Hi guys! How often do you guys clean your k&n filters, when using your car primarly on regular streets? Also how long after cleaning it do you reinstall it? Do I have to wait on it to dry? The instructions on the recharge kit box doesn't specify an exact amount of time to wait before reinstalling the filter. I do not wanna blow my MAF.

 

I clean mine once a year, in the summer. Probably overkill but the recharge kits are so cheap I don't care. I usually let it dry for a few hours in the heat after I wash it and then for another hour or so after I oil it. Go light on the oil and do multiple passes -- better than doing too much and ruining your MAF.

 

If you blow the MAF it's because you over oiled the filter. I'd clean it every 30k miles. Not sure what the directions are, but when I had the k&n I put it outside to dry. It took maybe 10 minutes out in the sun. After that just sprayed it with the oil and put it back in.

 

Let it dry overnight in a cool place. Don't not use any forced air or heat to dry it. ONE pass with the oil. Then just spritz the remaining unoiled areas.

These instructions are pretty clear on the kit.

 

I have 3 K&Ns I rotate when they get dirty, havent cleaned any yet, im on filter #2 right now

 

Good idea...I've been meaning to do this, but never got around to it. My K&N gets especially dirty being under the car with no lower engine cover. (Injen intake)

 

i usually recharge it every 15k. Not a bad idea to get a couple and just switch them out.

 

I clean mine, let it dry for a gfew hrs.. Then oil it and let it sit over night before I re-install it in the morning.. Never had a problem with a blown MAF..

 

I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I think girls in Maximas' are sexy. Especially girls who know somehting about the car they are driving. You saying "MAF" is the coolest. Are there more like you? Welcome to the Org.

 

Yeah, I wish people would stop the "shock" threads--it's not rocket science on how much to oil the filter. Rule of thumb is the less the better--it does come out of a spray can so it isn't as if you pour it on like the Kendall slogan. And I was amazed that someone has a 3 K&N rotation? Don't ever do stuff like that if you ever want to run or own a business. Can you imagine, say you leased taxi medallions in NYC for a living. You get 3 of them just to cover when the cab is down? Not gonna last too long that way.

I have a factory Nissan. When the K&N comes out, it goes in. The K&N gets toothbrushed for loose debris. Then I tap it to dislodge anything resisting the brush. Next I shop vac it. Lastly, I spray the solution, let it sit, and reverse flush. After shaking the H20 out, I let it dry at a 23 degree angle as the excess will still settle at the bottom. Shake again, and let it at an angle the other way around. After a day or even more because who cares, the Nissan filter is in, spray as little oil as possible. I do it as often as I change my oil, which is 5k or maybe 6k. You wasted the $45 on the filter, why leave it in there when it's not clean? You don't believe me the VQ is gonna soil an air filter in 8k? Take a brand new Nissan filter, put it in, drive 8k, and take it out. The results speak for themselves

 

In my recharge kit, the oil comes in a bottle and you have to squeeze it on the filter. The cleaner is the spray.

 

??? O.K. not me, I too rotate two filters I put on the Injen when kleening the K&N. I was like above let dry for DAYS followed by oil, let it sit a few more days then re-install. after 2 K&N cleanings I will clean the injen filter!

 

Why so amazed? Are we even on the same page here? I literally do the exact same thing as you except I bougt 3 filters(actually 2 since I sold one), maybe a mis interpritation, And if your talking about me wasting my money on that many K&Ns, they were $10 each at the time, I should have bought 10 of them.

 

FYI, you should oil it so it's just as dark as it was when it was brand new... if that's possible. Keep in mind, over-oiling can damage the MAF sensor if excess oil leaks through with the airflow.
On the other hand, UNDER-oiling it will hamper the filtration ability of the filter, and allow more dirt to be sucked into the engine. The oil actually does the filtering, the cotton material of the filter is just a membrane to hold the oil and still allow very efficient airflow.

edit:
Also, when you first spray on the oil, give it an hour or more to soak in. I noticed when I cleaned my first K&N panel filter that it looked perfectly red after I oiled it, but 2 days later after installing it on my car, it looked a little more "pink." So add another light coat of oil if it turns pink after soaking in... but try not to over-oil, and ONLY ever apply oil to the dirty side (i.e. the side that faces the outside air, _NOT_ the side that faces the MAF sensor!!)

 

I did what you did before, and saw my highway mpgs drop to 22. I pulled the K&N out, put the factory Nissan in, and my mpg's went up to 28. I rewashed the K&N and used less oil, and the mpg's were about 28.

K&N is not rocket science. They have been around, espec. with motorcycles. People our grandpas age laugh at how much they are able to sell their filters for. When I got mine, the forum actually claimed a 2 HP gain by using it which we all know is bunk.

Everybody do what you want if you think K&N is science. I pass once lightly with the oil. I never go back and put even more oil on it. I've read the K&N propoganda, and even they do not claim that a used cleaned/reoiled K&N has more airflow than a new factory. And I don't get it, someone else claimed he pours the oil on....mine is clearly like an aerosol can without the aerosol--and it's my 2nd kit.

 

Fair enough, you probably did end up putting too much oil on the filter the 2nd time around.

I've heard that K&N oil can come in a squirt bottle or an aerosol spray. The stuff I buy in the kit at the local Advance Auto parts is aerosol-based for both oil and cleaner.

 

Eat your heart out, Frankie boy.

 

thats some ugly *** wallpaper...

 

true.

 

You get used to garish things like that when you live in a 300 year old house.

 

can we see how cute you are "cutemaximagirl" ?
:

 

lol

 

......

 

oh settle your raging hormones....

 

...it could be a man...




what could be symptoms of a failing MAF sensor?

 

I clean my filter about every 20K and everyone else already covered how to clean and re oil it...I was just going to tell you to check out your local section, United States>>DC area....we have a meet coming up in a week and a half.

 

I've used K&N's for 6 years now and feel that they do a really good job. In answer to your question about how often to clean? I would say once every 25K but not more than once a year.

I tap it then use a garden hose to back flush it, let it dry overnight & it is best to actually try & tilt it when letting it dry. On the oil, less is best. The point of the oil is to trap very small particles......thus if there is enough oil for droplets to fly into the intake system you're defeating the purpose.

As to buying multiple K&N's and rotating them.....well when I purchased my first car I changed the oil & filter every 2,000 miles. It was going overboard but I felt good about it & it allowed me to get 130K miles out of a Chevy Vega which were notorious for blowing engines after 30K.

Welcome to the board. Don't be afraid to ask questions, you'll get a lot of razz from the kids on here but after all their just kids.

Mr. Peabody

 

i just clean mine whenever the dust and crap is at the same height as the wire mesh (they even say that on their website).