its been about a year, put 15k on the cai filter

think i should clean it out??

 

yes

 

damn it, i dunno how

 

is it a CAI cone filter? Just go to auto zone or whatever your local auto store is and by a K&N filter recharging kit and follow it's instructions. It's $10 and you can 2-3 cleanings out of it. It contains the cleaner and oil to apply after it's clean.

 

i know that but i dunno how to take the intake off n shit

 

You just pull off the splash guard on the filter side, reach up in there, unscrew the filter clamp, and wiggle the focker loose.

No big deal.

 

I clean & oil mine once every SPRING & FALL.
That equates to about every 5,000-miles for me.
It’s usually quite dirty too.

Shawn S

 

I do mine every other oil change.

 

Are you guys crazy, every other oil change, the thing is a fucken hassle to get off, gotta go under splahs guard unscrew the clamp, recharge it, put it back on. ill do every 15k like darrin

 

i gotta buy the cleaner kit and get this done some time soon

 

You are the crazy one if you leave that dirt on your filter. Just robs power from you. My regular filter is getting dirty after 5K miles, a CAI would be worse.

 

thanks for reminding me, I havent cleaned mine since i got the cai.

 

how long have u had it mantis

 

I can jack the front corner, loosen the splashguard and have the filter out in about 15 minutes.
Another 15 to clean it up in my utility sink.
After cleaning, I rinse it again and then let it sit for 45 to dry while I wash the car.
A quick 2 minute spray of oil and it’s ready to be reinstalled.
Another 20 to button things back up and I’m ready to roll.

It’s really no big deal to do it twice a year.

Shawn S

 

I haven't either.:o

 

This lack of CAI filter care is giving me the chills.

Do you people change your oil on time???

I could see going 15K miles on a normail air filter, but something that sits THAT close to the ground, exposed to the elements deserves much more frequent care. :P

 

i don't remember when I got it... uhh, hmm...march - april 2003 maybe?

 

oil has to be changed? i think they change my oil every time i get a scheduled maintenance, (every 30000 miles or so).

 

Why?

Because of it's design the longer you leave it on (dirty) the better it filters. Really no problem with it until it becomes restrictive. Which would take a long time.

A clean K&N filter does not filter smaller dust particles that a dirty one would.

 

Well, a cleaner filter is a better-breathing filter too.

Seems silly to go that long with cleaning it.

 

Before & after cleaning pictures after only about 5,000 miles of driving.........

 

I do it twice a year as well... along the same schedule as Shawn, once in the spring and once in the fall. It's not the most fun job, but it's really not that hard....

 

i have cut out the splash gaurd and my filter gets crazy dirty, but its louder than hell.

 

icebox ownz joo, 5 easy to acess bolts and she is out and ready to be cleaned.

 

Haven't cleaned mine yet, only have 10,000 miles on it. Dealer who does Comptech stuff says that it can go for 30,000 before it's next cleaning. Figure it gets as dirty as a normal air filter, since it's enclosed and higher in the engine bay than most CAI.

Thoughts?

 

WTF you dont have your splash guard anymore, damn thats taking a risk about hydrolocking im guessing.

Shawn,
I dont have a jack, I have to go under the car and try to unbolt it from there. Its pretty damn annoying

 

imma buy the cleaning kit tommorw

 

There's one in the trunk...

 

Did anyone with an AEM cai actually get a K&N filter with it? Mine says AEM on it so what kit do I get to clean it?

 

From AEM website -

"Service your AEM filter element with AEM's Filter Cleaning System at least every 50,000 miles or 30 months to maintain optimum performance. We recommend that AEM filter elements be serviced every 25,000 miles or 15 months on off-road and high-performance street applications. If you live in a region with extremely fine dust (arid or desert climates for example, follow the recommended schedule for off-road and high-performance vehicles. Always inspect your filter element whenever you change your oil."


http://www.aemintakes.com/faq.asp?fid=39&sid=24&tid=

Jim

 

I NEVER cleaned mine. That was the beauty of it. No cleaning for 30,000 or so miles!

 

It gets louder when you clean it? huh?

 

actually whoever is right^ the cleaning every 30k is about right..as the filter gets dirtier it works better..it actually says it on the recharger kit if i'm not mistaking?

 

So whats the bottom line answer, if I got the AEM filter instead of the K&N couldnt I still use the K&N recharge kit since the filters are basically the same.

So clean every like 10k, 20k, or 30k?

 

Since no-one took me up for my offer (Exhaust Trade ) & with all the talks of intakes lately I decided to resurrect my Injen CAI that's been in storage for about a year.

Lately I've been redlining to hear my engine and I do admit, I kinda miss the sound. So...I washed the greese up hoses with dishwasher detergent, bought a dremel attachement from HomeDepot to stip the paint off clean, and ordered me a set of these online for less than $60


K&N RX-4990 XStream® Universal Air Filter /w built in velocity stack

Over-cleaning is a huge mistake. The filter doesn't work at its peak performance until it gets dirty! Why not follow the instructions?!

 

you're supposed to clean that thing?

shit.

 

ICEBOX is supposed to be cleaned every oil change it says. I didn't clean it till after 13k miles.

 

The CAI filter element on the AEM works best went it is dirty, there is no reason to clean it too much, you're only fixing something that ain't broke. Cleaning it once a year, or 15000 miles should do; hell, unless you live in the desert or high wind area, 30000 miles is fine.

 

I have yet to clean my icebox filter.

Who knows where to buy the cleaning kit for the icebox (uni) filter?

 

If you inspect it a couple of times, you should know if it is ok or not. Conditions vary from place to place and even from season to season.

IF you are out and around areas with blowing sand (e.g. the dessert); have a lot of pollen and bugs collecting on your car's bumper and window in spring (are you in AG country?); and/or do lots of driving on filthy freeways with lots of rubber dust and fine grit (left by big trucks that don't cover their loads of grit well), THEN the change interval is going to be SHORTER. Even driving at high RPMs on the freeway will change how much air is getting sucked through the thing. And, you could have one person “loafing” along at 1- to 2-K RPMs and another person living near redline. It all makes a difference.

If the unit is caked, it isn't going to flow air well.

Inspect it from time to time, and it's no longer a mystery.