Replacement Air Filters for Automobiles

elchrist

When I took my car in for an oil change the other day, they recommended that I replace my air filter. I could have said "go head and do it," but I wasn't in the mood to pay above retail for a low-end brand they might offer.

I made a note to myself to pick up an air filter at the local auto parts store as I drove off that night.

I've never replaced the air filter on my own before and it had been a while since it had been done. That same night, the same night I forgot to pickup the air filter, I thought I'd take a look at the one in my car and "practice" replacing it. I didn't want to end up screwing up the new one, if at all possible. I was surprised to find hay, bugs (some moths, some bees) and a lot of dust in there. I went ahead and vacummed the mofo out.

Now I still need an air filter. No big task really, but I'm looking into a K&N one. They claim to be the best and they last practically your car's lifetime, but they're also about 5 times the price compared to traditional air filters.

Are they worth the purchase? What do you do when you clean/wash it out? Do you need to let it dry out for some time, rendering your car useless?

Rice rocketeers chime in.

Americano · Posted: 11 Feb 2005 06:23 PM Post subject:

I have k&N open air filter in truck. Which mean my filter is out in the open, not enclosed in a box. I love my filter. K&N are worth the money. They a warrantee up to one million miles and are reusable. You clean them with a K&N cleaning kit. You spray the filter like a mofo with the cleaner, let it soak (you’ll see dirt melt off the filter), and then spray it with the hose. You then let it air dry and finish it off by spraying it with oil, which is included in the kit. Then you have brand new filter. It doesn't take long to dry it's made of cotton so it dries fairly quick, especially in the summer. I clean mine late and let dry over night, then spray it the morning. That's just becasue I usually work all day.
The K&N filter breathes in more air, which feeds you wheels more power, about 1-2 horsepowers, not much but it help. Plus, it also saves a bit on gas because your car breathes easier and doesn’t force it self so much.

superplayer · Posted: 13 Feb 2005 02:06 PM Post subject:

I first learned about K&N four years ago when I was restoring my old
Mercedes searching the catalogs online since the filters are German too. Those things are great; the air flow is increased significantly, adding more horse power to the engine, always depending on how well the engine is maintained and also the design of the air filter housing and how clean it is. I persuaded my brother to buy one for his Neon and when he came back after testing it, he was amazed and thanked me for it.

These filters never need replacement. They need some maintenance though every 50,000 miles or so you have to buy a kit sold at local autoparts store to clean it and reoil the filter again, I have given maintenance to these filters and they are just great.

spic-ole · Posted: 14 Feb 2005 09:32 AM Post subject:

I like to use coffee filters. Preferably cone-shaped.

pato · Posted: 14 Feb 2005 11:23 AM Post subject:

This filter is great, except for the noise it makes every time you accelerate. Unfortunately this weekend I found out of another bad thing about those filters. I was driving to vegas and it was raining, and since there's a shit load of dips, there was a stream flowing through all of them. I totally forgot I had that filter (intake), and since it's right next to the tire, it suctioned a lot of water, and my car broke down on me cause water went into the motor.

bemisnorris · Posted: 14 Feb 2005 05:54 PM Post subject:

elchrist · Posted: 14 Feb 2005 11:43 PM Post subject:

Americano · Posted: 15 Feb 2005 08:29 AM Post subject:

elchrist · Posted: 15 Feb 2005 02:29 PM Post subject:

I ordered a K&N air filter online, along with the cleaning kit, from AJ-USA as they offered the best overall price with free shipping. I don't expect to get any type of performance boost on my car and have mainly purchased it for longevity.

I was a little concerned at first with buying it since I had read about some urban legends of voiding your warranty and even damaging your MAF (Mass Air Flow?) system because of the oil on the filter that might seep onto it. I ended up calling the dealership and they dispelled these myths stating that the warranty is only void if you install the K&N intake kit and the seepage problem only occurs if you use to much oil. They even sold the air filter themselves, of course at retail cost.

This said, my engine will probably burst into flame as I drive down the highway.