i got a k&n air filter and i was just wondering what is the best way to clean it. Do i need to buy a cleaning kit for it or just soap and water? how do you guys do it ?

 

Buy the cleaning kit from Adance Auto or some other local parts store.

It's pretty simple... pull the filter and knock the larger bugs and such out of it. Then spray the cleaner on it and let it soak for a bit. Then rinse the filter, you should see a ton of dirt coming out of it. After you let it dry out completely just spray some of the oil that came in the kit on it and re-install.

It's not bad at all

 

You need the cleaning kit because it also comes with oil your supposed to put on the filter, the oil is what makes the K&N red.

 

Use the kit...it's like $10 or so. If wanna go cheap, then use water, let completely air dry, and re-oil, but I'd avoid the soap stuff. May start blowing bubbles out your tailpipe.

Seriously, if you're gonna invest in the high perf filter, might as well follow the supplier's recommended cleaning process.

 

Run the water through the filter ONLY on the clean side out. The idea is that you want to remove any dirt and trapped particles from the dirty side of the filter. If you run the water from the dirty side out the clean side of the filter you're just driving the dirt and contaminants deeper into the cotton gauze of your filter and you're not really cleaning it.

After it's clean and dry lightly oil the formerly dirty side and VERY lightly the clean side and let it soak in for a few minutes before install.

If you don't like waiting for a newly washed reuseable filter to dry, get a second one and you can just swap in a newly oiled filter right away and clean the dirty one whenever you want. That way you'll always have one at the ready and there's no major downtime when you have to clean the dirty one from you car.

 

or just replace it with the factory AC Delco filter..
Much better from my tests.

 

Why didn't you do those tests BEFORE I went out and bought my K&N filter?!?!?!? No, no.....I went ahead and spent $85 for the stupid thing, just to find out a few months later that they rob the engine of power!



Too late now though, so I bought the K&N cleaner/re-charger kit, and at least I'll never have to buy another air filter for my car for the rest of its life!