Lifting The Air Filter Cover & Cleaning The Inside

[coolwater]

I changed the air filter today--replaced it with Denso air filter. However, I could only open the cover slightly enough to take the old air filter out and place the new filter in. After I took the old one out, I looked inside of the housing (black box) and found some dirt and debries. I wanted to clean them out with vacuum, but my portable vacuum is no good. I will go to a gas station--where there is a vacuum machine--tomorrow and suck every dirt out of the air filter housing. My Lexus is clean and I do not need to vacuum anything else so I will spend 75 cents to use the vacuum machine just for a 10-second cleaning. <_< Anyways, does the cover open wide? I don't want to force it to do so.

[SKperformance]

it should open wide just lift it

[steviej]

there is a bracket attached to the back of the cover that holds some wires and tubing. One screw unattaches the bracket and the cover is freed up a little more.

steviej

[coolwater]

Thanks guys!

So, the air comes in from the bottom and goes up through the air filter and into the duck, right? Then, dirt, sand, and leaves remaining bottom of the housing under the filter wouldn't cause any problem, right? I know it would be better to clean them out at every air filter change, but I wonder even Lexus dealers ever do that when they change the air filter.

[steviej]

my air box has a flat but wide mouth that is atop the radiator. This then directs air to the bottom of the box, up through the filter and then down the tube to the TB. The mouth of the inlet tube is behind the grill so it would be very hard for leaves and debris to get there, but yes, possible.

steviej