Dealer wanted $160 for filters and labor. I bought an engine filter and cabin filter for $30 online. I had always thought it was a difficult or intensive process, but it was just four screws under the hood and two clips in the glove compartment. Very easy to do for anyone, just like a filter in your HVAC system. I recommend this for anyone. The dealer even removed the filters and showed me (they really were filthy), but I said I'll replace it myself. So they did all the work they would have anyway, just with the old filter both times instead of with a replacement.
Change your car's filters yourself–Saved $130 this way with only 15 minutes and a screwdriver
byu/toxicbrew inFrugal
Posted by toxicbrew
8 Comments
My wife’s Hyundai doesn’t even need a screwdriver. The compartment just has a couple of tabs to rotate.
How often should you actually change the filters do you think?
Yup. Been doing that for years. $7 for a filter and they wanna charge me $100 to “install” it? It takes 2 minutes to install! I get they gotta make money but that’s nuts.
Keep going! When you find out how easy it is to do maintenance on your own you will save big time! Oil changes, other fluids, brakes etc. YouTube and online auto parts … a lethal combo for overpriced service.
And you can get a washable version and never buy one again…
Write the install date on the filters as well. Helpful when you can’t remember the last time they were changed.
Or just don’t go to the dealer. My auto shop does it for the same price as it is to buy the filter myself
I had a Jiffy Lube guy offer to change the cabin filter on a Miata MX-5… he even said he’d seen the old filter and it was filthy. I asked him to show it to me… the Miata doesn’t have a cabin filter… perhaps because it’s a convertible?