When my 07' TLS had 20,000 miles I checked mine and it was black & coated with dirt. So, I changed it & have since changed it every 15,000 miles at 35,000, 50,000 & just again at 65,000. EVERY TIME it was black (dirty) and no external light shining through so that tells me how dirty it was. DON'T neglect your air filter! It's very easy to change in the TL and takes only a few minutes. TIP: After you remove the dirty filter wipe down the inside of the air filter housing with a damp paper towel/cloth to remove any debris. This last time I actually removed several leaves that apparantly got sucked up.
With a new filter your car will run better & your engine LAST LONGER!

 

good thing you didnt mention fuel efficiency

good job, sir! I just changed out my filter.

 

times like this are when i wished i still had a stock intake...getting to that dryflow is a pita.

 

I changed mine couple days after picking up the car, glad I did. The Air box was not clamped to the throttle body at all (the clamp was moving around!), open up the box and found the filter black but also found a bag under the filter :S, also the valve cover exhaust recirculation pipe was unplugged from the airbox.

Changed it out, cleaned the box, hooked everything up as it should have been. Picked this car up from an Acura stealership! didn't expect to see what I did.

 

Yea, it can be a tight fit to get the cover off for sure, closing it after the install is a pain too, I always nearly get my fingers caught. But I think the dealer charges a 1/2 hour labor to do it.

 

I just noticed two of the four screws on my factory air box arent even in place. I dont think its a huge deal since it still has two in place and seems to be in place tightly. Looks like if you use a socket wrench its easy to overtighten them and breaks the heads right off. Wonder if I should buy a new OEM airbox (dont want aftermarket) or just leave it.

James

 

hmm, i know that feeling. i actually recently swapped my intake filter for the first time in 45K miles...damn that thing was filthy as hell (there was no amount of filter cleaner that was going to get that thing clean). funny thing now...my car breathes better with a new filter and my MPGs went up 1. easy access it is not for the dryflow intake filter.

 

huh? turn the wheel full lock left. take like 4 push pins for the fender liner, peel back. Done. Remove filter, clean, put back and position hose clamp screw towards you for future ez removal.

Longest part was waiting for dryflow to dry. I ended up swinging the thing like I was pitching a baseball.

 

Rip that bumper out!

 

The one time I took my TL to a Jiffylube, they overtightened those screws wayyy too much, resulting in one of the plastic mounts snapping the next time I went to remove it. I figure it's no big deal though, three out of four screws still makes for a pretty good seal.

 

Did you change you cabin filter as well? Those get pretty dirty too.

 

ahh...you're making me want to clean mine right now! i bought the setup used so there is no telling what condition the filter is in. i bought the k&n dryflow cleaner, so i'll be doing this soon.

you mean turn the wheel right? i know how to get to it, it's just a very tight squeeze and i think i originally installed it with the hose clamp screw on the opposite side.

i'll see if i can get to it in a few weeks when i install coilovers...wheels will be off anyway.

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/

 

Lol. I was afraid to click on this thread.

With the good factory filter, I leave mine in for a very long time now. You don't lose mpg and the filter filters better as it gets dirty. The only thing you lose with a dirty filter is power and that's only with a VERY dirty filter and only at full throttle.

 

^to further expound, the ECU controls the Air/fuel ratio. and that ratio always stays constant.

 

nope, turn left! the gap created on the right side of the wheel is plenty to work with the filter. I actually didnt pull the filter out towards the wheel. I undid one bolt on the bumper/splash guard which allowed me to pull the filter through an opening on the bottom by moving the splash guard out of the way. Easy as pie.

Sounds counter intuitive, but it works. My screw for the hose clamp was also facing the front bumper (it probably has never been touched since installed), but I was able to get a socket on the screw to loosen it.

i just drove up my driveway and performed the cleaning. Didnt even pop the hood to do it.

 

alright thx for the tips. i'll give it a shot in a few weeks.

 

I am going to change my air filter and cabin filter this weekend. What filters are you guys using? Should i just use the OEM filters?

 

good luck. To be more specific, the bolt I undid was the one on the side edge of the bumper closest towards the wheel well. You cant miss it. I think it has a washer too. It also holds the splash guard. Then it's just like 4 plastic push pins inside the wheel well and on the underside for the splash guard of the bumper.

Flex the guard out of the way and an opening will appear below the filter. I just dropped it through there. You can also install by putting it up through that hole and reaching in through the wheel well to secure it to the pipe.

 

The OEM filters are probably the best out there in both quality and filtration.

 

OEM it is; thanks!

 

I went with Wix as I have the RDX in the past only because here in Canada everything is overpriced

Ordered mine from Rock Auto. I think the FRAM is also another good one and looks very similar to OEM.

 

+1 . Also don't pay the stealership $85.00 to change out your cabin filter. Pick up an cabin filter at the local Auto zone for $15.00 & DIY.

 

I changed my OEM air filter and Cabin air filter around this time last year. Haven't touched it since.

I'll probably change the cabin air filter soon, don't want that to get too dirty.

 

I only have to replace my engine filter every couple years and even then it's never that bad. I have to do the cabin every year and it's usually overdue. I guess it kind of makes sense considering I always have the air blowing and it flows more air on average than the engine does.