Is the K&N drop in filter worth it ? or stick with O.E.M. ??

 

if you want some sound to ur car then yea, u wont notice and hp gains tho

 

K&N is a waste of money and added maintenance issue to keep the thing cleaned and oiled properly. This is pretty obsolete design and filter technology. I think there are some serious scientific studies out there that show oil saturated filter does not filter small particles very well.

 

Good info , Thank you

 

If the car has a mass airflow sensor, the oil in the filter can coat the sensor and kill it. It may or may not be covered under warranty. I had a K&N on my CTS and it killed my MAFS. The old GM covered it under warranty. Today, probably not.

One needs to approach intake and exhaust mods with care. Changes to the airflow and pressures through an engine will change the power characteristics - for better or worse. A high flow intake and low restriction exhaust may boost HP a bit at the high end, but low end torque may take a much bigger hit.

 

I would not waste my money on a K & N too many problems with them

 

Yes, laboratory tests have repeatedly indicated this, PLUS I've seen it myself on my Supra. I have a large K&N filter positioned vertically so that the plastic end cap of the filter faces down and thereby creating a "floor" of sorts inside the filter. After driving the car for about 7K miles (filter was brand new out of the box as oiled from K&N), the bottom of the filter contained a LOT of fine particles. K&N claims this size particle won't harm an engine, but that sounds like a BS excuse to me.

 

How often do they recommend to change the air filter???

 

On-road use: check every 25K, clean about every 50K. They used to say the accumulated dirt helps improve the filtration. (Don't know if they still say that.)

http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm#4

 

ha ha.. they use to say the earth was flat too. I don't believe any of these crazy studies. There is always some study out there to show "something" about "anything." I can see that having a somewhat dirty filter would reduce the "pores" of the filter even more and thus block even more dirt, but at what point in time does it then become restrictive?

Personally, the filters are OEM $20, not $200, I'd change them every 15-20K even if it's overkill. I've always gone with this and none of my engines have had premature failures... but then again I've had Honda/Toyota since '92.

 

Accumulated dirt may improve filtration on some types of filters (paper, for example), but I would expect that it might reduce filtration on a n oiled gauze filter like a K&N over time. The dirt will act like Oil Zorb and pull the oil out of the filter, and K&N admits that the oil it essential for proper filtration.

Every time I see mention of K&N I want to pull that crap off my car and rig it for a paper element, but I'm too lazy to go to the trouble. LOL

 

Wow, no love for the K & N filters. Man, I’m afraid of voicing my opinion but here goes: I own a 2003 LS430 63K miles, 2009 Altima 3.5SE with 24K miles, 1999 Ram Sport 1500 with 180K miles. All have had nothing but a K & N drop in filter from day one, with nothing but great results which include improved performance. Can a K & N filter ruin your MAF sensor? In my opinion, if oiled properly, no. Too much oil and expect to have an oily intake and a f*%ked up MAF sensor. I have to admit, I have many friends who utilize the K & N filters but don’t take the time to maintain them properly….and they’ve paid the price. I personally check mine every 5K, most of the time it will require cleaning between 10K and 15K miles. Again, this is based off of my experience with the cars I have, yours may vary depending on the variables.

 

Pepis - no prob here. Everybody has various opinions and experiences on stuff like this. This kind of forum is a great place for LS 430 owners to share this kind of information - even when our opinions and experiences don't agree - its all good info - in the end everyone has to use their own judgemnet but there is lot's to be learned when everybody shares info -

OK now, gather round, let's all sing some Kum-bye-ya : )

 

Wait, don't K&N also cost more? So...cost more, require constant monitoring, may "F" up the MAF, needs maintenance. I DON'T GET IT. How is it better?

I'd rather $20 every 15-20K (one year) and be done with it.

 

hmm based on this info about k&n i wouldnt go with one either. but if u want an intake and dont want to worrie about problems with the maf sensor and what not get an AEM filter, from what iv seen its basicly bigger verson of an OEM filter thats shaped like the majority of aftermarket filters (correct me if im way off haha)