Does the quality of the air filter effect the running of the engine in any way ? I say this because I just recently had an oil change and they said I needed a new filter because it was too dirty. They wanted $33.00 plus tax. I called several auto parts stores who all wanted Apx. the same amount except Auto-Zone who wanted $19.99. Lexus factory filters go for around $40.00. SO, I looked on Ebay for my make, model and year and saw a Catinbow air filter (a name I can't find on Google) made in China for $8.06 no tax and free shipping from a co. in N.J. I have the filter and it looks fine. My question is should I use it or not. As always, Thanks to all

 

I get the DENSO brand air filters from Rockauto, they're cheap and good quality. Denso is an OEM supplier to Toyota.

 

I have used WIX only because sometime in the last 15 years I switched to them. This applies to all my cars except the BMW, for which I prefer German made or Austrian made parts.

Otherwise, I use WIX and feel they are top notch.

But no, any quality product will do imho. No as far as how the car will run.

imho a lot of folks seem to believe that Denso is original, and my feeling is that it is not. It can be, but it cannot blanketly be assumed that it is, and Japanese are good at obfuscating whether something is OEM or aftermarket. For example, a radiator made by Denso < $70. No way no how is it original. Original lists for $429.86, you don't just go online and get it for $67. lol

 

I've always gone OEM even down to engine air filters.....besides as mentioned above you can get the OEM Denso from Rock Auto fairly reasonably. It's a well made filter.

 

If you've already got the new filter use it. Even if it's a cheap filter it will still be better than a dirty old one. They are pretty simple technology and I would guess that the cheap ones preform very similarly to the higher priced options.

 

Everyone seems to have their own favorite air filter. Little data is shown to substantiate which is best. I think the Lexus engineers that designed and developed the engine for the LS430 are the most likely ones to know what the air filter should be. Consequently, I always choose the Lexus filter and feel good about that decision. To each his own.

 

I'll state it again, OEM means original equipment manufacturer. i.e. I can be AC Delco and make parts for GM. I can also make them for Nissan. With American cars and German cars, OEM is the 2nd tier product. OE is what came from the factory. American and German are transparent about it. Take AC Delco. 3 levels of products. OE. OEM or Professional. aftermarket or Advantage. Prices reflect the 3 grades, and they don't try to hide them. They even used the names OE/Professional/Advantage to help consumers recognize the 3 grades of parts.

To illustrate, a $67 Denso radiator is clearly not OE for Lexus. It's the third tier or aftermarket. Denso just happens to be one of the OEMs, but no way no how is a $67 Denso OEM, or OE. Didn't we just recently see our cars came with NGK not Denso plugs?

With the LS430, the only way you're going to know you have OE, is to go to the Lexus dealer and get a filter with a Lexus box. What I did find interesting on my wife's GM, because I bought both OE and Professional which had $10 and $5 rebates respectively? They are in the same bag, identical inside, but the OE has a GM hologram sticker. That is not always the case. The water pumps, OE is made in Canada with a metal gasket included, OEM is made in China with a paper gasket included.

Folks here seem to use the term OEM to mean what came from the factory, which is neither here nor there, if we keep it straight that we mean came from the factory, or made by the co. who makes it for Toyota.

 

This is what I use - Good build quality without crazy high price - and delivered to my door in 2 days. Really cheap filters can fail due to either poor build quality and/or bad materials.


Also for cabin filter -

 

Engine Air Filter -

 

The first filter (fram) looks almost identical to the OEM Denso at a similar price.

 

When I was a kid my mom always bought FRAM and had me do the oil in their cars. Some of them even had that gritty top I guess so you can grab it with your hand like a real man and remove it without a wrench. I remember being unable to do so so I went over to the neighbor and asked him if I could borrow an oil filter wrench (back in those days it was pretty much expected that every garage had one, today I bet it's about as likely as finding a car with a stick and clutch). He said of course you can't just take it off with your hand.

I personally would never use FRAM after the scandal. Ditto with Tylenol. Fool me once theory...

 

I have been using MANN filters for over 30 years. - Rock Auto carries them too
Read reviews about their products
PS I am not a distributor or dealer

 

used to use them on BMW until production went to Mexico. Then I stuck with Hengst and Mahle Knecht as they were still Germany and Austria. the info online is endless so does it really matter maybe not. But you got the fanatics cutting them apart and pointing out differences when production moves elsewhere so for whatever reason I care about COO

 

love that they offer $40 installation! My amazon stock hasn't been good in a year now, I think the co. is like Fidelity Magellan became, a huge ship that can't turn....I recently never got an order and it wasn't that easy to get a credit back as the part-time worker kept telling me to wait until about 1 week passed beyond delivery date (ultimately they added a $5 courtesy credit for the inconvenience) and the tracking said stuff like "building closed for holiday" at my house! c'mon amazon. Then you pointed out counterfeits in their supply chain like my plugs