Pay to Change Your Auto Air Filter?

I recently took my car in for the scheduled maintenance, which I do every time the scheduled maintenance light comes on. I own a 2006 Honda Accord and like taking it to the dealer for the regular checks, at least until the warranty is up. On my last trip there was some recommended maintenance that was suggested. The Honda employee suggested I change the rear breaks and replace the engine air filter and cabin a/c filter. He gave me the price for the breaks and then told me it would cost around $140 to replace the two filters. I am not a car maintenance expert, but since I am currently trying to budget and save money, I had them hold off on replacing the filters.

After picking up the car, I went home to do a quick search on the internet for changing car engine air filters and cabin air filters. I came across a Honda forum and a Youtube video and it looked like something I would be able to do in a short amount of time. I searched for the parts and found that I could buy the Honda OEM filters for around $36.

I have received the filters and changed them in my car. By taking some time to do some research I saved myself close to $100. I suggest leaving the complicated maintenance for the pros, but for the little stuff, do a little research. You may be surprised at how easy it is and how much you will save.

Just to show you how easy it is to change the cabin air conditioning filter on my car, I have included the youtube video that I followed.