Did I Get Taken?

If you had driven 15 K miles over dirt roads, I guess it's possible, but the air filters I have just become gray from dust, and there's only the occasional detritus in the bottom of the filter assembly that I vacuum out. ....and I guess they have to charge something for labor, even if it only takes a minute to unclip the assembly, pull out the old filter and replace it, and clip it closed again. At five bucks a shot, I could do that all day long and make about $300 by mid afternoon. In the 'old days' they probably felt they made enough on the filter to do it for free. But there ain't no free lunch any more.

I boughtmy `02 Camry-4 in 2006 and the cabin filetr had never been changed.

Rather than fork out $20.00 at the time I removed it and washed it in dish detergent and hot water .

I used a washing action simil;ar to panning for gold but a little more active.

When it was dry it looked fairly clean and I was able to see daylight thruout in all aspects .

This is the common method fro determining if a fair filter is valid.

so far no problems .

Oh yes there was one problem ;The impeller was literally choked with dog hair. , not the filter, but the impeller housing..

The opening was just large enough to reach in and clear the hair out.

The fan has worked fine since.

I bought a cabin air filter at Auto-zone (Bosch ) and it was around $20.00.In case I ever want, or need to actually replace the cabin filter due to old age etc.

So if you got themn to actually REPLACE a cabin filter for less I would check and make sure they actually did it / and not used another old filter .

I didn't have them replace the cabin air filter. I was talking about the engine air filter. They definitely replaced it from the one that was shown to me - that was filthy. The new one is clean. (It IS possible it was my original one but that probably wasn't brand new looking since it did have

Oh well, next time I go there, I'll have the filter marked and call them on it if they try to pull a fast one on me.

Here's a price quote I got from a Toyota dealer, engine air filter is $39.50 and the cabin air filter is $79.50

Any guy who cannot replace their own engine air filter should crushed by a giant beer can. Dealers often have sales on these parts (check their web site) and they should cost $20 at the most. It is important to replace the air filter often, so purchase 2 of them.

OOps my mistake . I sincerely apolgize for my gaff

Heres a question for all:

I have a `02 Camry -4 and if I wish to change the air filter it seems its more than just flipping a couple of clips.

Theres so much other stuff attached to the intake-exhaust of the air filter housing I really dont know where to start >?

Having done my own simple maintenance for over 55 years , this contraption has me stumped as to how to remove safely the attachments that are on the air filter housing (exhaust to the engine ), without damaging them?

( I dont even know what theyre for ? or what they do? )

Anybody ? and TIA for any help at all.

I hope that you aren't directing the "crushed by a giant beer can" comment at me. I always have done my own air filter changes. In this case, the dealer allegedly pulled the filter out before I'd gotten a look at it.

If it's like my old '98 was, you just loosen the clips, pull up on the filter housing and slide the filter out, reversing the procedure with the new filter. Of course, it isn't as fast as reading this but shouldn't take more than a minute!

No insult taken.

Other than making waves with the service manager, this trick will do nothing for you, since they'll still charge you for the new filter and labor, and you may wind up with a target on your back at the dealership....allowing for all sorts of nasty behavior on the mechanics' part. I don't think you'd like it if your car were disabled in some way by a spiteful mechanic. They could even run a key down the side of your car and claim that it was that way when it entered their shop. Your proposed trick of marking the old filter could come back and bite you.....they're holding all the cards, not you.

I guess I'll have to take pictures of the car before I go in then. They can only charge me for a new filter if I agree to have them replace it. If, on the other hand, they approach me with one that is not the one I had in there when I went in, I'd get the dealership's management in there with me immediately, make them go to the car with me and watch over it as they put my filter back. Then I'd drive out of there, report them and not be back again.

Look in the Owners Manual. You do not have to remove the attachments to the air filter housing.

theres nothing in there about the attachments or changing the air filter , at least on cursory inspection ? Will try again to see if there is more detailed instruction on this beast.

I never saw a 98 Camry Air cleaner, but on a 98 RAV4 its has relatively awkward airfilter compartment that you have to wrestle a bit, but still only clips are holding them.

Once again, you're making a fuss (perhaps to get back to the dealer on solid or not so solid grounds). I'd simply not patronize that dealer again, and leave it alone. Nobody likes a smartass who's out to discredit them (even if they're trying to pull a fast one on you with an ancient filthy filter) , and when they have the ability to do you (or your car) some harm, I wouldn't fool with them. It's like mouthing off to a policeman who carries a nightstick and a gun. Not wise.

Nothing in the owners manual on procedure .Just says change the filter every so many miles /kilometers

I will have to go to Clymers to get the proper procedure . Like I said before there are so many electrical attachments and hoses I dont want to break something just to change a filter . There HAS to be a proper procedure to do this.