run warm water from a hose from the inside out. let it soak in a soapy solution, and then you can use a soft toothbrush to loosen the dirt. use oil recharge, or just spray some wd-40 lightly over the cone.

 

Please don't take offense. WD-40 is a cleaner, a solvent and it is flammable. If you spray it on the filter as a final prep, it will quickly dry and leave nothing behind to catch the dust and dirt that the filter is suppose to catch. Running warm water might not get the dirt out as the filter starts out being oiled and we know about oil and water, right? WD-40, in fact, would be a better first step to make the dirt (which is in the oil) more "flushable" with warm water after. The soapy water is also good but as the first step.
Just go with the K&N cleaner kit and follow the instructions therein and you'll be golden.

 

You should not have to clean the filter after 3-4 months of normal use. The filter actully does a better job if somewhat dirty. I know it is hard to believe, but a freshly washed and oiled filter does a poorer job filtering out dust particles than one that has 3-4 months worth of crud on it. I would recommend that you wait a few more months before you clean and oil it. I usually clean mine once a year and only if necessary.

 

interesting. mine needs clearing too. thanks for the tips.

LIL Raja

 

what is the right amount of time till you clean your filter. i was thinking about 10-15k miles. i pulled mine at 10 and it didn't look very dirty at all. and since air really only came in the front grill only ones side of the filter was dirty so i turned the filter around and everything seemed fine. but now i put grills and cut out the fake brakes. so it should be pretty dirty.

 

BlueS

Does cuting out the fake brake vent improve anything?

Would you recommend doing this instead of cutting out the side panel as required with these intake?

 

there are two panels that you are suppost to cut. the inner which is inside the front grill i woud recomend this one. the other being inside the wheel well. i would never do this. you will be throwing up so much stuff from when you are driving , dirt water gravel. personaly i like having my brake ducts cut. i notice changes such as the hum of the intake is much louder. and two it make a ram air affect once you are going about 55. the car seems a bit louder when you realy get on it. hope this helps