Qn on K&N Maintainence

[Ogima]

hello comrades,

 

please let me know your thoughts about this...

 

been using a K&N drop-in for more than 15K since...very reluctant to go thru the cleaning & oiling process...my questions are :-

 

1) what's the mileage done before we need to clean / oil the filter ? been searching on other forums & some said not necessary to even clean at all....some mention it works better when its dirty...others claim 50 miles....etc

 

2) pro & cons of using the hurricane SS drop-in ? again, some complain that engine oil get contaminate & deteriorates relatively faster because of inadequate filtration... other claims total maintenance free...

 

my personal take is to use K&N for a year (approx. 30,000km) without cleaning / oiling then dispose....what do you kind people reckon ? your valuable input is much appreciated.

[Upandcoming]

hurricane is much better IMHO than K&N in terms of periodic maintenance (the ease of which).

 

that said not much cleaning but some oiling is needed.

 

i have a new Hurricane. just bought frm MAN. put in test then out le, decided hold it and go for Open Pod. if u wan can call me 96493818 sean discuss

[Ogima]

thank you sean for your offer. anyway, i had a friend who is going to pass to me his hurricane as he is changing back to K&N. i am now using K&N and thus the confusion on which is better.

[Toyo]

I choose K&N because it is cheaper and it has been in the market for many years

[Ogima]

hello toyo,

 

how often do you clean it? do you experience drop in performance OR MAF sensor problem after that ?

 

also, how do you like the idea of treating it like a disposable (ie used up to a certain mileage without cleaning & dump it)

 

i used to send the K&N filter to wash & oil by some mechanics...however, i always found different standard (amount of oil applied)...hence the question on the mechanic's competency...

[Toyo]

K&N filter is suppose to last the lifetime of your car.

if i want to use it like a disposable, i wld go for paper filter and change every 20k.

my filter is still new so no cleaning yet. perhaps will buy the cleaning kit and DIY when used for 40-50k. try not to over-oiled the filter to avoid damage to the MAF sensor

[Yapsf]

For new K&N filters just purchased, can we install it out of the box, or do we need to dry the filter on newspapers overnight?

[Toyo]

it is already pre-oil at the factory so u can install it immediately

[Blackyv]

....>>>>try not to over-oiled the filter to avoid damage to the MAF sensor <<<<....

 

 

err... i think k&n already mentioned that's a myth...

 

http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm#6 (read Faq #7...)

 

http://www.knfilters.com/MAF/massairfindings.htm

 

[Toyo]

The cleaning instruction that comes with the filter also warn us not to over-oil the filter as it may interfere with the proper performance and the engine and/or certain engine parts.

[Blackyv]

well, that's how i see it... if u have some oil dripping and it happens to drip on top the sensor, maybe it will affect or interfere the performance of the sensory but that doesn't means it's damage. all u have to do is wipe away the layer of oil.

 

so, the claim of k&n oil will damage MAF sensor is incorrect and that's what knn trying to proved by those test....

 

ofcause user should not over-oil it till like dripping lar... dont u like how people play with words...

[Siyexcalibur]

It is true that over-oiling will affect the MAF. The hotwire will be coated with oil. It happened to me. At high rpm the engine will run lean leading to knocking. At low rpm, it run riched. Of course the MAF is not damaged, it is just dirtied. You can dismantle it and clean it with cleaners. Different people used different chemicals. A search would show that many people encountered the same problem. Anyway my conclusion is that it is not worth the risk. All studies show the K&N let in more dirt (including K&N's 98.1$ efficiency). Normal nissan paper air filter 99.2% efficiency. As for power gain, it is only in the initial state, airflow deterioriates very fast as the filter gets dirtied.

 

I feel it is better to use a good sports-type paper air filter like NISMO also 99.2% efficiency but lower air resistance 0.3kPa instead of stock 0.46kPa.

 

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/Air_filter.htm

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

 

K&N's website http://www.knfilters.com/filter_facts.htm Overoiling : When servicing a K&N filter, take care not to over-oil the element. Besides impeding air flow, excess oil can migrate into the intake system where it can coat electronic sensors, which may hinder their operation

Edited February 12, 2007 by Siyexcalibur