🔧 Altima - Engine Air Filter Replacement

Your Altima’s engine air filter cleans the air before it enters the engine. Replacing a dirty filter helps maintain good acceleration, fuel economy, and protects the engine from dust and debris.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 10-20 minutes

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work with the engine off and cool to avoid burns.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers, hair, and loose clothing away from belts and fans.
• ⚠️ Don’t run the engine with the air filter removed.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Phillips screwdriver
• Small flathead screwdriver
• Flashlight
• Shop towel

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine air filter - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and turn the ignition OFF.
• Open the hood and support it securely with the hood prop rod.
• Have a shop towel ready to wipe dust from the airbox.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Locate the air filter box (airbox)

• Use a flashlight to find the black plastic airbox in the engine bay, connected to the intake tube.
• The airbox is the filter’s “housing” (protective box).

Step 2: Release the airbox cover

• If your airbox uses metal clips, pop them open by hand; if they’re tight, gently help with a small flathead screwdriver.
• If your airbox uses screws, loosen them with a Phillips screwdriver until the cover is free.
• Lift the airbox lid up just enough to remove the filter (you usually don’t need to remove the whole lid).

Step 3: Remove the old air filter

• Pull the filter straight out of the airbox by hand.
• Use a shop towel to wipe out any loose dust inside the lower airbox.
• Do not let dirt fall down the intake opening.

Step 4: Install the new air filter

• Place the new filter into the airbox the same way the old one came out.
• Make sure it sits flat and fully in the groove all the way around (no curled edges).
• A poor seal lets unfiltered dirt into the engine.

Step 5: Close and secure the airbox

• Lower the airbox lid into place.
• Re-latch the clips by hand, or tighten the screws with a Phillips screwdriver until snug (do not over-tighten).
• Do a quick visual check that the lid is evenly closed on all sides.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and let it idle for 10-20 seconds.
• Listen for whistling or hissing (can mean the airbox isn’t sealed).
• If you hear a leak sound, shut the engine off and re-check the filter seating and latches/screws.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $60-$140 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $15-$35 (parts only)

You Save: $45-$105 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.2-0.4 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.