How can you tell if your air filter is a washable one? I have no idea if the air filter in my car is a OEM style or not. It kinda looks like the mazdaspeed one that all encased in black plastic. I don't recall seeing any other markings on it.

edit: the side facing the intake (the cone thing), the filter is pink the other side is just white (well dirty and white)

Just trying to figure out if I can reuse the one I have or just pay 50 bucks for a better and re-usable one.

 

I'm hoping you can tell the difference between a paper filter, a foam one, or a washable cotton gauze filter such as the K&N. If you don't know the difference, hop on over to an auto parts store and take a look at a few. The foam is pretty much going away so it's probably paper or cotton. If it's paper, you can't use it again. You know what happens to paper when it gets wet! The paper units are cheap. The K&N style are about $50. The power gains are minimal at best and whether you'll feel anything is highly debatable. I like the K&N style merely for piece of mind in the event that water does find it's way into the airbox. Keep in mind that a paper filter does filter out the finest particles but even then they are so small that it is also debatable if particles that size can do any harm or not. The carbon inside the engine from gasoline doesn't seem to hurt anything so why would something that is 2 microns across?

 

rg swoopin in for the win.