Do it yourself, replace the air filter on your Ford Explorer if it’s made in the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005. You will not require tools for this replacement, only your bare hands and about 5 minutes of your time.
The first thing you have to do is to open the hood of your car and locate the air box. This is the air filter compartment and it is located behind the headlight assembly, on the passenger’s side. The easiest way to the filter is by removing the two clamps that hold the top cover of the air box, as shown in the picture below. If you find it better, you can unscrew the bolt of the collar on the air intake hose above and remove it.
After you detach the air box cover, one way or another, you can basically remove the old air filter (see the next picture).
Check and clean the bottom of the air box for dirt, leaves or debris and you can install the new, compatible filter (always verify the compatibility of the new filter before buying and installing it). In order to finish the repair process, close and secure the air box with the two clamps and you are done. This is everything you need to do, if you need to replace the air filter on your Ford Explorer made between the years 2001 and 2005.