[cdahl383]

Wanted to post this up so others don't pull a bonehead move like this on their car. Haha!

Noticed my fuel mileage was going downhill lately. I attributed it to letting it idle and warm up in the morning, winter fuel blends, etc. But it continued to get worse as time went on. I started to wonder, when was the last time I pulled out my air filter and checked it or cleaned it?

Popped the hood, pulled the filter, holy crap! All dirty, black, and nasty! :SHOCKED: Got my K&N filter recharge kit out and cleaned it all up and let it dry overnight. Put it back in the next morning. The car had better throttle response and used less gas that next day going to work.

I don't have EVIC, but using the gas gauge and miles traveled I figured I was only getting about 15-16mpg on average. And this is on a 80-85% highway drive. After driving this week with the clean air filter I'm getting around 21-22 mpg on average now. Can't believe the difference! Not only that, but the throttle response is much better now too.

Anyway, moral of the story, don't forget about your K&N air filter. It says on the box they can go 50,000 miles between cleanings, but that must be in some perfect world with no dust or dirt. I can't remember how many miles it's been since I last cleaned it, but it was probably around 20,000-25,000 miles. I have 44,500 miles now. Probably should have cleaned it at 35,000 miles.

So don't be a bonehead like me, check your filter every other oil change and clean/replace as necessary! :smileup:

 

[Dodgeguy]

I do mine once a year at least, around 10k-12k.I have a spare so I can replace it then clean the other when I have time.

 

[Hajo]

Thanks for the reminder. I also opted for the K&N drop in when I got my SRT. I had an INJEN CAI chromed tube to the intake. Even though it was supposed to be cold one couldn't touch the chromed intake tube after driving the RT. It was way to hot.

 

[Shanes13]

Yeah, think I am getting close to a cleaning myself.... thanks for the reminder!

 

[bad8nti]

The same applies to all the oiled filters. I have a RotoFab CAI. I also have 2 AFE filters that I trade out in April and October, so I always have a freshly oiled filter and don't have to wait.

 

[cdahl383]

Thanks for moving the thread, didn't see this category!

Yep, I think I'm going to be checking/cleaning mine every 10,000-15,000 miles now. Just slipped my mind and now that I drive further to work I racked up more miles quicker and just didn't think of it.

I still have my stock paper filter that I could put in in a jam, but generally I pull it out and clean it after work and have all night for it to dry, or just do it on the weekend when I have plenty of time.

Yes a lot of CAI's are really WAI's. I just opted for the SRT intake. Seemed to gain a little power in the higher RPM's and is louder now at WOT than the stock RT intake was. Only $50 on Ebay too.

 

[MommaBetty]

My car has 14,000 miles on it. I have noticed a drop in the mileage this winter, but also am assuming it is because of the winter blend fuel. Would my air filter need cleaned already???

 

[oldsterguy46]

Thanks Carl. Good post. I wondered about K&N's "50,000 miles for cleaning" also. I've got about 9'000 miles on my'ne but I think I'll pull it and clean anyway. Boy, we don't see you as much here since you got that new job man. Hope it's going well for you.

 

[kilo1]

Really surprised more people with Cold Air Intakes systems dont use more of the Drychargers or Outerwears?

 

[cdahl383]

My car has 14,000 miles on it. I have noticed a drop in the mileage this winter, but also am assuming it is because of the winter blend fuel. Would my air filter need cleaned already???

Betty, I'd definitely pull your air filter out and take a look at it. I'm sure a new air filter would definitely help. With my S-10 I used to replace the air filter (just stock paper elements) every 10,000 miles or so. They're pretty cheap so it doesn't cost a whole lot.

Winter fuels do seem to bring MPG's down from what I've experienced and read about, but a nice new clean air filter sure wouldn't hurt, especially when they're under $10 in a lot of cases.

 

[cdahl383]

Thanks Carl. Good post. I wondered about K&N's "50,000 miles for cleaning" also. I've got about 9'000 miles on my'ne but I think I'll pull it and clean anyway. Boy, we don't see you as much here since you got that new job man. Hope it's going well for you.

Yeah the 50,000 miles deal is definitely a stretch. Unless you live in a super clean environment I can't see them going that long. I'm going to check on mine every 10,000-15,000 miles from now on.

Haha the job is great, I was just hanging out a lot over on the Nova forum these last couple months. I want to get a new front disc conversion kit for it and was trying to figure out all the stuff I needed, which one is best, etc. Think I'm going to go with Wilwood, they make some really nice stuff. Also got some parts for my carburetor to mess with this summer too.