I searched this forum long and hard ... looking for definitive instructions on replacing the filter element under the hood.
I found a few posts that claimed to deal with it, but they really were not much help.
Certainly there were no photos of this task ... only a fuzzy parts drawing that was more confusing than it was worth.

So I decided to post a line or two of encouragement to those attempting to do this for the first time.
Previously my experiences of changing air filter elements has been mostly spinning a wing-nut, removing the lid, and lifting out the old filter. Less than a minute for the whole job.

After spending an hour unsuccessfully trying to do this on my '08 TL I went to this forum, thinking surely there was some tip or trick to be found. After spending an hour unsuccessfully looking for that, I went back to my car to try it again. This was NOT going to defeat me !!!!!

So after another 1 or 2 hours (I lost track by this time) I finally managed to get the job done.
But let me warn you: THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!!

The best tip I can offer is: undo the rubber intake part that's clamped to the air intake port. makes it SO MUCH EASIER ... and only takes a few minutes.

my biggest challenge was getting the top (lid?) of the air filter box to lift far enough up (and clear the car's body right behind it) to get the old element out. This was actually impossible without disassembling various other pieces.

I kept telling myself that an air filter replacement is not going to get the best of me, so a few broken parts later, including a chunk of plastic the size of a half-dollar broken off the housing "lid", I finally succeeded in a task that used to take me 30-45 seconds on my previous cars.

The filter looked like OEM original so it's a good thing I got this done ... but now I've got a hole sucking in air ABOVE the filter, so I'm not sure if that's going to affect something eventually.

Suggestion: allow yourself plenty of time; and keep a couple of large knuckle BandAids handy.
Oh, and most importantly, take the time to unfasten that "accordion hose" that's clamped onto the intake.

(I kept thinking that maybe other owners' air filter "hose" is much, much more pliable ... and therefore much easier to lift the housing lid without undoing both ends

 

No pics?!?!

 

Lol! Could you repeat the part after "I searched this forum long and hard..." Lol!

 

 

I just take off the four screws holding the top cover on and slide in the new fliter.

 

Same...just push the housing around in there a little bit to get the required clearance to lift up the top enough once the 4 screws are out. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes really.

 

I would get that hose replaced asap. You don't want to get particles sucked in.