How To Clean and Re-Oil Your aFe Air Filter

In order to properly clean your aFe Filter, you must first identify the type of filter media that is included in your kit. The blue filter is a cotton media that has been oiled, and it needs to be cleaned and oiled again. The yellow filter is normally only utilized in diesel-powered vehicles. It is constructed using the same oiled cotton as the blue Pro5R filter, but in addition, it features two layers of synthetic media that provide enhanced filtering. Because it is made of paper, the gray filter must not have any oil applied to it. In order to ensure that filters are cleaned appropriately, they must be removed from the input.Each type of filter has its own specific cleaning.

1. To clean the area in between the pleats, get a brush with gentle bristles, such as a paintbrush, and remove any large pieces of debris or dirt you find there. It is acceptable to remove any loose debris from the filter by tapping it on the ground gently; however, you must take care not to bend any of the pleats in the filter.
2. Face the dirty side of the filter toward you and spray it with the cleaning solution that is included in an aFe Restore Kit. Ten minutes at the very least should be allowed for the cleaning solution to take effect.
3. Start on the clean side of the filter and work your way to the dirty side of the filter as you rinse it. It is necessary to continue rinsing and spraying the cleaning solution until the water becomes clear. Because the medium will be discolored, it will not be entirely white and may still give the impression of being dirty.
4. When rinsing the filter, DO NOT USE A WATER NOZZLE THAT HAS A HIGH PRESSURE SETTING
5. Allow the filter to dry in the air. When drying the filter, DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR AT ANY TIME! Depending on the relative humidity and temperature, it could take a couple of hours for a Pro DryS and anything between 8 and 12 hours for a cotton Pro5R.
6. The cleaning process is finished if you are using an oil-free Pro Dry-S filter. Proceed with the oiling instructions for the Pro5R that has already been oiled.
7. Once the cotton filter has been allowed to dry completely, put a minuscule amount of oil to the top of each pleat. There is no need to put oil down in between the pleats of the fabric. It is also a good idea not to apply oil all the way to the urethane, since this could cause the urethane to get ruined. Keep approximately one centimeter of the material uncolored. DO NOT DROWN THE FILTER WITH OIL! A significant amount of the oil will be drawn out by the wick.
8. After allowing the oiled filter to sit for eight to twelve hours, remove the filter and let the cotton material to completely absorb the oil. Last but not least, apply a spot treatment of oil to any places that still lack “color” to them.

You should also clean the film in your HFM mass air flow sensor while you have the filter removed from the intake.