Cleaning K&N Air Filter in ESS superchargered M3

[polonus]

I have a M3 e90 with ESS VT-2 575 supercharger, equipped with K&N air filter. It requires cleaning every 15 000 miles. I have several questions:

1. Why 15 K miles, if K&N usually recommends 50 K miles intervals?

2. What if someone cleans it less frequently? It will loose power and increase fuel consumption, or can he damage something in the car?

3. How that cleaning has to be done? Does it require taking off filter? Demounting bumper? How difficult is it? Do we have somewhere DIY instruction for it?

4. What kind of substance actually cleans it? Do I have to go to K&N to buy it?

[s85e90]

There's no reason to clean it every 15k. Maybe just take it off an knock it clean

[mcasseba]

Order new filter directly through K&N fo $32, dont bother cleaning.

Access filter by removing driver front tire and wheel well cover.

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by mcasseba

Order new filter directly through K&N fo $32, dont bother cleaning.

Access filter by removing driver front tire and wheel well cover.

Yes, if you really like to throw money away, just replace the reusable filter.

[polonus]

s85e90, cleaning it will not make it "as new" and requires buying some kind of solution, which probably will cost me at least 20 bucks, so maybe buying new filter isn't that bad idea after all?

[hova00]

funny people worry about cleaning the filter but object to replacing it with a new one for maybe a 12.00 dollar difference on a supercharged m3.

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by polonus

s85e90, cleaning it will not make it "as new" and requires buying some kind of solution, which probably will cost me at least 20 bucks, so maybe buying new filter isn't that bad idea after all?

It seems as if you're foreign to the idea. The cleaner is about $15 and will last you a long, long time. You remove the filter, knock it on something to remove the large items and then spray cleaner on it. Then hose it from the INSIDE OUT (to not trap dirt in the filter). Let it air dry and then oil it and reinstall. Its' very easy. If you feel buying a new filter is the better alternative then so be it, it's your money; however, even K&N says these filters are good for A million miles.

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by hova00

funny people worry about cleaning the filter but object to replacing it with a new one for maybe a 12.00 dollar difference on a supercharged m3.

What makes that funny? That people throw money away on a reusable product.


Once it's cleaned and oiled it's like brand new. You say its' a $12 difference but that's every time, not just once.

[polonus]

12 dollars difference is nothing, especially if someone need to do it every two years or so. Plus cleaning requires labor, and time is money, right?

I'm still have other questions. What happen if I extend time between cleaning/replacing that filter? How far can I go? Where can I buy that solvent to clean it? What oil should I use to oil it? If I buy a new one, what kind/part number do I need and where I go to buy it? Will people from K&N know what do I need?

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by polonus

I'm still have other questions. What happen if I extend time between cleaning/replacing that filter? How far can I go? Where can I buy that solvent to clean it? What oil should I use to oil it? If I buy a new one, what kind/part number do I need and where I go to buy it? Will people from K&N know what do I need?

Ok, so I recently bought a used K&N filter from a member on here. It was super dirty, so I did what I did when I bought one used for my 335I.

K&N ghetto cleaning technique:

1. pour AJAX dish washing soap into an empty bucket.
2. fill up bucket with water
3. submerge the K&N filter, and leave over night
4. Take out filter, throw out dirty water
5. hose down filter. If the filter was very dirty then repeat steps 1-4.
6. leave filter outside to dry overnight
7. oil up filter with cooking oil, and re-install.

The above is not a joke. I've done it twice on two different cars, and it works just fine.

[preppy]

Cooking oil? *whoa*

Like olive oil?

[JEllis]

Originally Posted by polonus

12 dollars difference is nothing, especially if someone need to do it every two years or so. Plus cleaning requires labor, and time is money, right?

I'm still have other questions. What happen if I extend time between cleaning/replacing that filter? How far can I go? Where can I buy that solvent to clean it? What oil should I use to oil it? If I buy a new one, what kind/part number do I need and where I go to buy it? Will people from K&N know what do I need?

Time between cleanings is subjective in my opinion. Look at your filter... is it crammed with debris, dirt and bugs... clean it. Mine gets pretty bad after a long road trip and especially when driving in the evening (bugs).

I think a check-up is a good thing as well. K&N filters will develop holes if parts of the car are rubbing on them. The ESS kit is a tight fit and its probably worth making sure the filter is surviving the rigors of being sandwiched between the front bumper and wheel well liner.

Keep in mind the filter is the gateway to the inner workings of the motor. Ensuring it is doing its job effectively is the worth the time to either clean or replace it depending on your budget threshold for labor.

If you choose to clean it... buy the cleaning kit from K&N. If you want to replace it once a year (honestly not a bad idea given the abuse the filter takes) , Amazon has some good prices on the filter.

[tom @ eas]

We follow the rule of shake out the dirt every ~5000K and a full clean/reoil every 15K. The filters ride so close to the street, you'd be surprised the things you find in there.

Some even go as far as purchasing an additional filter to have on hand so it can be cleaned/swapped easily when needed.

[polonus]

JEllis, tom @ eas, thx a lot. Do you know what part number is that filter? Is it true that I can access it from the wheel well? How difficult job is it?

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by preppy

Cooking oil? *whoa*

Like olive oil?

Yes. Never had an issue. You don't have to spend a whole ton of money sometimes in life, to get results.

[filinm3]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

We follow the rule of shake out the dirt every ~5000K and a full clean/reoil every 15K. The filters ride so close to the street, you'd be surprised the things you find in there.

Some even go as far as purchasing an additional filter to have on hand so it can be cleaned/swapped easily when needed.

I am making full clean / reoil every engine oil change, i.e every 4,000 kms for almost 5 years period and 90,000 miles passed

It's Russia, very dirty territory

[edwinm3]

Im gonna start hanging out by some of you guys dumpsters, I'll wait til you guys think its time to clean/replace some parts, hopefully I'll find some superchargers, wheels, exhausts, etc.

[JEllis]

Originally Posted by polonus

JEllis, tom @ eas, thx a lot. Do you know what part number is that filter? Is it true that I can access it from the wheel well? How difficult job is it?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes,

-Lift front drivers side wheel.
-Remove wheel
-Remove body screws around front wheel well liner
-Remove wheel well liner
-Loosen clamp on filter
-Remove filter
-Clean or replace as required.

Keep in mind this filter hangs out about 6" from the street open to all the rocks bugs ect that do damage to the front of our cars (or at least our clear bras). Its not outside the realm of possibility to find holes or significant damage in the filter element, which you don't want. At the very least, inspect the filter often.

There is a big difference between having the filter open to the elements at street level and it being completely behind the bumper or under the hood.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by polonus

JEllis, tom @ eas, thx a lot. Do you know what part number is that filter? Is it true that I can access it from the wheel well? How difficult job is it?

ESS = K&N #RU0920
VF = K&N #RU3130

Simply pull back the wheel liner to gain access to the filter. Its much easier with the wheel removed.

[Porschefile]

Take a look at your filter at 15-20k miles and you'll wonder why they spec 50k. Mine had thick dirt and gunk, bugs, etc. It takes almost no time (other than waiting on it to dry to re-oil) and is super cheap.

On the cooking oil issue: it may work fine, but when you're only saving a few dollars why would you even risk it? It could work 90% as well and it would still be dumb when your savings is like $5 (cooking oil isn't free either) at the risk of your 5 figure engine.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by Porschefile

Take a look at your filter at 15-20k miles and you'll wonder why they spec 50k. Mine had thick dirt and gunk, bugs, etc. It takes almost no time (other than waiting on it to dry to re-oil) and is super cheap.

On the cooking oil issue: it may work fine, but when you're only saving a few dollars why would you even risk it? It could work 90% as well and it would still be dumb when your savings is like $5 (cooking oil isn't free either) at the risk of your 5 figure engine.

AFE uses vegetable oil as a base on their oils, it would likely work.

K&N Cleaning kits are relatively cheap, most will just pick up one - they're sold pretty much everywhere.

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by Porschefile

On the cooking oil issue: it may work fine, but when you're only saving a few dollars why would you even risk it? It could work 90% as well and it would still be dumb when your savings is like $5 (cooking oil isn't free either) at the risk of your 5 figure engine.

Throw some of your K&N oil on dirt and twirl it around. Then do the same with cooking oil, and tell me if there is a difference in the way either oil sticks to sand.