I'm due to change my air filter shortly and was looking for re-usable alternatives.

I've come across the K&N Air Filter and wondered whether spending £45 in a one off purchase is a better option than standard dealer £14 filters.

I'm not bothered in the performance angle of it really (Blasphemy!) and I'm curious about the 'oiling' K&N say that the filter likes every 50k. Surely this will cost a couple of quid meaning that the overall cost over time evens out........ so are they worth it and are there any negative aspects to them?

Just replace your standard one every 10k IMHO - oily panel filters and MAF sensors: not good bedfellows!

That's what i couldn't get my head around when i first read it, regardless of what extra dust particles the oiling catches surely some of it makes it way through. So what if you don't oil, presumably it makes it less effective?

The weave is so loose that without oiling, you might as well not bother AIUI. There are all sorts of clever reasons how the oil helps the filter efficiency, but the consequences of OVER-oiling can outweigh the benefits. I'm sure others swear by theirs, but I and a few others on here don't see the point of buying a filter you have to wash to keep effective...

I went for the Ramair panel filter from ebay, it has a sticky coating on the foam to catch the particles and is £19.99 inc postage or best offer. At this price you could just replace at service time and not bother oiling.

I opted for the pipercross panel filter after doing a little research.

Information available seems to show that foam filters offer better dirt retention and therefore better filtration and hold their peak flow longer than cotton or paper. No oiling is required and at £28 is a bargain compared to the K & N

Another vote for the Pipercross. Way better than the K&N and I've had no issues.

does the 'dirty throttle body' problems have anything to do with having an oil soaked air filter. IMO everything passing through the intake system...after the filter should be 'reasonably' clean and dry.

If you are cleaning your TB on a regular basis what air filter do you use????

I opted for the pipercross panel filter after doing a little research.

Information available seems to show that foam filters offer better dirt retention and therefore better filtration and hold their peak flow longer than cotton or paper. No oiling is required and at £28 is a bargain compared to the K & N

Yeah i too have a pipercross one, been on for over a year with no problems.

Yeah i too have a pipercross one, been on for over a year with no problems.

Are they relatively easy to clean up? How often do you find yourself checking it?

My octy vrs has a K&N on and tbh cant tell any difference:thumbdwn:

Just replace your standard one every 10k IMHO - oily panel filters and MAF sensors: not good bedfellows!

Hey guys, on the K&N filter web site there are info and videos talking about the MAF and K&N filters.

Check them out and make your own conclutions

K&N Response to Mass Air Flow Sensor Concerns

BTW, I use the factory Skoda Air Filter:D

Isaac

Edited 1 December, 200817 yr by Turbo_Boss

Just get the K&N, best filter about.

I noticed a 1-2mpg increase, and a much nicer induction noise.

Get the K&N filter service kit like i did. Cleaning and oiling is very simple, and you just leave the filter overnight to dry before re-oiling.

All this talk of filter oil damaging MAF's is complete bull. It's never happened!

All this talk of filter oil damaging MAF's is complete bull. It's never happened!

If you drown the filter in oil I "could" see it happening, but if you do the job properly you will be fine.

HTH

All this talk of filter oil damaging MAF's is complete bull. It's never happened!

Noooooooo, never ever:

http://briskoda.net/maintenance-performance/k-n-pd130-have-i-killed-my-maf/74501/

http://briskoda.net/diagnostics-vag-com/dead-maf/16501/

http://briskoda.net/maintenance-performance/k-n-panel-filters/8067/

(I'm sure I could find more if I had time... )

Well I've had a K&N on this car for over 25k miles now, with zero problems. (I've cleaned/oiled it once in this period).

I have had a K&N panel in every car I've owned (4 of which had MAF's), and never had a problem.

So based on my experience I can't see an issue.

Personally I think it's just a vicious rumour started by other lesser brands....

:ne_nau: I guess you could say the same about KKK turbos. Mine's been fine these 70k miles, but everyone here seems to think they're made of polystyrene and butter... Maybe my experience with sintered, woven, membrane and paper filtration media makes me feel that the case for oiled media hasn't been made in industry so why should automotive be so different???

Each to their own...

Noooooooo, never ever:

http://briskoda.net/maintenance-performance/k-n-pd130-have-i-killed-my-maf/74501/

http://briskoda.net/diagnostics-vag-com/dead-maf/16501/

http://briskoda.net/maintenance-performance/k-n-panel-filters/8067/

(I'm sure I could find more if I had time... )

I use K&N Filters on My Ultralight with Rotax 582 engine and its work awesome BUT this engine does not use a MAF.

I will say that maybe the problem that people are experincing with there MAF is that they OVER OIL the K&N Filter (Putting to much oil)

BTW, I read on another Forum that people clean there MAF with a special product designed for this. Here is what they say:

If your VW is starting to idle rough, hard to start in the cold or mornings, and seems to be loosing power in the rpm range, you could try cleaning your MAF. MAF is the Mass Air Flow sensor installed inline with the air intake tube between the air filter and the throttle body. A VW MAF has a extremely thin wire that can tell how much air is flowing through the engine.

I have had a lot of recommendations to use CRC MAF CLEANER

http://www.crc-canada.ca/Portals/0/75110%20copy.jpg

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/image/intake/intake_crc_cleaner_lg.jpg

Since the VW MAF is inline with the air intake, it is possible that it is dirty. This is especially true with oil soaked air filters such as K&N. Even though the VW MAF is supposed to become super hot during shut off to clean itself, the MAF Cleaning seems to help on older cars.

Step 1.

Remove the MAF

This varies on each car. Leave the MAF in the housing. It's way to sensitive to risk taking it out, and on the OBDI cars, way to expensive. You can buy new OBDI VR6 MAF for about $300 (!!!)

Usually it is as simple as removing a large hose clamp on the intake tube, unhooking the air filter housing top section, and unscrewing the MAF housing from the air filter box. Probably no more than 3 screws on any model.

Step 2.

The Cleaning.

"You should be spraying the very thin and delicate wire inside the MAF with NOTHING other than a quick dry electronics contact cleaner.

No widex, no rubbing alcohol, no brake cleaner, no Q-tips. CRC MAF Cleaner available at Amazon.

Step 3.

Let it dry completely, reinstall.

Step 4.

Drive!

If all when well, the car may run noticeably better. If not check other items such as the TPS, wiring harness and connections, etc. Have a professional scan your ECU for error codes to find out the real problem. Cleaning the MAF is a DIY job to attempt to safe money, but not guaranteed to fix anything.

Edited 1 December, 200817 yr by Turbo_Boss

I was talking with a friend regarding the K&N and MAF issue and he toll me that he was recently on a car show were there was a K&N Stand and they was given free K&N broshures with a DVD.

I have included here a scaned copy of the DVD case.

My own conclution is that a LOT of people have experienced MAF problems using K&N Filter and thats why they are giving this DVD for free, explaning there is no problem using K&N filters........................ Or make your own conclutions:rolleyes:

Isaac

Very interesting debate here guys, but I think we will never get a satisfactory result. Like any product you will get the lovers and the haters.

The way I see it, there is little or no evidence that the filtration efficiency and resistance to flow is any better on a panel filter of any type than on a new pleated paper filter. And with my chemical engineer's hat on, the complexity of the induction path - especially on a turbocharged car - will have a far greater negative effect on the flow of air than a good / bad / indifferent filter ever could. Of course, the USP of a panel filter is that it's washable and reusable (with the appropriate level of care ) so you can keep it at tip-top efficiency / minimum resistance through regular 'maintenance' whereas a paper filter is disposable so can't be cleaned and re-used. The 'maintainable' aspect of a panel filter leads to a potential cost saving in the long run, especially if the filter is to be cleaned / replaced regularly, compared to buying a whole new paper filter each time. Don't know what it says about my environmental credentials, but it's fit-and-forget all the way for me!