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2025–2026 Acura ADX

2025-2026 Acura ADX — Engine Air Filter Replacement

By Tom Becker ✓ Certified Mechanic · Published Sep 21, 2026 · Updated Oct 22, 2026

🔧 Easy 5–10 minutes $35 DIY

Save $75 by doing it yourself! Shop cost: $110

Quick answer: Engine Air Filter Replacement on a 2025–2026 Acura ADX is rated Easy and takes about 5–10 minutes. No tools are required for this job, and parts cost about $35. This guide walks you through the full job step by step, including the mistakes to avoid.

Quick Video Tutorial

Parts You Need

Total Cost
$35.00
Part Name Part Number Price Buy
Engine air filter for 2025-2026 Acura ADX; verify engine, housing shape, and VIN fitment — $35.00

About prices: shown prices are typical retail averages and change frequently; cheaper alternatives may be available. Confirm the current price before buying.

💡 Pro tip: Order all parts at once to save on shipping

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps carefully

1

Find the air cleaner case

Open the hood and find the black plastic air cleaner case. The ADX's 1.5L turbo is from the same L15 engine family as the Integra and shares the airbox design with the 2022+ Civic 1.5T.

2

Push the metal clips down

The lid is held by metal clips along one edge — press each clip downward with your thumb until it releases and folds out of the way. No tools needed; the clips are made for fingers. Free every clip before moving the lid.

3

Slide the cover toward the passenger side

With the clips released, push the cover toward the passenger side. Plastic locating feet on the far edge hook into the lower half — sliding sideways frees them, then the lid lifts straight off. Don't pry straight up against those feet; that's how they snap.

4

Lift out the old filter and note the arrow

Pull the old panel filter out. Note the airflow arrow on its side — the new filter must point the same way. While the box is open, glance at the intake hose connection for cracks or a loose clamp.

5

Clean out the lower half

Vacuum or wipe the lower half of the housing. Sand, leaves, and grit settle into the bottom of the tray, and clearing them out keeps the new filter from loading up on its first day of work.

6

Seat the new filter with the arrow matching

Drop the new filter in with its airflow arrow matching the old one's direction. Press it down evenly so the rubber sealing edge sits flat all around — a corner that rides up breaks the seal.

7

Re-hook the feet, latch the clips, and check your work

Set the lid back on, hook the plastic feet into their slots, slide the cover back toward the driver’s side, and flip each metal clip up over the lip until it catches. Start the engine — the idle should be smooth, with no whistle from the intake and no warning lights on the dash. Acura’s Maintenance Minder flags the air cleaner element under service sub-code 2, so only reset the minder once the job is genuinely done.

🔧 Mechanic's note — Tom Becker

My two cents on this step: Only reset that Maintenance Minder sub-code 2 after the filter is actually in — resetting it mid-job is how the car ends up thinking the filter was changed when it wasn't.

All Done!

Test your repair before closing everything up. If something doesn't work right, double-check your steps.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • • Prying the lid straight up against the plastic locating feet instead of sliding the cover sideways — the feet snap off
  • • Installing the new filter with the airflow arrow pointing the wrong way
  • • Leaving one of the metal clips unlatched so the lid vibrates and whistles
  • • Resetting the Maintenance Minder before the filter is actually replaced