How to Clean a Cold Air Intake Filter

by Nathaniel Miller

Cold air intakes add horsepower to the cars they are installed on by increasing the amount of air delivered to the engine intake. This increases the combustion and fuel economy of the car as well as the gas that is in the chamber is more completely ignited. However, due to the increased air flow through the filter, there is a larger amount of dust and grime that builds up on the filter as well. This necessitates thorough cleanings at every oil change. Cleaning your cold air intake filter is easy and can be done in a matter of minutes.

Step 1

Use the screwdriver to loosen and remove the air filter mounting band. Pull the air filter free from the intake.

Step 2

Mix a solution of a few drops of dish detergent with a gallon of water and soak the air filter in it for 15 minutes. Pull the filter out, dump the solution and shake the filter dry. Mix up another batch of cleaning solution and soak the filter for another 15 minutes.

Step 3

Pull the filter out of the solution, shake dry, and then lightly spray the entire filter with the oil. This guards against corrosion and aids in dirt entrapment.