The condition of your air filter directly affects the performance of your ATV. The dirtier the filter, the more it robs horsepower from your motor. Running a dirty filter also greatly increases the risk of sucking dirt and debris into your motor's internals which can cause a number of problems in your fuel-delivery system and greatly increase the wear and tear on your piston rings, cylinder and valves. Once again, this eats away at even more horsepower in the long run. The best practice is to clean your filter often and well. How often? We suggest cleaning your filter after every weekend of riding, and even swapping out a clean filter for every day of riding if the conditions are extremely dusty. If you wait for your filter to look like a dirt clod, it'll be too late. So how do you clean it well? Follow these steps and we'll get your air cleaner well, cleaner.
Skill Level
Beginner [1/5]
Tools Required
Tools to remove filter (depends on ATV), clean shop rags, spray-on degreaser (Maxima or 409), bucket (1-5 gal.), laundry detergent or dish soap, air filter oil, waterproof grease (press-on filters only), Ziploc bags (gallon size)
Time
Less than 30 minutes, allow 24 hours for drying
Summary
Cleaning the air filter is the most important maintenance job you can perform on your ATV, with a few steps, we'll try to make it the easiest job, too.
 Tip It's a good idea to have...  Tip
It's a good idea to have at least two to three spare filters for your ATV, that way you can easily swap out a dirty one when you're out for the weekend, and it's easier and more efficient to clean a batch of filters all at once. |  1 Remove the air filter from...  1 Remove the air filter from your ATV. Make sure to cover the intake with a rubber glove, plastic bag or clean shop rag to keep foreign particles out while you're cleaning. |  |
 2 If your filter has an inner...  2 If your filter has an inner support or frame, remove it before cleaning. Be careful not to tear the filter when extracting the frame. |  3 If you've got some heavy...  3 If you've got some heavy dirt buildup, lightly brush it off with a soft-bristled brush. You want to use a flicking motion and be extra careful not to grind any dirt into the filter. |  4 Spray down the dirty filter...  4 Spray down the dirty filter with cleaner to begin breaking down the oil and grime. We suggest using Maxima air filter cleaner, but you can also use a degreaser like 409. If the old filter oil is really stubborn, a mild parts cleaning solvent will help break it down. Let the cleaner soak for about 5-10 minutes. |