How the heck do I clean my injen filter. dont tell me I have to take the damn bumber off to get the thing do I?

 

How else did you think you were gonna clean it when you installed it the first time, or when you got the car back after the install? That's one thing people don't think of when they get a CAI.

But to be helpful, I've read somewhere on the forum that you can jack up the car, take a tire off, Peel the plastic back(like you were gonna change your headlight bulbs) and reach your hand in to somehow grab the filter for cleaning.

Good luck.

 

dog nammit! Thanks though. still sounds complicated becasue I think I remember there being a screw that held the filter in place to the bumper. freaking hell why the hell did I get a CAI?!

 

how long has it been on your car? cotton filters still work fine for many tens of thousands of miles. if it hasnt been there for at least 30k miles it probably doesnt need cleaned. unless of course it looks really dirty.

 

see i dont understand why people complain about cleaning the filter about CAI's
I mean depending on how much ya drive the Z (most ppl drive around 10k miles/year) that means you only have to clean it about once and max twice a year...

 

I have a popcharger and it's suggested you clean it every 10K. When the 10K mark arrived, I took it off to clean it and man was it dirty, I saw all the dirt, small insects, and small crap coming off when I was rinsing it, and this is a popcharger that is not in front of the open grill area. So I can only imagine how dirty the CAI filter would be when it is that close to the ground and in front of the grill where bugs and dirt are naturally spewed on to.

When you think about it, You bought these filters because they are top of the line unrestrictive filter because you want the most airflow going throgh them. So why in hell would you wait 30K to clean a filter(even if the instruction says so or whatever) when you should really be doing it 5K-10K to make sure it is the cleanest possible to be the most free flowing. If you were gonna leave it for 30K before cleaning all the bugs and crap from it, you might as well have stuck with the OEM restrictive filter.

 

http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm#19

20. How do I know when to clean the filter?

The general rule of thumb is that the filter needs to be cleaned when the dirt build up gets as thick as the wire mesh. The usual interval is 30,000 - 50,000 miles depending on driving conditions. We recommend that you check your filter about once a year in normal usage

taken straight from k&n. just check it but its ok if its a little dirty. i dont know about you but i only drive about 12000 miles a year, so that means it will be almost 5 years before i absolutley need to clean it, unless it gets gunk on it.

obviously the pop charger might be a little different, but all of these intakes use a cotton filter. personally i think k&n knows more about cotton filters than any other company.

some more food for thought.

i have several mechanic friends that work at speed shops who swear that the cotton filters work BETTER once they get a little dirty. they say that the filter will clean the air better with dirt in the mesh.

 

hmm its been over 10k since it was put in and well it does look dirty as hell. Has anyone ever cleaned there Injen Cai. I mean I'll try the whole taking the wheel off and trying to pry the plastic off but just want to know what Im doing before I break something. Cuz THAT im good at

 

Like my post above, I never disputed your 30K cleaning instruction from the companies. What I did say is that even if they tell me that it needs to be cleaned every 30K, I'd clean it every 10K anyways because I want it to be as cleaned as possible.

And what your mechanic friends said, I'd take that with a grain of salt.

Oh, and about what companies state... I have a Borla TD cat-back, and Borla claims 23HP gain with a dyno chart. I doubt that I gained 23HP after I installed the Borla TD. Same goes to K&N, they could have mentioned the 50K to maybe make more sales so people think that the filter can last 50K before having to clean the filters. We just don't know the test envirnment companies do to their product to state what they have stated. Maybe the K&N filter was driven in a colder climate where there are less bugs, or driven in a state that is a warm climate that does not need the road to be salted or sanded. Who knows. I take what Borla says with a grain of salt and I take what K$N says the same way.

EDIT: I just thought of something, that link that you sent me does not specify a specific K&N filter. For all we know, they could be talking about the popular drop in K&N filter that you just drop into the stock filter box. Of course it won't need cleaning for 50K if it is in the damn stock air box. And have you seen K&N's own intake system for the 350Z? The filter is inside the engine bay: http://www.intensepower.com/kntyinkit35.html

Even K&N was smart enough to put the Filter in a place where you have access to cleaning it and not putting it at the front where dirt and bugs can make cleaning the filter sooner rather then later. So, yeah, I guess like you said, K&N is most knowledgable in cotton filter, knowledgable enough to make an intake system for the 350Z that puts the filter away from the grill.

As you know, companies state the minimum that you have to do, but I suspect we car enthusiats would like to do more then just the minimum.

 

A cold air intake is a performance plus, but I prefer that the filter is inside the engine bay.

 

if u want it to be easier next time to clean, u can convert the injen to a short ram intake. just disconnect the rubber tube and reattach the filter to the end of the metal pipe. works just as good, but u lose the cold air effect.

 

Screw it Ill take the damn wheel off then and try and get in there. ANyone done this before?

 

its NOT that dificult!
if u put it in ur self u should have no problems cleaning it
i mean just imagine doing the installation backwards without taking out the piping
lol

 

You should be able to get to it by taking off the black plastic peice under the front of the car. Also, if you're that worried about having to clean it so often...
1. Get the Hydroshield thing that Injen sells. It goes over the filter to protect from water injestion. Flows just as good as normal, but I'm pretty damn sure it would stop at least 75% of dirt and other **** from getting on your filter.
2. Convert to short-ram.
3. Get a Pop Charger.

 

Did you do the install yourself?