I am thinking about purchasing a K&N filter for my car.?

Question

I have never bought one before. Are they worth the cost?
How often do I have to clean or change the filter?

Answer 1

I think there a waste of money!Your cars computer controls the air intake.So if you had no filter at all it would still suck the same amount of air into the manifold.

Answer 2

if you live in an area that has lots of dust or drive off roads more often then a K&N filter might be a good investment for you. the filter is washable so over time, you will save money with it.

i do not live in too dusty of a place but i have a K&N panel filter (replaced the stock cotton and paper filter insert) in my car. i didnt notice any power gains, the throttle response seemed a little faster, but nothing major.
was it worth the cost? yes. i have washed it out three times already so:

K&N filter - $45.00 + Cleaner kit - $18.00 = $63.00
OEM filter - $30.00 x 3 = $90.00

not to mention less waste to fill up the landfills. one cleaner kit will clean and re-oil three or four times.

you should inspect your air filter every time you change your oil (around 5,000 miles usualy depending on manufacturer recommendations) to be sure if it should be changed. the milage variable will change based upon where and how you drive your car.

Answer 3

If you are talking normal filters, NOT coldair intakes or rams:

I just use the OEM filters from the dealership or if not that, then middle-of-the-line filters somewhere in the middle according to price. You generally get what you pay for, but not always. Middle to high-middle is safer more often according to price.

You probably won't see a noticeable increase in power that you wouldn't normally get from just changing out your dirty air filter. I heard arguments that K&N let more dust into your engine, but nothing I've seen to actually give it any credit either way.

As far as how often you change it, it really depends on where you drive and what kind of conditions you drive in. If you are up north and drive through a lot of slush and dirt, or if you drive in really dusty places, you would want to change it a lot more often.

For example, up north I changed mine every 3-4 months, but down here in Florida, I change mine maybe once every 6-8 months. When I use to 4x4, I changed mine every month.

Answer 4

K&N is a awsome brand, I have one. Yes they are worth the cost. You can clean it once a month or at every oil change and you never change the filter. Where you buy the filter you will also find the cleaning solution for it.

Answer 5

They have a little less restriction in the filter than stock. You'll get more intake noise inside the car when you press the gas pedal. You'll need to clean the filter about every 10K miles or so. If that's what you want, then go for it. good luck.

Answer 6

It depends if you are talking about just the filter or the whole kit. If its the kit yes they are worth purchacing. I have recorded both a performance and mpg increase. About the cleaning it depends on what kind of driving you do. (highway, dirt roads, etc.) I have had mine on for a little over a year and havnt had to clean it yet. But its prolly getting close to time. But I do drive alot of dirt roads. But they are worth it it has paid for itself. Just the filter im not sure though.