How often do you guys clean your filter? I read somewhere that it can go for 50,000 miles (depending on driving conditions). Read somewhere else to replace it every 30,000 miles or 12 months...

 

Well the idea is that you can clean it. Replacing it would only make sense if it has worn out or suffered some sort of damage.

I'll clean mine after about 8 months or so. It all depends on how many miles you drive, under what conditions, and the location of the filter. The Injen filter I have on is looking pretty darn not too bad after 3 months on the car. I'll probably take it off for the winter and reinstall for the summer. Cleaning it once a year prior to putting it away for winter storage.

CM.

 

Just out of curiosity, why would you take it off for the winter?

 

Lots of salt/brine and general crud off the road. I don't want to be taking that in.

 

It just takes a few minutes to clean, you must let it dry completely before
re-oiling it. I don't see why anyone would wait 6 or 8 months to do it. I think
every oil change would be much better. It will get plugged with dust and lower it's capacity to pass air through it, if it is let go too long. The cleaning Kit is only $10 and you can "recharge" the filter 3-4 times easily with one kit and have a more consistant airflow.

Banditman

 

For those who don't read signatures like me most of the time...The reason canadian **** takes of the filter in the winter is because it is a cold air intake, which he didn't mention but it is listed in his signature. A cai is going to suck up a lot of stuff. Good decision about taking it off in the winter...do you take out the whole cai and replace it with stock or do you put a cheaper filter?

As far as how often one should clean a filter depends on who you talk to. Some let their filters get dirty and never clean them becuase they feel that the filter does a better job filtering the air coming in (which is kinda true but that lets less air flow if you got a lot of stuff on the filter). Others like to keep their stuff clean as the day they bought it. IMHO i would clean it as often as necessary to help keep the flow as open as possible.

 

Just going back to stock for the winter.

 

Depends on the CONDITIONS you live in, in the desert, you will get more sand and dust. Key is take the filter out, visually inspect it, if it is turning black or brown, time to clean it. Keep a stock filter if it is just a drop in type. Easy to clean with a hose, let dry....than LIGHT oil just enough to cover the filter. Too much oil and you will mess with the MAF and set off a check engine light. K&N cleaner and a steady hose stream work well. Again, check the condition of the filter. Replacing a K&N filter at 30K defeats the purpose of buying a reusable filter.

A conical filter will be exposed more and get dirtier faster so you will have to clean it more. A true CAI setup with a conical filter will get dirty the quickest. Never put a wet filter on the car, always good to have a spare for when you have to clean one. Also, do not use a high pressure hose to clean it.

Hope this helps. They are very easy to clean and do not need it that often