How do you guys clean your K&N filter? Do I need to get the special cleaner and the oil?

 

Dawn dish soap works for cleaning but you need filter oil. Just get the k&n kit, it will last you years

 

Yeah I used to just wash em out in the sink with dawn then re-lube & call it a day. I sure wish they made the dry technology free flow filters for the D2, but AEM, and AFE don't so we're stuck with the K&N.

I've almost grabbed 2 at the junk yard for cheap, but each time either it was cracked or some dummy stepped on it and crushed it... I can always dream lol

 

Just cleaned mine yesterday....They don't sell the cleaner separate, you always go through more cleaner than the oil. Just by the k&n cleaning kit.

 

Honestly, never cleaned it other than blowing it out with the air compressor. Should probably do that.

 

I don't have a K&N currently but I've seen a big black spray bottle with K&N slapped on it, and I think it's to clean them, so if you have the oil you can give that stuff a try.

 

Don't over oil. As an owner of an Audi daily driver, and other German cars in the past, the oil itself can screw up the MAF quickly. Most folks will recommend to go lightly on the oil. Since the Bosch MAF is very similar to Audi, VW, BMW, etc. I'd suspect it could have the same results. If you K&N users experience any weird codes, my first advice would be clean your MAF. I really haven't seen much gains with K&N, even on turbo cars. I personally stick to an oem paper filter once a year.

 

I agree. I just haven't replaced mine yet. The K&N has gotten a bad rap with Land Rover owners. Use the oil to a minimum if you do have one.

 

I've tried K&N air filters back in the 90's, don't have anything bad to say about them, but nothing good either. I think the claims about more power are a bunch of hogwash. I've just used paper filters for about the last 20 years. They work well and are cheap with no maintenance like an oil filter has.

 

Couple of notes...

After you clean your K&N, drive for about a week and then clean your MAF sensor. No matter how careful you are a little bit of excess oil come off.

Does K&N give you more HP, well yes and it has been validated multiple times using dynos by various companies otherwise K&N could not make that claim.

However...the HP gains are at mostly 2 to 3 hp for a stock engine that the butt dyno would not notice.

For a more tuned engine that requires the additional air flow, I have seen dyno reports from actual people I know that showed about a 10 hp increase with cone K&N over stock panel filter.