What Air Filter should I replace my K&N with?

[alaskanseminole]

I have a 2005 Mazda Tribute i (4cyl) and a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder LE (6cyl)

I recently had an oil analysis completed on both with the following silicon results and I'm being advised that dirt may be getting through. Suggestions?

PATHFINDER SILICON #'S
ME: 48
UNIVERSAL AVERAGE: 18

TRIBUTE SILICON #'S
ME: 20
UNIVERSAL AVERAGE: 07



Complete Mazda Analysis: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2961482&#Post2961482

Complete Nissan Analysis: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...132#Post2961132

 

[randomhero439]

AEM Dryflow or aFe dry

 

[oldhp]

A nice stock dealer replacement or a NAPA Gold.

 

[chevys10]

Napa Gold or a Purlator Pureone..OEM if the price is right.

 

[K20FA5]

I picked up a Wix for my Frontier, should be the same filter as your Pathfinder. I'm very impressed, tons of pleats. It's made in China, but it looks very well made.

 

[Jim Allen]

alaskanseminole: I agree with any of the above mentioned filters, with the AEM or aFe being the more efficient ones... if they make a drop in for your application. I presuem they are drop in replacement not cone filters.

I would be grateful for some background. Where you live, would you consider it to be a dusty area? Is it rural, with fine dust or big city? Just trying to establish the environment. I presume you inspected the filter fit and all airbox connection, PCV fit etc? Those could be a probable cause as well.

Also, and finally, have you previously cleaned the K&Ns? If so, how many times.

 

[LineArrayNut]

I've been using kn on my jeep changing to aem soon

 

[Chris142]

IMO any paper filter will filter better than your currant filters. Fram, Wix, STP etc.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
alaskanseminole: I agree with any of the above mentioned filters, with the AEM or aFe being the more efficient ones... if they make a drop in for your application. I presuem they are drop in replacement not cone filters.

I would be grateful for some background. Where you live, would you consider it to be a dusty area? Is it rural, with fine dust or big city? Just trying to establish the environment. I presume you inspected the filter fit and all airbox connection, PCV fit etc? Those could be a probable cause as well.

Also, and finally, have you previously cleaned the K&Ns? If so, how many times.


I live in San Antonio...fairly big city, hot and dusty. I've cleaned my filter once in 40K miles and the box says to clean it every 50K. Always thought K&N was supposed to be the best...I'm not getting that impression from this thread since no one is telling me to keep it.

 

[abycat]

I had one in my truck when i bought it and I took my intake system apart it was coated in dust. I replaced it with a wix which is the same brand as in my versa and i havent had a spec of dust in the intake since. I threw the k&n in the garbage.

 

[Jocephus]

We ran some K & N filters on some equipment while we were deployed to Iraq. The generators and stuff we had using K & N had more problems than the stuff using the standard filters.

I'm sure theres some K & N devotees that will try to argue with me, and I'm not saying that they are bad at all...in fact, I have K & N installed in a few things around my farm because finding filters for them is nearly impossible. I'm just saying that I personally choose other filters on my vehicles where other filters are readily available based upon what I saw on a 15 month tour in Iraq.

 

[Kool1]

Have you considered a K&N precharger or a filter wrap for dusty conditions?

 

[Kuato]

How about Amsoil filters? I hear they're pretty good (but expensive) but good for 100k with a vacuum cleaning every 25k.

 

[oilboy123]

That's what I've been using for the last few years. Excellent filtering, pricey, but not for how long they can be used. Also a good filter if the filter is hard to get to like my Dad's Dodge van.
Originally Posted By: Kuato
How about Amsoil filters? I hear they're pretty good (but expensive) but good for 100k with a vacuum cleaning every 25k.

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole


I live in San Antonio...fairly big city, hot and dusty. I've cleaned my filter once in 40K miles and the box says to clean it every 50K. Always thought K&N was supposed to be the best...I'm not getting that impression from this thread since no one is telling me to keep it.

Thank you.

Believe it or not, it's a quality filter in most ways, it's just that the priority is on airflow, not filtration. Everything about it is well done... but the oiled cotton gauze (OCG) media just offers "average" filtration. If you live in an area with a lot of fines in the air, that's the worst venue for the OCG filter. OCG are also vulnerable to damage resulting in a serious degradation of efficiency if not cleaned very carefully. Personally, given the other media that's available, I think OCG is "dinosaur" technology for all but racer types. It was a great alternative back in the days of even more inefficient oil bath filters or very restrictive paper.

Again I urge you to make sure whatever new filter you install fits well and tightly and that all the intake system hose are secure and tight. It'd be embarrassing to find it was a loose hose clamp all along.

 

[HyundaiGuy]

I'd go back to an OEM filter, but in my opinion, some damage is already done, K&N advertises a HP increase due to better breathing on the intake side. The only way I can see to get an increase in air on the intake side is to reduce filtration, Reduced filtration is not a good thing.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole


I live in San Antonio...fairly big city, hot and dusty. I've cleaned my filter once in 40K miles and the box says to clean it every 50K. Always thought K&N was supposed to be the best...I'm not getting that impression from this thread since no one is telling me to keep it.

Thank you.

Believe it or not, it's a quality filter in most ways, it's just that the priority is on airflow, not filtration. Everything about it is well done... but the oiled cotton gauze (OCG) media just offers "average" filtration. If you live in an area with a lot of fines in the air, that's the worst venue for the OCG filter. OCG are also vulnerable to damage resulting in a serious degradation of efficiency if not cleaned very carefully. Personally, given the other media that's available, I think OCG is "dinosaur" technology for all but racer types. It was a great alternative back in the days of even more inefficient oil bath filters or very restrictive paper.

Again I urge you to make sure whatever new filter you install fits well and tightly and that all the intake system hose are secure and tight. It'd be embarrassing to find it was a loose hose clamp all along.


Everything checks out on hoses and clamps...It would appear that since I'm getting similar results (high silicon #'s) from two different vehicles and the only common denominator between the two is the K&N Filter, I should probably look into a different filter. I'm highly considering purchasing a Wix from Amazon and driving until my next oil change. At that point I'll be collecting for another analysis. I figure if my silicon #'s drop, then I made a wise choice. If they stay the same or get worse, then I'll simply clean and re-insert the K&N filters.

Btw, what's the average change interval on filters these days? Once per year (I average 12.5K per year...less on the Pathfinder)

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole


I live in San Antonio...fairly big city, hot and dusty. I've cleaned my filter once in 40K miles and the box says to clean it every 50K. Always thought K&N was supposed to be the best...I'm not getting that impression from this thread since no one is telling me to keep it.

Thank you.

Believe it or not, it's a quality filter in most ways, it's just that the priority is on airflow, not filtration. Everything about it is well done... but the oiled cotton gauze (OCG) media just offers "average" filtration. If you live in an area with a lot of fines in the air, that's the worst venue for the OCG filter. OCG are also vulnerable to damage resulting in a serious degradation of efficiency if not cleaned very carefully. Personally, given the other media that's available, I think OCG is "dinosaur" technology for all but racer types. It was a great alternative back in the days of even more inefficient oil bath filters or very restrictive paper.

Again I urge you to make sure whatever new filter you install fits well and tightly and that all the intake system hose are secure and tight. It'd be embarrassing to find it was a loose hose clamp all along.


Everything checks out on hoses and clamps...It would appear that since I'm getting similar results (high silicon #'s) from two different vehicles and the only common denominator between the two is the K&N Filter, I should probably look into a different filter. I'm highly considering purchasing a Wix from Amazon and driving until my next oil change. At that point I'll be collecting for another analysis. I figure if my silicon #'s drop, then I made a wise choice. If they stay the same or get worse, then I'll simply clean and re-insert the K&N filters.

Btw, what's the average change interval on filters these days? Once per year (I average 12.5K per year...less on the Pathfinder)


Oh, the Dieties, don't get me started of FCI! ( : < ).

I urge you to Google "Filterminder" and look around here for some of my previous diatribes. Also look HERE . Fitlerminder is one of a few available air filter restriction gauges. It's installed into the fitler housing and it monitors fitler restriction. When it reaches about 15 inches of water, the usual maximum allowable it will wave a red flag and tell you exactly when to change the filter, whether that be at 5,000 miles or 100,000 miles. Most factory FCIs are a "worst case" recommendation, with the side benefit of selling lots of air filters. With a restriction gauge, you know exactly the right time to change the filter. You can't tell much by looking, as you will see in the article.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole
Btw, what's the average change interval on filters these days? Once per year (I average 12.5K per year...less on the Pathfinder)

I think this is too frequent. As a matter of fact, the filtration improves as the filter loads up with some dirt. It really takes a lot of dirt for the filter to become too restricted, as noted by the article that the previous poster linked to. My guess is that by the time you hit 10-20K miles, the filter only begins to do an optimum job of filtration. Alas, it really depends on the environment in which the vehicle is operated. Also, check your owner's manual to see what they recommend for interval.

For my 530i, the recommended interval is every 30K miles. For our C300 - 40K miles or 4 years. The C300 has two filters.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: alaskanseminole
I'm highly considering purchasing a Wix from Amazon and driving until my next oil change. At that point I'll be collecting for another analysis. I figure if my silicon #'s drop, then I made a wise choice.

But if K&N is the culprit, then your current oil is already being contaminated as we speak, so even if you replace it with Wix at some point during this interval, the silicon numbers would still be elevated.