide in new filter for quick change. I'm changing mine shortly.

 

I tried getting the screws off with a screw driver however they seem to be to tight, I was concerned that I might destroy the screws if I apply too much force. Is there a better tool that I could use?or am I doing something wrong?

 

I used an auto screwdriver from home depot. Got it for christmas and it was the first time i got to use it

 

I went with a K&N filter.

 

You should be able to use a socket on the screws as I believe they are hex bolts.
When I changed my filter, I experienced the same overtightened screws and had to resort to my socket set.
As others have said - I didn't have to take off anything other than the battery cover.