Poll: For Those With AF Restriction Gauges...

[Jim Allen]

How about helping build up a data base by answering the following questions:

1) Which restriction gauge?

2) What vehicle and engine?

3) What air filter brand, line (e.g. Fram Tough Guard vs Extra Guard) and if you have a stock airbox or a CAI or some other aftermarket air filtration system (brand and model please)?

4) What was the starting restriction indicated with a new filter? If you installed the unit on a used filter, how many miles were on the filter when you did and what was the restriction?

5) How did you set the indicator? Normally, you do a full bore run to get your initial restriction with a new filter.

6) Generally speaking, what is the environment in which your vehicle operates? Rural and dusty? City and dusty? Very little dust? Wet and clean air, etc?

7) What is the factory FCI on your vehicle?

8) Feel free to add any other info you think relevant, including UOAs or any other data, or even opinions on things that have worked or not worked with regards to restriction indicators.

 

[Rand]

some cars come with a "for life" air filter assembly and gauge

its supposed to last 150k+ miles

MY 2007 focus had one(with factory gauge also)

I sold it at 40k miles and it had never budged off the full green that I noticed.

 

[dinkydau]

1 wix after market gauge
2 2012 Ford Fusion 2.5 I-4
3 factory air box Amsoil EAA225 dry filter
4 With new filter shows green with no restriction
5 Did not set the gauge,just doing normal driving
6 Rural and dusty (high desert of Central Oregon)
7 Amsoil states filter good for 100k with cleaning
8 current oil fill is 5/20 pennz.Plat. with a fram ultra filter,going for one year OCI or a max of 7.5k due to warranty
coverage and following the oil life monitor.Will not clean air filter until gauge shows restriction starting.Amsoil says to clean at 25k but Jim convinced me to go by the gauge.

 

[Colt45ws]

1. Filter Minder 20in H2O
2. 2004 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6L SOHC
3. Factory 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder airbox with EAA218 filter.
4. No restriction indicated. Ive yet to see it indicate any restriction whatsoever.
5. Yup, I did that. Lots. Doesnt move.
6. Rural and dusty.
7. I'd have to look it up, but I'd guess 20-30k.

 

[Smokescreen]

1) Factory issue with Chevy trucks.

2) Chevrolet Suburban 1500 5.7L

3) A/C Delco stock airbox

4) Zero, it never moves, even though I test it once a month with the reset button.

5) See #4

6) Rural and very little dust

7) What is the factory FCI on your vehicle? I don't know...I got antsy at 100K miles and changed it out, all performance was the same before and after. Side by side the filter was only grey-ish other than that I probably could have left it in for much longer...intake tract was and is still dustless.

 

[dnewton3]

1) Which restriction gauge?
stock GM unit

2) What vehicle and engine?
GM Silverado with Dmax

3) What air filter brand, line (e.g. Fram Tough Guard vs Extra Guard) and if you have a stock airbox or a CAI or some other aftermarket air filtration system (brand and model please)?
Wix replacement; system is stock

4) What was the starting restriction indicated with a new filter? If you installed the unit on a used filter, how many miles were on the filter when you did and what was the restriction?
very close to fully "open" or no restrction on the new filter; if there was movement, it was minimal and indistinguishable

5) How did you set the indicator? Normally, you do a full bore run to get your initial restriction with a new filter.
I don't purposely do it, but I'm sure I get a WOT run in about every drive cycle, so it gets set that way. However, being a diesel, it runs full air volume anyway, so I would not expect much change except due to the rpm shift.

6) Generally speaking, what is the environment in which your vehicle operates? Rural and dusty? City and dusty? Very little dust? Wet and clean air, etc?
Typical mid-west rural life (nearly boxed in with corn/bean fields) and city work, so perhaps 50/50?

7) What is the factory FCI on your vehicle?
As I recall, it's predicated on the OEM gage

8) Feel free to add any other info you think relevant, including UOAs or any other data, or even opinions on things that have worked or not worked with regards to restriction indicators.
I'm on my first "aftermarket" Wix filter; the OEM orginal ran approximately 35k miles. I changed it too soon, but I had an animal infestation in the engine compartment, and did it as a precaution, even though the gage showed plenty of life left. In hindsight - I should have left it in there; there was nothing wrong with it. Won't make that same mistake again.

 

[HappyLittlePony]

Quote:
1) Which restriction gauge?


Wix

Quote:
2) What vehicle and engine?


2007 Toyota Yaris 1.5L 1nz-fe

Quote:
3) What air filter brand, line (e.g. Fram Tough Guard vs Extra Guard) and if you have a stock airbox or a CAI or some other aftermarket air filtration system (brand and model please)?


AFE cold air intake with the ProDryS filter.

Quote:
4) What was the starting restriction indicated with a new filter? If you installed the unit on a used filter, how many miles were on the filter when you did and what was the restriction?


I installed the gauge when I installed the new intake. The gauge still reads nothing after not quite 2,000 miles.

Quote:
5) How did you set the indicator? Normally, you do a full bore run to get your initial restriction with a new filter.


I just drive normally.

Quote:
6) Generally speaking, what is the environment in which your vehicle operates? Rural and dusty? City and dusty? Very little dust? Wet and clean air, etc?


City, but I park at work on an unpaved gravel parking lot, so I know I suck up a little dust every day.

Quote:
7) What is the factory FCI on your vehicle?


I believe it's 30,000 miles or 36-months

 

[Virtuoso]

1. Wix 24801 Filter Minder

2. 99 Chevy Malibu 2.4L

3. Napa Gold in a stock airbox.

4. Installed with 66,000 miles on the filter, No restriction shown.

5. It gets opened up every so often.

6. Rural, only real dusty during harvest season.

7. 30,000

 

[roadrunner1]

1)Factory installed unit

2)Ford F350 Super Duty (6.0 diesel)

3)Factory issue Donaldson

4)Factory issue, currently at 172,500mi.

5)I have reset indicator, usually at OC, always stays in green

6)Rural, but most of my driving is highway

7)I would have to look at the owners manual to be sure but I go by the filter minder.

I have filter minders on several other engines and always go by the gauge for the interval, never time-based.

 

[R2d2]

1. Filter minder

2. Accord 3.5 V6

3. Honda OEM

4. no restriction, new air filter

5. hard run

6. mixed, near the coast some sand.

7. manual says 15k miles if you drive in dusty conditions

 

[widman]

I have Donaldson units on:
2012 Grand Cherokee OEM filter
2012 Mitsubishi Triton with Donaldson PowerCore
2012 DFSK Van OEM filter
2012 and 2009 Suzuki Vans
2012 Nissan Van OEM filter
2002 Toyota Hi-Lux pickup Donaldson PowerCore
1998 Toyota T100 pickup Donaldson PowerCore
2009 Mitsubishi Outlander OEM filter
OEM minders on 2003 Ford F550 and 1987 Mitsubishi Fuso
Donaldson "Informer" on various buggies we race.

Best example of practicality of them is my history with the 2009 Suzuki
Original air filter: 12 months 23,900 km
First replacement (OEM): 7 months, 15,500 km
Second replacement (OEM): 19 months, 38,500 km
Third replacement: 13 months, 23,000 km y and still going.

Only opened the air box 4 times in 4 years. three filter purchases in 100,000 km.

 

[chevrofreak]

2002 Subaru with the 3.0 H6
2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 2.3 I4
2006 Ford Freestyle 3.0 V6

All have ACDelco Professional air filters (picked because of the Spicer test) with Wix 24801 Filter Minders. After a WOT run none of the vehicles moved the gauge at all with new filters.

I sealed the air boxes with stainless steel cable ties so that nobody messes with them.

 

[rrounds]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak


I sealed the air boxes with stainless steel cable ties so that nobody messes with them.

That is a good idea.

 

[chevrofreak]

Add a 2008 Ford Fusion 3.0 V6 to the list, also with an ACDelco Professional air filter and Wix 24801. No indicated restriction.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
1. Filter Minder 20in H2O
2. 2004 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6L SOHC
3. Factory 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder airbox with EAA218 filter.
4. No restriction indicated. Ive yet to see it indicate any restriction whatsoever.
5. Yup, I did that. Lots. Doesnt move.
6. Rural and dusty.
7. I'd have to look it up, but I'd guess 20-30k.

Just noticed today that it moved half a notch or something. Its crooked somehow. I reset it and did some errands hitting WOT once. I checked it afterwards and it was cocked at an angle again. So its just barely starting to register restriction. This is with ~8k on the Amsoil. Regrettably I never wrote down an exact mileage.

 

[gaijinnv]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
How about helping build up a data base by answering the following questions:

1) Which restriction gauge?

K&N 0-10 inches H20

2) What vehicle and engine?

2013 Toyota Land Cruiser 5.7L V8

3) What air filter brand, line (e.g. Fram Tough Guard vs Extra Guard) and if you have a stock airbox or a CAI or some other aftermarket air filtration system (brand and model please)?

OEM paper filter element

4) What was the starting restriction indicated with a new filter? If you installed the unit on a used filter, how many miles were on the filter when you did and what was the restriction?

Approx. 5 inches H20 after WOT test on a new OEM paper filter. During normal driving, no restriction is indicated

5) How did you set the indicator? Normally, you do a full bore run to get your initial restriction with a new filter.

WOT test showed a 50% (approx. 5 inches H2O) restriction

6) Generally speaking, what is the environment in which your vehicle operates? Rural and dusty? City and dusty? Very little dust? Wet and clean air, etc?

High desert - dusty and dry.

7) What is the factory FCI on your vehicle?

Not sure - I think it's check at 30,000 replace at 50,000 miles?

8) Feel free to add any other info you think relevant, including UOAs or any other data, or even opinions on things that have worked or not worked with regards to restriction indicators.

I first had a Wix Filter gauge which showed from 8 - 25 inches H2O and it never moved - even after WOT test. Replaced it with the more sensitive K&N 0 - 10 inches H2O gauge.


And because everyone likes pics:

HTH

 

[circuitsmith]

I think I have this right:

10" of water vacuum is ~2.5% of atmospheric pressure.
About the same pressure drop as an elevation of 750 feet vs sea level.

 

[TiredTrucker]

I run Filter Minder gauges on everything I own.... Jeep Liberty Diesel, Chevy Silverado 5.3L, Detroit Diesel Series 60 12.7. Filter Minder is the same folks who make the K&N gauge. I run Amsoil Ea air filters on the smaller stuff, and Fleet Air Filter on the Detroit.