The basics of your air intake's performance filter

The heart of an air intake system is the performance air filter. At first glance, you'll notice just how much different it looks than your original paper filter. Typically, performance air intake kits employ a conical filter with many grooves and folds. Though this design appears to be smaller than your paper filter, it actually has more surface area for drawing in air from all directions. And, the increased surface area provides extra places for trapping dirt.

Performance air filters put paper disposable filters to shame with their dirt-trapping power. Beyond extra surface area, a performance filter is oiled to catch the dirt much better than paper. Plus, performance filters employ multiple layers of cloth material that allow the filter to breathe much better than paper - even after trapping an abundance of dirt in the oiled layers.

The result is a higher volume of cleaner air than restrictive paper filters can provide. And, as we learned earlier, more air and cleaner air means extra power, improved acceleration and better gas mileage.

Beyond just these benefits, performance air filters are completely reusable. Stock paper air filters have to be tossed for a new one about every 15,000 miles, while your performance air filter needs cleaning just every 30,000 - 50,000 miles. All you have to do is wash the filter, re-oil and reinstall. You can pick up air filter cleaning kits from all the major intake makers, such as AFE, AEM and True Flow.

Warranties and guarantees on performance air filters vary by manufacturer, but it's safe to say the filter will outlive your car. Some of our performance air intakes showcase filters that are guaranteed for 1,000,000 miles! K&N, for example, is legendary for their warranty and durability.