Kia Sportage
Engine Air Filter Replacement Guide
How to clean or change the Theta II 2.4L
I4 engine's air filter in a 4th generation 2017 to 2022 Kia Sportage.
 2018 Sportage 2.4L I4 |
 Engine Air Filter Box |
 Pull Open Access Cover |
| This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the fourth
generation (2017, 2018, 2019 and probably also the refreshed 2020, 2021 and
2022) Kia Sportage SUV in cleaning or changing the engine air filter element
for the Hyundai Theta II 2.4 liter inline four cylinder motor. Owners of other Kia, Hyundai and Genesis vehicles such as the Niro, Optima, Soul, Forte, Rio, Stinger, Cadenza, K900, Sorento, Telluride, Sedona, Kona, Santa Fe, Tucson, Elantra, Sonata, Accent, Rondo, Carens, Veloster, Ioniq, Nexo, Palisade, G70, G80 and G90 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible replacement engine air filters with their part numbers include the following: EcoGard XA10426, Premium Guard PA99097 and Fram CA12065. No tools are needed to access and replace the engine air filter. A wet/dry shop vacuum may be useful if you plan on cleaning and re-using the original OEM filter. |
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 Access Panel Opened |
 Plastic Locking Tab |
 Swing Down To Unlock |
| The first two steps
are to open the hood and then move to the right (driver) side of the engine
bay. The engine air box is located just behind the 12V automotive battery, to the left of the electrical fuse box and in front of the brake fluid reservoir. Pull the top edge of the filter access door to open it and reveal the old filter. There are two plastic latches that secure the filter tray inside the slot. Rotate the left side latch down and then swing the right side latch down to the "Unlocked" position. |
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 Right Side Latch Tab |
 Unlock Right Side Latch |
 Slide Out Old Filter |
| Pull the old air filter straight out of the slot. | ||
 Old Filter Removed |
 Inspect Both Sides |
 Clean Out Filter Slot |
| Inspect both sides
of the old filter. If the OEM filter is dark grey or black and clogged with dirt, dust, hair, soot, pollen, leaves, insects, sand and other debris, it should be replaced with a new element. I recommend buying the EcoGard XA10426 engine air filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon. If the old filter is relatively clean, just tap out the large debris and remove any fine dust with a vacuum cleaner. Check the filter slot in the air intake box for any large debris such as leaves or twigs. If your vacuum has a crevice attachment, clean out any debris from the filter slot. |
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 Clean With Vacuum |
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 Line Up New Filter |
| Line up the new
filter with the two locking tabs located at the outer edge (closest to you). Slide the new filter straight into the slot. Due to the plastic tray, the filter can only be inserted in the correct orientation. If the new filter doesn't slide in easily, you may have to flip it over to the correct position. |
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 Slide New Filter Into Slot |
 Swing Up Left Side Lock |
 Secure Right Side Lock |
| Swing the left and
right side grey plastic latches up to the "Locked" position. Double check that the new filter is securely installed. |
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 New Filter Secured |
 Close Access Door |
 Engine Filter Replaced |
| Swing the filter
access cover up and push on it to secure the retaining clips. Be sure to record the filter change in your vehicle's service records. Please check out all of my
2017-2022 Kia Sportage DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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