Motor vehicle air filter apparatus with an easily removable air filter

An air filter apparatus that is adapted to filter air drawn into a motor vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a passenger compartment and an instrument panel having an outer skin, said air filter apparatus comprising:

• an air filter housing comprising an external air side, an internal air side, and a filter channel defined between said external and internal air sides;
• a filter element disposed in said filter channel of said air filter housing for filtering the air drawn into the vehicle;
• and
• said air filter housing further comprising a filter access port defined between said external and internal air sides and extending from said filter channel wherein said filter access port is adapted to terminate adjacent the outer skin of the instrument panel such that said filter element can be selectively removed from said filter channel for service and/or replacement of said filter element from the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

A motor vehicle comprising:

• a front-of-dash wall defining an engine compartment and a passenger compartment of said vehicle;
• an instrument panel having an outer skin, said instrument panel being disposed in said passenger compartment of said vehicle;
• an air filter housing comprising an external air side, an internal air side, and a filter channel defined between said external and internal air sides, said air filter housing being disposed in said instrument panel for filtering air drawn into the vehicle;
• a filter element disposed in said filter channel of said air filter housing for filtering the air drawn into the vehicle;
• and
• said air filter housing further comprising a filter access port defined between said external and internal air sides and extending from said filter channel to terminate adjacent said outer skin of said instrument panel such that said filter element can be selectively removed from said filter channel for service and/or replacement of said filter element from said passenger compartment of said vehicle.