One of the easiest jobs you can do on your BMW E46 3-Series is to replace the engine air filter. There are a whole host of benefits to replacing the engine air filter such as improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and prolonged engine life.

Inspection and replacement of the engine air filter on the 1st Gen Toyota Tacoma is probably one of the easiest jobs you’ll encounter. It literally takes 1 minute to inspect and maybe 2 minutes to replace. With that said, there’s no good reason for not following Toyota’s scheduled maintenance interval for inspecting and replacing the engine air filter.

On the second generation Lexus IS350 (years 2006 through 2013), Lexus recommends checking your engine air filter every 6 months (or 5,000 miles) and replacing it every 36 months (or 30,000 miles), whichever comes first. The time that it takes to replace the engine air filter is essentially the same as the amount of time it takes to inspect. This is due to the fact that the majority of the time spent doing either is in removing the engine cover and air duct. Therefore, it may be easier to simply replace the engine air filter at the replacement interval. However, if you live in an are that might have more severe environmental conditions, you may consider being more zealous with your inspection schedule.

Over time, engine air filters can catch dirt, leaves, and debris and so they need to be cleaned and eventually replaced. Luckily, air filters are normally incredibly easy to replace. Here’s how I replaced mine on my Toyota 4Runner.