Automotive Maintenance : How to Clean an Auto Air Filter

Cleaning your air filter extends its life, and increases engine performance. Purge your filter of problems with help from an experienced car mechanic in this free video.
Expert: Ray Thomas
Bio: Ray Thomas owns and operates "Ray's Auto Repair" in Los Angeles, CA.
Filmmaker: Gerald Emerick
Series Description: Many forms of automotive maintenance can be done by yourself in your own home. Maintain your car and keep it working with guidance from a professional car mechanic in this free video.

[@KingofFreestyleMusic]

This guy is right. We use compressed air in our shop to blow the dust out. Knock it around a bit too. If your careful you won't damage the filter. If it is really dirty and oily yeah, you should replace it BUT if it's lightly dirty you CAN even wash it under the tap. I use K&N filter cleaner spray, douse it and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it out and let it dry (about a day if your not driving the car). You can do this a couple times with a papre filter and it DOES work. Save $

[@Jari_Kuusisto]

Run this at 0.5 speed. Pure gold...

[@bubbadeshayes3673]

That's hilarious

[@marsbase3729]

seems like he just got back from happy hour at the bar! 😝

[@whlawson5812]

Air filter these days are polymer fibre type and there are quite thick. Some comes moulded in one piece. Unlike 30+ years ago they are made from paper. The problem with workshop is they, more often that not, blow the air filter both side. It should be blown only from the clean side. If blown from the dirty side it only serve to push the trapped fine particle deeper into filter and later get suck into the engine. I wish the filter maker put a band of green color on the 'clean side' of the air filter and the workshop get grease monkey to blow only from the green side!.

[@robbielawson6528]

+Law Won Ho 125% wrong. NEVER blow out an air filter from EITHER SIDE. Embed particles are the only reason your beta filtration rate increases with each pass.

[@escargotthesnail3968]

Robbie Lawson Not sure how credible someone can be if they use "125% wrong". By your logic, you should never replace or clean your air filter since embedded particles "increases filtration rate". You clean the air filtered because the accumulation of embedded particles blocks airflow. SMH.

[@rrrogster]

I've been doing exactly the same thing for many years. This works to a point. You can always tell when the filter is beyond knocking the dust and dirt out - the element becomes dark with embedded dirt. You can pay someone $50 or more to do this, but why?

[@sbautista8732WID]

I am always concerned about expanding the life of my cats.

[@marsbase3729]

awesome! Thanks, this will help me save money! 👍😎👍

[@elnuevodesordenmundial1505]

Can you wash it clean?

[@dee1rock]

true. ehowauto should look into this sort of stuff before just posting random vids.

[@balloney2175]

I will use vacuum cleaner to suck the dust out.

[@leonroberson6571]

Take that bytch out slap it around a lil bit & BOOM 60 more horsepower...(at 1.5 speed)

[@benjamingrimes3304]

I wouldn't let this "mechanic" touch my car with a 10-foot pole.

[@fabianbodie4520]

Y

[@BungieStudios]

Y

[@chocolate_squiggle]

Snob.

[@benjamingrimes3304]

@@chocolate_squiggle Love you, too. 🥰

[@homealtitudetrainingoxyhoo3484]

Wanker

[@406Steven]

Compressed air can damage the pleats and cause the filter to not work properly, allowing dirty air into the engine. Sure you can knock some of the dirt out of it but at that point the filter is clogged and needs replaced. A new air filter will pay for itself in gas savings sometimes in the first tank of fuel and will make the engine work more efficiently and reduce the amount of maintenance it will need in the future (cleaner oil, better life of cats, o2 sensors, etc.)

[@chocolate_squiggle]

I keep an eye on mileage - I've never noticed an iota of difference after an oil change, new air filter, change of spark plugs, etc. Maybe in the US where you can buy a new filter for $7. But here in NZ they want $50 for a simple Toyota Corolla filter. I am NOT gonna get $50 gas savings out of ANY new air filter. ESPECIALLY not in the 'first tank of fuel'. What crap.

[@406Steven]

@@chocolate_squiggle anecdotal evidence and pricing based on a country with substantially higher taxes and import costs are irrelevant to the conversation and to a majority of those watching this video. If you're not noticing a difference in fuel economy after routine maintenance then you probably still had life left in those components before changing them out.

[@Pure96ify]

Let's drop the air filter on the dirty shop floor to soak up all that dirty goodness

[@pyroman7086]

I bet you he know how to change blinker fluid...

[@robbielawson6528]

People this is a VERY dangerous practice and WILL dust your engine. NEVER BLOW OUT AN AIR FILTER. EVER. Don't drop, shake or tap the filter to remove dust.

[@chocolate_squiggle]

Don't talk bullshit. People have been doing this for decades. It's maybe not best practice for a $100k Mercedes - but it's NOT going to destroy an engine. Anything small enough to get through an air filter, is also small enough to fit through an exhaust valve! SO much scaremongering around this topic.

[@dogyamato5619]

What the hell. Through it on the floor? Is this video a joke?

[@claudeellis6999]

This guy is not a real mechanic.