I'm getting pretty crappy mileage- about 9-10 mpg city- in my '04 w/ 75k miles. I know I need to flush and refill everything, clean intake and induction, replace spark plugs and wires, and poss. replace the 02 sensors- but might my air filter dirtiness and lack of tight seal coming from 2 broken clips at the round intake connection be a significant part of it?

Are other people having these semi-flimsy clips break? I know the housing still stays in place thanks to the relatively tight fit of everything but does this system rely on a vacuum tight seal?

Also how do you tell if you filter is bad? I held it up to sunlight and I could see little slivers of light but not much. Color-wise it still looks pretty orange (LR factory filter) and not too dirty

 

How long has it been in there?
10,000, 20,000, 50,000 miles?
If it has been 20k or more change it.
From the sounds of it it needs it anyway.
$12 at Advance Auto for a Purolator air filter.
If you had a leak past the filter box it would set off the check engine light.
The break all the time and replacements are hard to come by because of this.
You may be stuck buying a brand new one.
But check these places first.
www.autosportsunlimited.com
www.roverlandparts.com