Nissan Frontier D22 : Changing Air Filter

Air filter is one of the most important element in the engine that is often overlooked. An air filter is like a hair in our nostrils, it filters dirt from entering the "lungs" of the engine, which is the combustion chamber of the engine. Any dirt that manages to enter the combustion chamber of the engine will often result in premature damage of the engine as the dirt will spoil the sensitive components of the engine. An air filter should be replaced after 40,000KM or 2 years, and it should be changed more often when you're living in a very dusty condition, or drive through very dusty roads often.

It's time to change your air filter when you notice one of these symptoms : increased fuel consumption, loss of engine power, and weak acceleration. My dad's Nissan Frontier, as mentioned in the previous post , the car is 10 years old, and he was not sure when was the last time that the air filter was changed. So, in this post, I will show how to change the air filter of Nissan Frontier D22 engines.

Brand new air filter

I bought this air filter for RM35 at Standard Spare Parts which is located at Jalan Keretapi, Mile 3. So what you need to change the air filter is ;
1. A brand new air filter.
2. Size 10 flex head socket wrench / a Philips screwdriver

The air filter

First and foremost, locate the air filter. It is located adjacent to the fuel pump in this particular car, and it's easy to notice. The air filter is usually encased in a air filter box.

Loosen the O-ring

Next, loosen the O-ring either with a flex head socket wrench or a Philips screwdriver and pull off the rubber hose from the air filter box.

The rubber hose connected to the engine

Next, locate the end of the rubber hose and loosen it by using the wrench. It's hard to use the screwdriver as the space is tight.

The rubber hose disconnected and loosen

Once the rubber hose has been disconnected and the other end is loose, push the rubber hose sideways so that there is room to open the air filter enclosure.

After few years of use.

This left me puzzled. Why is the rubber on top of the air filter seems to be torn off? No worries, we are not going to use it anyways.

Old vs. New Air Filter

The difference between these two air filters is significant. The old air filter is black and covered in soot, while the new air filter is white and clean. Then, put the new air filter in, and reassemble everything by following the disassembly method in reverse order.