PDA

View Full Version : $18 panel filter experiment


UberTeile
11-18-2015, 04:30 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LMMIE9O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Usually, far be it for me to stray from a stock paper filter. I've had K&Ns in previous rides, then realized how crappy they are at filtering and went back to trusty paper. I've often been curious about some of the dry "performance" filters on the market but scared away by their prices. For $18, I'm willing to give this one a try. It arrives and gets installed tomorrow. Thoughts?
iamshayan
11-18-2015, 06:10 PM
if it comes 'oiled' I'd recommend using the k&n filter cleaner and cleaning it and not re-oiling it. Apparently that oil likes to kill maf sensors.
UberTeile
11-18-2015, 06:47 PM
if it comes 'oiled' I'd recommend using the k&n filter cleaner and cleaning it and not re-oiling it. Apparently that oil likes to kill maf sensors.

The filter in question is a dry element...no oil...supposedly cleans up with mild soap & water.
zeitmorder
11-18-2015, 07:24 PM
I seem to remember somewhere in distant memory about some objective "tests" that were performed using a K&N filter back when I drove a MIV Jetta. Back when people were killing their MAFs from over oiling their filters. The basic outcome was that driving around with a dirty oiled K&N filter was better than driving around with a un-oiled K&N filter.

It's been so long ago, I'll hunt around and post the article here if I can find it.

Not a bad price on the dry filter you found though. I just opted for a regular paper filter last time around since I still have the stock airbox/snorkel.
UberTeile
11-19-2015, 08:34 AM
It arrived as expected....

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w440/microair01/IMG_0102_zpsq2nzuha7.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/microair01/media/IMG_0102_zpsq2nzuha7.jpg.html)
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w440/microair01/IMG_0103_zpsq08zdjvp.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/microair01/media/IMG_0103_zpsq08zdjvp.jpg.html)
OE paper filter comparison:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w440/microair01/IMG_0104_zpsbqldygya.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/microair01/media/IMG_0104_zpsbqldygya.jpg.html)
Close-up of the filter media & metal mesh:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w440/microair01/IMG_0106_zps1cc2qgq5.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/microair01/media/IMG_0106_zps1cc2qgq5.jpg.html)
vvenom800tt
11-19-2015, 08:41 AM
if it comes 'oiled' I'd recommend using the k&n filter cleaner and cleaning it and not re-oiling it. Apparently that oil likes to kill maf sensors.

The whole point of an oiled filter is to trap the debris with the oil. Without the oil its not filtering out as well. So you may as well just get a dry filter at that point.

Ive ran an AFE dry flow panel filter and i liked it. No noticable difference but im sure it helped 0.1% with power. Maybe 2 hp.
waiapasi2006
11-19-2015, 08:44 AM
Not bad.
I paid twice the price for the K&N drop in.
reno808
11-19-2015, 08:54 AM
have you installed it yet?
UberTeile
11-19-2015, 09:48 AM
have you installed it yet?

Not yet...after work...gotta move them Audi parts, ya' know? [;)]
martin0079
11-19-2015, 01:38 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LMMIE9O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Usually, far be it for me to stray from a stock paper filter. I've had K&Ns in previous rides, then realized how crappy they are at filtering and went back to trusty paper. I've often been curious about some of the dry "performance" filters on the market but scared away by their prices. For $18, I'm willing to give this one a try. It arrives and gets installed tomorrow. Thoughts?

It amazes me that this is not known already. To increase the flow the filtration must be sacrificed. Will the amount of dirt and size of the particles that the filter lets pass kill your engine not likely.


if it comes 'oiled' I'd recommend using the k&n filter cleaner and cleaning it and not re-oiling it. Apparently that oil likes to kill maf sensors.

This is far from correct. Our cars have a vortex MAF which cannot be damaged by the oil. The ones that will get damaged are hot wire MAF sensors and even then it is only if you have no idea on how to oil the filter and just soak the thing. Even the amount of oil that is on a brand new K&N filter is too much.
UberTeile
11-19-2015, 01:54 PM
It amazes me that this is not known already. To increase the flow the filtration must be sacrificed. Will the amount of dirt and size of the particles that the filter lets pass kill your engine not likely.


Ummm, yea...I get that. But the fact remains, if you hold a new K&N air filter up to a light source there are visible holes in the oiled cotton media. Not to mention that I had high silicone levels revealed in a used oil analysis. I have no doubts that K&Ns have their place in motorsports where engines are frequently rebuilt...just not my DD. Hence my interest in denser media dry flow filters.
Charles.waite
11-19-2015, 01:57 PM
^^ This.

Except I contest that a K&N filter would do anything for performance anyway.
UberTeile
11-19-2015, 04:54 PM
My "Upgr8" dry panel filter is in. It fit into my stock air box perfectly. My first drive with the new filter(25mi commute home) was less than ideal. It's been raining all day...had to negotiate deep puddles, deer, and fog on the back roads...the highways were @ a crawl. Plus, I had to run the a/c with all of the humidity. The few brief sections where I was actually able to hit 4k rpms were slightly encouraging. A subtle deep tone growl(for lack of a better term) can now be heard from under the hood. I'll reserve my overall opinion for now...I want to get some time on drier roads an in drier air.
RickB_7
11-19-2015, 09:24 PM
my 2 cents. I did the AFE dry filter and smoothed out the stock airbox and also did the GFB DV+ at the same time. The combination of those three things made a difference, livened things up and made my car pull harder. The feeling has wore off now but I remember when I first made those changes that I was surprised with how the car felt. If I had to pin it on anything I'd say it was mostly the diverter valve but I like to believe the air filter and smoothed airbox helped. I should say I have an APR stage 1 tune so I think it needed to breathe a little better anyways.
UberTeile
11-20-2015, 10:01 AM
After driving around on some dry roads today, I think I'll give the $18 filter two thumbs up...at least for the fact that it only cost $18. I honestly wasn't expecting a significant performance gain from this filter alone and it didn't disappoint. If there is a difference to be felt, it's definitely in the mid-range of acceleration. The low tone growl that I mentioned is probably the most noticeable. It isn't really an annoying sound, very low pitch...almost like a vibration resonance. And if nothing else, this thing is intended to be cleaned and reused so it will pay for itself rather quickly. I'm not sure how this filter would stack up against the more expensive dry-flow offerings, but I think it offers enough benefits for the price.
iamshayan
11-20-2015, 11:05 AM
It amazes me that this is not known already. To increase the flow the filtration must be sacrificed. Will the amount of dirt and size of the particles that the filter lets pass kill your engine not likely.



This is far from correct. Our cars have a vortex MAF which cannot be damaged by the oil. The ones that will get damaged are hot wire MAF sensors and even then it is only if you have no idea on how to oil the filter and just soak the thing. Even the amount of oil that is on a brand new K&N filter is too much.

good info. I've had a 1.8t forever (hotwire), Im still new to the 2.0t game. forgive me.