There are a number of factors one should consider in terms of maintenance to ensure their ATV stays in good condition. As ATV owners, we are recommended to keep an eye on the vehicle’s components to make sure they are in good form and working efficiently. In this post, we are going to show you how to clean the air filter on an ATV.
Cleaning and oiling your air filter will enhance the proper working of your ATV since it’s directly connected to the core of your machine. Regardless of whether your ATV is using a foam filter or a pleated cotton filter, you’ll have to clean it and oil it properly to increase its lifespan and maintain its efficiency as well. Let’s get to the cleaning part!
How to Clean the Air Filter on an ATV – Types of Equipment Needed
When preparing to clean your ATV’s air filter, there are several equipment and items you’re going to require to clean properly. Trace the equipment below to make your ATV’s air filter cleaning effective:
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Replacement air filter
Checking and cleaning your Air filter might be due to various reasons. First, it might be cleaning time on your maintenance schedule or maybe due to a damaged air filter. If you’re suspecting that your filter might be destroyed. It might be about time you get your ATV a new one.
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Hand cleaner/cleaning detergent
Remember to purchase a good-quality hand cleaning soap to serve you through the cleaning process.
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A screwdriver
Ejecting your Air filter from its cage cannot be done using bare hands. Since there are screws that keep the filter intact, you are going to need the appropriate screwdriver which matches the size of the screws used.
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Hand gloves
Don’t forget to cover your hands with good-quality rubber gloves to avoid contact with the detergents available and any possible chemical compositions during the process.
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Rag
Don’t forget to find a cloth or cotton cleaning rag since it also plays a key role in ATV cleaning. You are advised to rather go for cloth rags than nylon ones since cloth material seems to be more effective.
Related Reading: How to Start an ATV?
How to Clean the Air Filter on an ATV – Step by Step
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Removing the air filter
Using your vehicle’s manual, check out and see how one should remove the air filter from the ATV. The reason for this action is because different ATVs use different air filters. After going through the process on the manual, I think you’re good to go now.
With caution, remove the bolt from your filter’s cage to avoid throwing dirt all over. Upon ejecting the bolt, keenly remove the air filter.
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Air boot cleaning
You’re advised to inspect your boot each time you take your filter out or when bringing it back in. Since mistakes tend to pop up during the cleaning process no matter how careful someone is, some dirt and debris from your air filter might drop into the boot. Using a rag and the cleaner solution, carefully clean and wipe the boot to get rid of the dirt.
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Soak the air filter in cleaner
Take your time and read the cleaning instructions on your vehicle’s manual to determine the recommended equipment, detergent, and cleaning solution fit for the apt. Pour nearly a gallon of the cleaning solution into a bucket or tub of water and dip the filter inside to soak. After a few minutes, squeeze the filter gently to extract extra detergent from the foam.
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Washing the air filter
Take your time when washing your ATV’s air filter in the cleaner to make sure all the oil and dirt in the cleaner is taken care of. Use your rag and soap to wash away all the dirt and make your filter sparkling clean again. This is the key step that everyone should keep an eye on when it comes to learning how to clean the air filter on an ATV.
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Inspecting filter for any holes
Leave your air filter for a few minutes to drain off the water and dry before moving to this step. As soon as your filter is dry and clean, you can now inspect it keenly to make sure it is in a good condition. If it’s still in good form, you can have it installed back. If not, you’ll have to buy a new one for replacement.
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Oil your filter
After the filter is dry, you can now oil it. Depending on your preference, there are a number of application approaches you can follow when oiling your air filter. You can spray the oil, or drizzle it on the filter before working it in.
However, all ATV owners are advised to dip their filters in the oil. Fully submerging the filter ensures that the whole filter is fully covered with oil. Extract excess oil from the filter by squeezing it and uniformly spread the rest on the filter.
Installation of the cage back to filter
Look-see to confirm that your filter cage is sparkling clean. If not, use a small amount of cleaning detergent to wipe off any available stains or dirty spots. Connect the cage back to the filter and make sure it’s well attached and the top is pushed through the hole.
Re-installing the Filter
Hold your ATV’s filter carefully on its cage and return it into the airbox. Check it keenly to affirm that everything is in line as it’s supposed to be and ensure that the air filter is attached and sealed up properly.
Remember to fasten the wingnut and check again to see if the cage is properly re-attached. Remember to properly cover your cleaner and cleaning solutions to make them available for next time.
Using this blog post as the guideline and reference on how to clean the air filter on an ATV; you can now take your air filter off the bike and get rid of all the debris in no time. Take note of the type of air filter your ATV uses before deciding the cleaning process you’d want to go about.
