I have a 2002 escape so I imagine it's not much different. There is a pan on the driver's side of the engine up towards the front by the radiator. It is sitting vertically facing the front of the car.
I went through the painstaking process of pulling mine off to find the transmission filter only to find it didn't have a filter. Everyone told me it had a filter, even the dealer. All lies =) Don't waste 3 hours of your time pulling that thing off and then trying to get it back on.
The 2003 Elantra does not have a transmission filter.
The filter is inside the transmission and is not to be serviced. Just drain fluid and replace.
Remove the tranny pan
Inside the pan on the bottom of the trans.
Where is the location of the oil filter on a 2003 Ford Escape.
On top of the transmission under the air filter housing.
It is right next to the air filter
inside the tranny pan
The 2003 Ford Escape has a 5-speed manual.
Inside the transmission.
Transmission
You don't. It has a lifetime internal filter in the transmission.