K and N washable reuseable airfilters
 

]
Planning to buy K & N air filters for my 2007 LS 460.
What has been your experience with these filters?
Is the perfomance worth the extra cost?
Byroncat

I have used these on all my cars..i see slight mpg increases..about 3mpg on road trips and about 1 or 2 in city with these in my LS. Some folks here don't like them because they think the oil on the filter will cause some issues for the sensors, but when properly cleaned and re-oiled, I don't see an issue..never once did I have any issue from a K&N filter

I used one in another vehicle and did in fact, get a slight increase in gas mileage. Then it occurred to me that this extra mileage most probably results from the engine breathing easier. If the engine is breathing easier, then it could possibly be breathing in more contaminants. Just my two cents.:dunno:

I wouldn't even bother with an aftermarket filter on this car. The OEM filters are about impossible to beat as far as material quality and "breathability". A K&N will only allow more particulates into your combustion chambers and that aint so good, plus you might end up throwing a DTC which will take you back to the dealer to reset.
If you do end up going that route please , please do not put a K&N sticker on your window like a kid with a fart cannon muffler on his 98 civic :D

I agree, it can mess up your mass air flow sensor or sensors and they let more dirt into the engine. I would stick with the factory filters. Not worth fooling around with is my opinion...

The factory filters are excellent, reasonable if you buy them off resellers from EBay etc and just change them out often. I have tried the K&Ns and they never impressed me, plus they were more expensive and required cleaning etc, the factory units i just toss and put in a brand new fresh one every year or so.

Thanks for your response the answers look to vary.
Byroncat

One of the things I like about tis site is the independent thinking! thanks for your thought!

Thanks for your response!

Thanks---rest assured you well never see an ole fart sticker on my car!

Thanks I have enough info to decide.

Good answer I'll take it from here.

I have not been too impressed with standard OEM filters, but Lexus on the LS just has some outstanding OEM parts, the filters for everything have been excellent. They are really easy to find online at good discounts so I usually just stock up. The OEM oil filters I buy for just 10.00 a 3 pack for example.

Thanks for your imput--The general consensus seems to support you.
B

Looks like you got what you were looking for, but here are my two cents worth:

I have K&N on all my cars, GS 350 AWD, GX 470, LS 460L, RX 330, Toyota Tundra, Scion Tc.

I have NEVER had a problem with the mass air flow sensor in any car.

The GS added a noticeable 'growl' under full acceleration with the K&N filter.

The GX added the most MPG boost, getting about 15% better overall mileage.

The first thing I did when I got my LS 460 L was to change out the filters for K&N. They cost about $95 for the pair from AutoAnything.com. Don't forget, the LS has two air filters that are going to need changing. That's about what the OE filters cost and you'll need to change those out every 9-12 months. If you are keeping the car for a few years, they pay for themselves many times over.

I run my LS in both around town and highway situations. At 75 MPH, I get 26 MPG, or about 2 MPG over the EPA estimate ( !!! ) When was the last time you BEAT the EPA estimate? Driving a steady 65 MPH, I get 27-28 MPG and I attribute that 100% to the K&N filters.

Follow the instructions, keep the oil side on the 'dirty' air side and off the gasket and you'll have no problems.

Couldn't agree more. Best mpg I noticed with K&Ns installed on my dash was 31.1 mpg driving from Atlanta to Memphis. About 60 degrees out, climate control was on and doing anywhere from 65 to 80mph during the 370 mile stretch.

On stock filters, best I could get was around 28mpg on that same stretch. so about 3mpg, but that is an extra 50 miles or so per tank and over time that ish adds up. On the LS, i do not hear any extra noises or growls, but then again, I put the filters in within a month of getting the car so I am just used to it if there are any sounds, but I didn't notice a change.

factory for me :) not messin with anything on my DD.... thats why lexus has those really nice service departmants :D

K&N Air Filters
 

I have used K&N Air Filters on all 5 of my past Lexus cars and they are GREAT money savers. They also GUARANTEE in writing that you will get better filtration and better air flow. Let Lexus put you a couple in for about $200 bucks and you will not go that route again. Have you EVER go to get an oil change that they didn't want to change your air filter ? I see the correct air filters on eBay for about $35.00 each with free shipping. I just got my LS-460 and as soon as I have time to look at mine, I'll be ordering K&N when I think they are dirty enough to warrant a replacement. More air flow DOES NOT mean more contaminants....and actually, most manufacturers say the dirtier they get, the better they clean the contaminants. Speaking of that, I need to check my one "Whole House" air filter. You cannot do but one thing by using K&N Air Filters, and that's "Save yourself a ton of money."

The "Cost" is worth the better performance of the air filter. K&N will save you hundres of $$$$. Trust me, and trust K&N Testimonials.

K&N Filters
 

Yes, they do require cleaning and re-oiling, EVERY 50,000 miles. It takes two on LS-460's, so they would pay for themselves quickly. Great filtration also.

Google some independent tests about these filters. So they have more air flow with less dirt huh? I promptly trashed the one that was in my new to me LS430. Many a turbo diesel engine have been dusted by using these filters. Generally the OEM filter is the best filter for your car. Just my 2cents, but certainly do as u please.

Here are some real test results.. I ordered my K&Ns this week. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

Run K&Ns on all my cars. And previous cars too. Never had a problem. Like the slightly more sonorous sound from the engine as a result. Especially given how easy it is to remove the air filter in my Lexus ( hoping its similar for your LS's as our SC430s ), I'm happy to clean my own K&N air filter even every 25k miles. Now on the Acuras, different story, cos the filter is hard to get to ... But I've pressed on with K&Ns and I have no regrets.