K&N Filter Maintenance

[niben001]

A friend let me know about the K&N lifetime filter maint. and I thought I'd pass it on.

I've had mine in the fizz for over a year with no cleaning or oil, this is a no, no. :spank::spank:

I used a k&n cleaning kit, $12, includes a solvent and oil. I soaked it with the solvent, rinsed and plan on applying the oil tomorrow, when it's dry. I left out the details, read the directions if you need to do this too.:america:

 

[Azz]

A friend let me know about the K&N lifetime filter maint. and I thought I'd pass it on.

I've had mine in the fizz for over a year with no cleaning or oil, this is a no, no. :spank::spank:

I used a k&n cleaning kit, $12, includes a solvent and oil. I soaked it with the solvent, rinsed and plan on applying the oil tomorrow, when it's dry. I left out the details, read the directions if you need to do this too.:america:

I've had mine for about 4 months now, reckon she needs a clean?
do they sell the cleaning kit at the bike shops?

 

[niben001]

I've had mine for about 4 months now, reckon she needs a clean?
do they sell the cleaning kit at the bike shops?

hit google and type in k& n cleaning kit, you'll get all the options there.

 

[Red Wazp]

A friend let me know about the K&N lifetime filter maint. and I thought I'd pass it on.

I've had mine in the fizz for over a year with no cleaning or oil, this is a no, no. :spank::spank:

HUH?? K&N website says you should only clean the filter if you can't see the wire screen. First check should be around 25,000 miles but may not need a cleaning until 50,000 miles unless you ride in the dirt.
Check their FAQ's

So how many miles did you have in a year and could you see the screen?
In a way the dirtier they get the better they work to a point.

Cleaning to often will lead to problems with excess oil from the filter in your throttle body or carb and spark plugs.

 

[wolfe1down]

HUH?? K&N website says you should only clean the filter if you can't see the wire screen. First check should be around 25,000 miles but may not need a cleaning until 50,000 miles unless you ride in the dirt.
Check their FAQ's

So how many miles did you have in a year and could you see the screen?
In a way the dirtier they get the better they work to a point.

Cleaning to often will lead to problems with excess oil from the filter in your throttle body or carb and spark plugs.

+1. I've had mine on my Grand Cherokee for just over 4 years now, and FINALLY had to clean it because I couldn't see the screen. Unless you're in a really hot, dusty environment, you're filter should be good to go for quite a long time. As the filter gets 'dirtier' it actually filters better.

From K&N:

How often do I need to clean my K&N air filter?

If you have not experienced a decrease in mileage or engine performance, chances are your filter is fine and does not yet need cleaning. To be more specific, the filter does not require cleaning if you can still see the wire screen on the entire air filter regardless of how dirty it may appear. When the screen is no longer visible some place on the filter, it is time to clean it. When used in normal paved road, street or highway conditions, our replacement air filters that fit in the factory air box should require cleaning every 50,000 miles and our large conical filters on an intake system should require cleaning every 100,000 miles. When used in dusty or off-road environments, our filters will require cleaning more often. We recommend that you visually inspect your filter once every 25,000 miles to determine if the screen is still visible.

Over-oiling

When servicing a K&N filter, take care not to over-oil the element. Besides impeding air flow, excess oil can migrate into the intake system where it can coat electronic sensors, which some OEM’s claim may hinder the sensors’ operation and result in a repair that will not be covered under warranty. Although K&N disagrees with such claims, as explained in more detail on this web site, in order to avoid a dispute with an OEM over the denial of a warranty claim, we suggest that you be careful not to over-oil your K&N air filter. Never saturate the filter. If oil drips from the filter, wash it and start over. Use only K&N oil. For example, an E-1500 filter has 92.4-inches of surface area requiring 1.707 fluid ounces of oil. Follow oiling instructions included with your filter or refer to the instructions listed here.

Hope this clarifies some. K&N make awesome filters, and I've used them on the last four vehicles that I've owned, plus my last two bikes!!

 

[niben001]

Nice info! thanks for expanding. I haven't taken the time to check the k&n website, i just took a buddies word for it and started cleaning. :spank:

My filter was dirty, about 14k miles on it, though I could see the screen. I didn't oil it upon purchase though, didn't think I needed to. It must've come with oil but it was white, now is red with new oil.