i have a cai and i was wondering if the K&N air filter cleaner will work on any air filter or just k&n filters?

 

Please repeat that in English. I think "work" should be substitued for "order" and if so, the short answer is NO. Typically when a conventional air filter is dirty/not clean it should be just replaced. K&N filters should likely be re-oiled about ever 25 or 30K. They have a tendency to work better when they get dirtier, unlike a conventional air filter.

 

not a normal drop in air filter!!!!!!!!!

 

[QUOTE]They have a tendency to work better when they get dirtier, unlike a conventional air filter.[QUOTE]

haha thats funny way to make that up

 

re write your question. he can't understand what you said, and neither can i.

 

What I meant was for a drop-in panel filter, which is true. I'm not sure about any other applications.

 

if you have other cone filter, just dust it off and that's it, no need to oil it. K&N filter and no name filter are different materials.

 

i have a the stillen pop charger thing which is a K&N cone filter and i used the K&N filter cleaner and oil. it worked great

 

I just cleaned my K&N cone filter this past weekend. I clean it like it like every 6 months, and my car definitely has lost the sluggishness.. It's really easy to clean, and re-oil.. Mine looks brand new..

 

[QUOTE=drivinmax][QUOTE]They have a tendency to work better when they get dirtier, unlike a conventional air filter.1st off, Quit being such a smartazs. That's true, they work better after they get dirtier. K&N says they dont even need cleaning until 50,000.

 

I have owned a K&N for 7 years--it was a terrible waste of money. If I can save someone else some scratch by admitting my mistake, I will.

I believe that on this forum K&N is like a story that's been retold many times, and each time the story changes ever so slightly. So let me debunk some myths as I see them.

In the old days, about 7 years ago, K&N had bench flow testing results on their website. What that showed was that a new K&N flowed significantly better than factory new. Also, it showed that K&N dirty flowed better than factory dirty. Where the marketing snafu took place was it also showed factory new was significantly better than K&N cleaned/reoiled. The bright guys in marketing have since removed that data. That obviously shot them in the foot.

This notion that K&N gets better when it's dirty--let's try to understand. The idea is that the dirt acts as a filter--however, it cannot defy physics. As the filter gets dirty, the flow gets worse. So it's a trade-off. What size particle do you think can pass through a brand new K&N? So to conclude a dirty K&N is better than a brand new K&N isn't using one's head. Also, K&N themselves said in the past that a new factory has more flow than a cleaned/reoiled K&N. It's a shame that nobody has a gif that shows that chart. Probably the webmaster/host got canned for showing that on their website.

 

[QUOTE]rmurdoch They have a tendency to work better when they get dirtier, unlike a conventional air filter

thank you frank i thought that was a sack of shat

 

Well if you get on the K&N website they don't state that the filter works better the dirtier that it gets but they do go in depth describing the effects on air flow of a K&N filter which captures dirt in its pleats compared to a conventional air filter.

"The dirt particles collected on the surface of a K&N element have little effect on air flow during much of its service life because there are no small holes to clog. Particles are stopped by layers of crisscrossed cotton fibers and held in suspension by the oil. As the filter begins to collect debris, an additional form of filter action begins to take place because air must first pass through the dirt particles trapped on the surface. That means a K&N filter continues to exhibit high air flow throughout the life of the filter while it is continuing to accumulate dirt. At the same time, the air flow for an average paper filter can decrease dramatically as the paper element gets dirty. So as dirt accumulates, the performance advantages of a K&N filter can increase."

K&N recommends inspecting the filter at 30,000 miles, and cleaning it at 50,000 miles.
I have tossed 2 conventional air filters away at less than 22,500 miles because they were filthy and did not last the recommended 30K replacement interval.

I have a slightly used conventional air filter I can sell you cheap, Frank Fontaine. I intend to keep using my K&N as I like how my car performs with it in conjunction with my stainless steel Budget y-pipe and I get better fuel economy on the highway with it.

 

A factory filter is $7.40 no tax/free shipping. Each time one gets popped into the air box, the engine breathes at 100% again. Not so with a cleaned/reoiled. 8-9 of them cost the same as a K&N plus the cleaning kit. Most people in this forum will not keep the car long enough to purchase 8 air filters.

Back in 1998 the Maxima forum said 2.5 HP gain with K&N panel. There was a very elaborate grid that showed the benefits with various mods. If I'm not mistaken, the guy who ran the website was a 17 yr. old PhD candidate who went on to a Supra Turbo and never looked back to the Maxima he drove when he was 16. I just went to his website and wouldn't you know, he now drives a C5 Z06. Ain't it nice to be young and smart????

 

What car the PhD candidate who made those claims drives now is irrelevant to this discussion.

My K&N air filter cost me Cdn$54.61. My last factory filter cost me Cdn$11.91 from a local discount auto parts store. Engaging in a debate over the merits of a K&N air filter is not disimilar to debating the relative merits of dyno oil vs synthetic, synthetic vs non-synthetic tranny oil, copper vs platinum plugs etc. etc. Each alternative has its naysayers and advocates. So far I have yet to see any evidence refuting K&N's claim to better breathing from its air filters. I know my vehicle performs better with one.

By the same token, I intend to replace my OEM plugs with platinum, recently replaced my transaxle gear oil (but not with synthetic) and am debating whether or not to switch to Mobil 1 synthetic oil from Castrol GTX. I know there are opinions on the merits of these moves.

I'll sell you my factory air filter for US$5 Frank Fontaine (you pay the shipping), but you might not have any use for it in your much-anticipated BMW. How's that coming?