Installing a Reusable Air Filter – D-I-Y

Changing your air filter is one of the easiest Do-It-Yourself (D-I-Y) car maintenance tasks. You can get it done in ten minutes or less.

Your vehicle’s owners manual will specify a replacement interval. It might be fifteen thousand, twenty thousand, or maybe even thirty thousand miles.

If you drive in dusty conditions, it should be changed more frequently.

Most air filters are throwaway items. When they get dirty, they get tossed. The K&N Air Filter is different. K&Ns are high-quality reusable filters. When they get dirty, you clean them and pop them back into the engine bay. K&Ns are designed for improved airflow and to last a vehicle’s lifetime, with the proper maintenance. This can save hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of your vehicle if you keep it for a long time.

Disclaimer: This video was sponsored by K&N. I’ve had K&N filters in other cars in the past and I’ve wanted to pick one up for my Honda S2000 for a while now. When the opportunity to produce this video presented itself, I jumped on it. K&N filters are high-quality products.

Here’s the step-by-step on replacing the Honda S2000’s air filter:

1. Pop the hood and locate the airbox. Some airboxes are secured by screws or bolts – for that, you’ll need the proper screwdriver or wrench. Other airboxes – like the one on the S2000 are secured by clips. To open the S2000’s airbox, you pop open the clips and lift off the lid.
2. Most filters simply drop into the air box. It takes five seconds to pull the old filter out and drop the new filter into place. The S2000 is a bit different. It uses a cone filter that slides into the air intake tube and is secured by a circular spring. You need to pry the spring out of its groove and roll it back onto the intake tube in order to remove the filter.
3. Then you wiggle the old filter out of the tube, slip the new filter in its place (making sure the mounting pin is pointed downward), and roll the spring back into its groove.
4. Once the filter is secured inside the intake tube, you need to place it back into the airbox, slipping the mounting pin into position.
5. Replace the top of the airbox and snap the clips back into position. You’re done!

You can find K&N Filters online or at any number of auto parts stores. There are lots of different filters and they’re designed for specific vehicles. It’s always a good idea to double check the fitment book to make sure you walk out the door with the right one.

A high-flow air filter can increase responsiveness. Don’t expect a measurable horsepower boost with a simple air filter replacement. For THAT, you’ll want to install a complete air intake system and to take it one step further, get your engine tuned at a shop with a dyno. If all goes well, we’ll perform that experiment with a vehicle or two in 2017.

Thanks as always for reading and watching! Special thanks for K&N for sponsoring this video. If you have questions or comments, please let me know in the comments below.

Catch you down the road!