On my wife's 2003 model, the filter is located underneath the front exhaust header. It's toward the left side of the engine as you face the engine with the hood up (the passenger side of the car). I just changed it and it was the first time in forty years that I could not budge the filter! The dealer did the previous change and ran the filter down to the rim. No amount of expletives will satisfy my rage! There are instructions on the side of every filter I've ever seen - grrr!
Okay, back on task. You can see the filter from the top through the little space between the header pipes. Stock filters are black. You can also gain access to the filter from underneath the car by removing the nine or ten 10mm bolts from the panel aft of the front bumper. The two outboard bolts are different than the others so take note. My oldest son was eventually able get it loose from above but the final removal was from below. This was after an hour or so of beating on it with a hammer and 3/4 inch pipe attempting to apply force to the tangent of the circle - if you know, you know
least two different type of "tripod" type filter wrenches that I will likely buy before the next change. I'll also be looking for a longer filter or a spacer in order to make access easier. Japanese designs are usually pretty good but not this time. Oh, and my ex-dealer will get the old filter and a piece of my mind too.
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