Swirl in air-filters is usually used to throw out leaves, bugs and about 50% of the dust before it lodges in the filter media.

That is not what I have read and been told at all.

How can it throw out leaves when the slats/louvres are at the inlet side of the filter box?

I thought they said it would be changed next year (yr 4) ?

They told me 6 years

That is not what I have read and been told at all.

How can it throw out leaves when the slats/louvres are at the inlet side of the filter box?

The Louvre is still preventing crap getting in to the element, imagine how bad it would be without

That is not what I have read and been told at all.

How can it throw out leaves when the slats/louvres are at the inlet side of the filter box?

It throws them out of the airflow so they don't get to the filter. It doesn't throw them out the car.

It works by changing the angle of the incoming air enough to make those heavy particles drop out and sit at the bottom of the box. Stopping those particles from directly hitting the filter, embedding and blocking it up faster.

BTW, there appears to be nothing wrong with that filter, I wouldn't change it at that point.

I simply don't understand why you wouldn't change a filter that's been in that length of time, looks like that, collected a noticeable amount of debris, costs so little and is quick to change?

What have you got to loose?

Depends how much pointless maintenance you like doing I suppose.

What will you gain? Nothing.

Every filter every 10K.

I dont care how many times the filters have been tested and how long they can last, going by what filters look like after 10K I wouldnt want them in any longer. 10000 miles coming around every 6 / 9 months.

Id rather be breathing in fresh filtered air as apposed to stale clogged up filter air.

I shall try and dig out an image of my pollen filter from my old car and the air filter after about 7000 miles..... Shocking.

Not sure if its different car by car but with the old BM the engine was so so so sensitive you could feel the power dropping the more the filter collected particles.

Personal prefence I suppose if you want every filter changed when you want it changed or when the dealers say so. Me I want them changed as and when I request.

Hope i not hijacking the thread (apologies in advance, Chris).

Is there any difference in paying £15-£20 for a dealer air / pollen filter

compared to an after market ones for a tenner with at least a brand name on it?

It throws them out of the airflow so they don't get to the filter. It doesn't throw them out the car.

It works by changing the angle of the incoming air enough to make those heavy particles drop out and sit at the bottom of the box. Stopping those particles from directly hitting the filter, embedding and blocking it up faster.

BTW, there appears to be nothing wrong with that filter, I wouldn't change it at that point.

Your answer was plausable until your last sentence

It was filthy !!

Hope i not hijacking the thread (apologies in advance, Chris).

Is there any difference in paying £15-£20 for a dealer air / pollen filter

compared to an after market ones for a tenner with at least a brand name on it?

No difference in the filters..Both made by Bosch...I paid a lot less than the dealer price by going to Eurocarparts and getting a Briskoda discount of 25% off orders over £20 and self fitting them in minutes

Your answer was plausable until your last sentence

It was filthy !!

That's how air filters look. If you want to keep them clean, then keep them wrapped up in the box they came in.

That filter was no-where near needing changed. Looking dirty is not how they determine the filter life. You said it was 27g heavier, I'd be worried if it was 100g heavier.

So I should leave it and drive another 3 years with that filter?

Ha ha ha ha..

Take another look:

PS. You might like to use the 'zoom' function if you cant read this

Surely you cannot justify that filter on the left staying in much longer. Its disgusting.

Its a shame that cars have become so called "expendable" :'( :'(

Dirt restricts airflow, your vacuum loses suction when the bag is full or getting that way, a filter is the same , in real life they are worse than pics, pine needles insects and salt .

I tell my dealer what I want changed and at what interval. I take no notice of there service schedule as they change things for me way before they're due. I still get the stamp in service book though:)

So I should leave it and drive another 3 years with that filter?

Ha ha ha ha..

Take another look:

PS. You might like to use the 'zoom' function if you cant read this

At least another 3 years. There is no signifcant dirt in that filter, it's just discoloured by soot from traffic.

What was your filter restriction gauge reading? Dunno.

Was your car losing boost or down own power? No.

But it didn't look like a new one.

Here is a picture of a filter that is actually clogged and hitting red on a restriction gauge.

As I have said

I have no intention of driving 6 years on the same air filter and I believe I'm not the only one

I think VW have got it wrong.....for the sake of £12?...are they NZ$120 in New Zealand or something?

That filter has been on the car for 3 years and is filthy and as such, is restricting airflow...so Ive changed it

Good luck with yours

On the issue of filter restriction, maybe you should keep the old one Chris and we'll do some logging of airflow and MAF readings in VCDS.

Except for the fact that it's a forgone conclusion that the new filter will out-perform the old one of course....

It's not the colour of the old one I'm concerned about, maybe that's been the misunderstanding? It's the fact the old one is clogged with debris, which will restrict airflow rate.

I`m gradualy loosing my faith in members posts :think:

It wouldn't change my position (nor Skoda's) if they were $1 or $1000. Pointless replacement is pointless replacement.

You have assumed it is restricting airflow. But there is no evidence or associated problem to show that.

On the issue of filter restriction, maybe you should keep the old one Chris and we'll do some logging of airflow and MAF readings in VCDS.

Except for the fact that it's a forgone conclusion that the new filter will out-perform the old one of course....

It's not the colour of the old one I'm concerned about, maybe that's been the misunderstanding? It's the fact the old one is clogged with debris, which will restrict airflow rate.

That would have been an interesting experiment. If you hadn't shown complete bias by stating your results before you'd even started.

See filters are designed with massive extra capacity to be able to accumulate debris without choking the engine. You won't lose any power until the filter becomes a significant choke point. Which is a small fraction of it's original area.

If you actually wanted to do an interesting filter experiment, get a can of spray paint and progressively seal more and more of the filter between runs. See how far you have to go before first getting a measurable pressure difference and then losing measurable boost and power.

But I have zero confidence in those who state facts and outcomes before performing experiments. They tend to subconciously or otherwise distort the results to fit with their pre-conceived notions.

LOL

But I have zero confidence in those who state that a filthy air filter is fine for another 3 years

This new filter is fitted and clean..Thats the one on the right .....ready for another 12 months on the car

I will be getting another next year without performing any experiments, just as part of my own maintainance regime

Thread closed