i noe your supposed to clean the filter every 3 months...but i cleaned mine once in a year with the recharger kit but the filter is still sorta blackish....when you guys clean your filters does it ever go back to the light purple color it was brand new or is staying black normal?

 

Black is the norm

It should turn a sort of dark red color after you spray the oil on it.

Whatever you do don't blow forced air into the element to clean it, you will tear the element and ruin the filter. Let the solvent in the recharge kit do the work.