Can K&N air filters be cleaned and reused?

[harkauto]

I'm going over my 2001 Dakota that I just acquired and it appears the air filter needs to be replaced.
When I went to check the price and availability of a 33-2175 K&N air filter I just about choked. I saw them priced anywhere from $54.00 to $121.00 and thought you've got to be kidding me????
I'm wondering....can I clean this existing filter some way and reuse it? Except for being dirty can I just toss it in the sink with some hot water and Dawn dish soap and clean it up??

If not can someone point me to a cheaper source for these filters?

Also, is it a must that I use a K&N filter?


Thanks for you

[aleekat]

http://www.knfilters.com/cleaning.htm

[harkauto]

Originally Posted by aleekat

http://www.knfilters.com/cleaning.htm

Thanks for the reply and link to the K&N filter cleaning products.

Being tighter than the bark on a tree I would find it very difficult to part with the kind of green backs K&N wants to clean an air filter. I would venture to bet a good soaking in Dawn dish soap would remove the crud in this filter just as well as the stuff K&N sells and the light oil that is used to re-oil the filter cannot be rocket science. I would think any kind of light weight machine oil would work just as well and for a heck of a lot cheaper.

I'd rather put the $15.00 bucks in the gas tank than pay K&N an outrageous price for a little bit of soap and oil.