Aftermarket Air Filters for RS5?

[Prizm]

Interested to know what brand of aftermarket drop-in air filters any of you are using in your RS5.

[GotRS?]

Waste of money on this engine IMO. Plenty of flow from the two stock ones.

[essfour]

Waste of money on this engine IMO. Plenty of flow from the two stock ones.

you are probably right. but the ITG ones that are for sale through AWE seem like they'd be a good after market option and they are reusable which is an added plus. And EVERYONE knows that airfilters add like a ton of street cred/horse power. Just ask like, anyone you see parked outside of an Autozone. They'll tell you what's up.

[EmmanueleDesign]

We use the BMC filters on the Porsches and they work well. Even a little bit more air in a naturally aspirated motor will help power and efficiency.

[Zee Dgerman]

power maybe, but not efficiency that's for sure. More air = Burning more fuel.

We use the BMC filters on the Porsches and they work well. Even a little bit more air in a naturally aspirated motor will help power and efficiency.

[GotRS?]

Seriously, run on low fuel, turn off AC and even lose weight and you'll see more performance gain, and how about cold weather FTW! The car is heavy, don't over estimate what reducing intake air filtering might do for this car's performance... IMO

[shonseb]

I agree, car has great flow as is with the dual intakes but.... I wanted new air filters so I could hear the engine throttle a little bit louder.

[Prizm]

I agree, car has great flow as is with the dual intakes but.... I wanted new air filters so I could hear the engine throttle a little bit louder.

Which air filters did you go with?

[shonseb]

I didn't. Still looking for something and the only thing out is the gruppe m or custom like marzz did.

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[Dfw007]

I installed the IGT filter. It's only 150 and they are reusable for life, so what the heck, go for it.

[shonseb]

Link to said filter? I searched and found the website but couldn't find an rs5 specific filter

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[shonseb]

Also did you notice an improved throttle sound?

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[banksc]

http://www.awe-tuning.com/itg-air-filter-hmp-728

[Prizm]

I installed the IGT filter. It's only 150 and they are reusable for life, so what the heck, go for it.

Any noticeable difference in intake sound?

[Dfw007]

Any noticeable difference in intake sound?

I would say there is a slight difference, but once you are moving and the exhaust sound kicks in, it's nothing you notice. I did not do it for sound, I think it makes the car slightly more responsive at low speed. Of course that is what my butt is telling me. Again, it's a $150 upgrade for an $80k car, totally worth it to me. The fact you can reuse it and it cleans the air a little better is worth it to me.

[EmmanueleDesign]

Link to said filter? I searched and found the website but couldn't find an rs5 specific filter

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

The part number for the RS5 is FB719/20. MSRP for both filters is $198.45.

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[scottykenneth]

Thinkn bout gettting a set of ITG. Feel the RS could use better throttle response. Maybe these filters help?!

[Alex@TAG]

Thinkn bout gettting a set of ITG. Feel the RS could use better throttle response. Maybe these filters help?!

Thats what we usually put. You get a bit of difference in the throttle and a bit more i feel like grunt in the top end but other than that, not a whole lot. Its not very expensive but I had it on all 3 of our RS5's, and installed them in plenty of our clients RS5's.

[AirmattRS5]

Maybe it's just me but $150 so my butt can feel the slightest .00001% in performance is better spent in taking the Ms out on a nice dinner a few times.

[scottykenneth]

Thanks Alex!! Pm me a price shipped :)

[Sftuner]

I still have a brand new set of ITG filters sitting in my garage. Can do $100 shipped.

[scottykenneth]

Pmd

[Jimmy ny]

Pmd

Bmc filters here. I did not like the look of a foam filter.

[BuyTheWarranty]

Thought I would bump this thread as it’s almost 5 years old, and there are quite a few new RS5 owners.

I’m curious if grabbing a set of BMC, K&N or ITG drop in filters are worth it. Also, recent dyno results have been showing some inconsistent figures when comparing OEM airbox setups vs aftermarket. It’s also been mentioned that “drop in” filters offer similar performance to that of an aftermarket airbox (6hp and 6tq MINIMUM, depending on car).

I dug up an old thread from Marzz and he mentioned that the left intake only opens after 4500rpm and the need for this engine to have a higher flowing filter: https://www.a5oc.com/forums/rs5-gene...s/54177?page=2

“the difference: just because RS5 has got twin inlet it does not mean that both sides are used at all times, the left side only opens when over 4500 rpm, so it means that for heaps of people almost never, the stock filters, each supports enough air flow for up to 250hp at the most, accordingly to my calculations, the intake size and design the max torque with stock car is atcheved at around 4500rpm (give and take), then the car starts choking a bit and after 6000rpm the party is over you ran out of steam, you can still rev for another 2000revs but you are not really going any faster using my redesigned intake the max torque point was increased and shifted to about 6500rpm, what you had at 4000rpm now have at 3500rpm, so it does help at the bottom end as well, you will feel it, trust me. so the intake design stretches and levels the torque curve, which is great, it also confirms that the RS5 definitely needs a better flowing filters”

_ _ _ _

I also found more information on the ITG filters here: http://www.rsquattro.com/en/sport-air-filters . I thought the following was interesting as it mentioned the factory filters, specifically in the RS5, RS6 and R8 having limitations:

“In certain cases though, it is highly advised or even critical to change the OEM filter by sports version due to high negative OEM constraints encountered on engines such as on RS5, S6 V10, RS6 V10, RS4 V8 2013, S8 V10. On these engines, the OEM filters are either badly designed or get clogged too quickly. For example on a RS5 or RS4 2013, changing the filters even 100% new provides a power increase or min 6 to 8 HP(its big for such a little change).”

Anyway - old thread, for 150 bucks it seems worth it but I couldn’t find much info on anyone who’s used the ITG filters as AWE used to sell them, but they aren’t available anymore from their website.

[Treeskier]

interesting...subscribed

[Surrey Sam]

I don't believe the CFSA engine in the B8 RS5/RS4 has a 'power flap' that opens at 4500rpm, there was one in the previous generation BNS engine found in the B7 RS4. That only had a single entry feed to the airbox though, so an additional air inlet was fed into the bottom of the airbox and then controlled by an actuated flap. This is documented in the Audi Self Study guide 377.

The only reference I have found to a 'power flap' on the B8, is in the (linked below) article written for an Australian audience - maybe Marzz got it from there? Reading the online article there is some obvious errors, where certain information has clearly been pulled from the 377 self-study guide and not applicable to our CFSA engine. I've also had a quick scour of the online parts catalogues and cannot find any parts that would indicate there being a 'power flap' system. It was a common failure point on the BNS engine, so I believe Audi simplified things by going twin air feeds/throttle valves on the CFSA engine. From what I understand, the only things that change related to RPM's which I'm aware of are:

A) Lower intake manifold tumble flaps.
B) Exhaust silencer flaps.

Australian CFSA article link : http://australiancar.reviews/Audi-RS...FSA_Engine.php

[Surrey Sam]

Regarding drop in filters.

I removed the OEM ones which were hideously dirty (30k miles), vacuum cleaned the airbox and OEM filters, then re-installed. Butt dyno noticed that the car was a little perkier on pick up and top end. I then immediately swapped over to ITG drop in filters and noticed the same improvements, just not as much.

So I'm sure they help but the improvement is minimal on a standard OEM ECU tune. I now have brand new OEM paper filters and plan to do a back to back test against the ITG ones, monitoring the Mass Air Flow figures using VCDS. As that'd be a better way to see if there's a tangible benefit.

[BuyTheWarranty]

Thanks Surrey. I've got the 2.75" free flowing exhaust with the ECU update, so I think I'd see more benefit with more free-flowing filters given my current setup. I'd also like to do the logging on the air flow, but I don't think Carista or OBD Fusion have that function?

[Ape Factory]

There is a flap on the CFSA but it's in the lower intake manifold and it's closing off one side of the intake port to increase velocity at lower rpm.

You can take your intake off, start the car, and get someone to operate the throttle. You'll clearly see both throttle bodies open. So both filters are in full operation all the time.

Here's a shot of the flapper prior to my carbon cleaning efforts. It shows how the flapper directs most of the airflow to one half of the valves.

[Ape Factory]

Here's another shot, vacuum pot actuator at the end is controlled by a solenoid. You can actually feel the flaps switch over during close to WOT acceleration. Once they're "activated", the flap forms the other side of the LIM intake runner wall and its completely flush.

[BuyTheWarranty]

Planning on doing some logging of the air flow with the stock air filters vs. K&N as winter is ALMOST over and I was curious if anyone here has any MAP data to compare? I'll be using the Carista adaptor with OBDEleven.

[BuyTheWarranty]

Thought I'd update this thread as the snow has melted and I had chance to install the K&N Filters and take the car out.

Since I've now got the exact same setup as JHM (tune, full exhaust, drop in filters) I've noticed a few things:

1. On light throttle (just tapping it and letting off) the intake suction sound is very apparent (couldn't hear it before)
2. Car doesn't seem to 'bog' now when I'm in 2nd holding RPM's then hitting WOT. I felt like before, I was hitting a bit of fuel cut as perhaps the A/F ratio was slightly off, maybe limited by airflow?
3. Power delivery seems smoother, and the car is snappier and more eager to pull hard into the power band (butt dyno says maybe 10hp gain over stock filters)

Overall, I know there wouldn't be a massive difference for many, however, given that I have the 2.75" free flowing exhaust, with their tune and now the same filters, I feel like the ECU and parameters are all working in harmony now.

TLDR - As I linked above, high flow air filters on this car are a must and the power increase and drivability is noticeable immediately.

On top of this we have spent hours of testing on the dyno to create some unique design feature on some of these filters to even go beyond and remove some air pressure constraints that were present with the use of OEM designs. This is the case for example for the air filters on the RS5 and RS4 2013 model, where we can guarantee you that simply by replacing your OEM filters on a brand new car by our RS QUATTRO filters, you will gain a minimum of 6HP of performance. We were proud, by the way, to be the first to have RS5 sport filters (compatible with RS4 2013 as well) available on the market.

[Yoda1]

My take on these air filters.
First, at my last air filter change, both were equally dirty. Since most of the mileage driven was below 4k RPM, its not likely there were any flaps closing off one of the intake track/filter below 4,500 RPM. Any company claiming this should be a red flag IMO. logically, if only one of the filters were being utilized more than the other, it would be that much dirtier.

Next. Physics is physics. Sure OEM paper is old basic technology but it gets dirty and restrictive because it is working. With aftermarket, It makes sense to think for more airflow you would need either a bigger filter surface area or bigger holes for same area filter surface area to allow more air to come through but bigger holes will allow more particles to come through. More particles, silicone/sand for example can break down the engine oil quicker and and can be a potential abrasive . I've gotten this information with an engine oil analysis from Blackstone labs. Paper being inherently restrictive will become increasingly so as more of its holes do their job of blocking particles. Based on conditions, I imagine there is a narrow period where paper air filters are effective at letting the requested air through to the engine. It makes sense to replace them often if you do lots of spirited driving. I think engineers who design this car had cost constraints but did not design a filter with surface area to restrict throughout its lifespan and from the start and especially considering the nature of filters to becoming clogged.

An air filter "upgrade" may be a cheep mod for sound satisfaction or possibly power gains but it may also be a very expensive mod at the same time in the long run on a $70K car. I personally will never buy a secondhand car that has had an aftermarket "free flow" filter".

In two of my previous cars, I did some "informal" tests with K&N, foam filter, OEM paper and Injen (red) filters and ended going back to OEM. I did the test for checking dirt getting past the filter. Basically, after about $1,000 miles with each filter, I use a white napkin and wipe inside the intake between the air filter and the TB to check how much dirt got pass filter. Here is Colorado there are lots of find sand dust in the dry air so don't have to go too long to check. Please note, this is an informal test because of the many variables and a non controlled environment so don't put a lot of stock in it.

Throughout the years of being completely anal about clean air in my engine yet still wanting performance, I've found one aftermarket that I trust. I personally like and have used in my other cars the Amsoil Nano tech fiber filter. Maybe because I bought into their video of how their filter works and its technology but it makes lots of sense to me. Unfortunately Amsoil do not make an OEM replacements i don't think.

Is OEM paper enough in our RS5s? I recently though of a way to check if your air filter is restrictive. I'm not sure if I'm willing to drill a hole in my intake tube to test this but unless someone can mail me their old one replaced by an Eventuri or AEM aftermarket kit, I'll consider :-D.
So the test:
Drill and connect a vacuum hose in the intake duct between the air filter and the TB and connect a vacuum gauge to hose that you can monitor when you drive. If filter is unrestrictive you should not have a vacuum, should be around zero but probably best to get a benchmark with a new or after market free flowing filter to find what's the "zero". I'm no mechanic so there may be better ways. Now, as the filter gets clogged and restrictive, the vacuum will be greater since the engine is trying to suck more air than the air filter can deliver. Probably good way to check vacuum when engine is hitting its highest RPMs on a new OEM filter too.
Anyways, all thoughts..

[JamesRS5]

I live in a pretty dusty enviroment, sand is blowing across the road on most days so if anyone is seeing dust in their intake it would probably be my car. Even the OE filter isn't enough to prevent the fine particles of dust passing through and the OE filter in my car has a cotton wool type material as the first layer of the filter before it hits the paper. I would assume the filter is designed to pass through contaminants that are small enough to not have any impact on the engine operating life.

I tend to switch back to the OE filter in the summer months when there's more airborne dust but the last time I swapped the Eventuri out for the OE inlet I removed the filter and checked for the ingress of dust on the carbon tubing and filter housing, there was not really any more than I would see on the OE pipework. Blowing the Eventuri filter out onto a white sheet of paper revealed the dust, sand and small animals captured by the cotton gauze filter

[Ape Factory]

My take on these air filters.
First, at my last air filter change, both were equally dirty. Since most of the mileage driven was below 4k RPM, its not likely there were any flaps closing off one of the intake track/filter below 4,500 RPM. Any company claiming this should be a red flag IMO. logically, if only one of the filters were being utilized more than the other, it would be that much dirtier.

Next. Physics is physics. Sure OEM paper is old basic technology but it gets dirty and restrictive because it is working. With aftermarket, It makes sense to think for more airflow you would need either a bigger filter surface area or bigger holes for same area filter surface area to allow more air to come through but bigger holes will allow more particles to come through. More particles, silicone/sand for example can break down the engine oil quicker and and can be a potential abrasive . I've gotten this information with an engine oil analysis from Blackstone labs. Paper being inherently restrictive will become increasingly so as more of its holes do their job of blocking particles. Based on conditions, I imagine there is a narrow period where paper air filters are effective at letting the requested air through to the engine. It makes sense to replace them often if you do lots of spirited driving. I think engineers who design this car had cost constraints but did not design a filter with surface area to restrict throughout its lifespan and from the start and especially considering the nature of filters to becoming clogged.

An air filter "upgrade" may be a cheep mod for sound satisfaction or possibly power gains but it may also be a very expensive mod at the same time in the long run on a $70K car. I personally will never buy a secondhand car that has had an aftermarket "free flow" filter".

In two of my previous cars, I did some "informal" tests with K&N, foam filter, OEM paper and Injen (red) filters and ended going back to OEM. I did the test for checking dirt getting past the filter. Basically, after about $1,000 miles with each filter, I use a white napkin and wipe inside the intake between the air filter and the TB to check how much dirt got pass filter. Here is Colorado there are lots of find sand dust in the dry air so don't have to go too long to check. Please note, this is an informal test because of the many variables and a non controlled environment so don't put a lot of stock in it.

Throughout the years of being completely anal about clean air in my engine yet still wanting performance, I've found one aftermarket that I trust. I personally like and have used in my other cars the Amsoil Nano tech fiber filter. Maybe because I bought into their video of how their filter works and its technology but it makes lots of sense to me. Unfortunately Amsoil do not make an OEM replacements i don't think.

Is OEM paper enough in our RS5s? I recently though of a way to check if your air filter is restrictive. I'm not sure if I'm willing to drill a hole in my intake tube to test this but unless someone can mail me their old one replaced by an Eventuri or AEM aftermarket kit, I'll consider :-D.
So the test:
Drill and connect a vacuum hose in the intake duct between the air filter and the TB and connect a vacuum gauge to hose that you can monitor when you drive. If filter is unrestrictive you should not have a vacuum, should be around zero but probably best to get a benchmark with a new or after market free flowing filter to find what's the "zero". I'm no mechanic so there may be better ways. Now, as the filter gets clogged and restrictive, the vacuum will be greater since the engine is trying to suck more air than the air filter can deliver. Probably good way to check vacuum when engine is hitting its highest RPMs on a new OEM filter too.
Anyways, all thoughts..

So first, no need to drill holes and run a gauge into the cockpit. You can buy a Ross-Tech VCDS Hex2 cable and monitor vacuum/pressure using the factory sensors.

I ran the K&N filters in the OEM airboxes for a brief period of time and they've been sitting in a big box, upright, as they'd sit in the car for some time. I pulled them out last week and I noticed a lot of oil from the filters, as delivered from K&N had pooled in the bottom of the intake and was dripping down the water evacuation hole. Doesn't really matter for the RS5 as we're speed density and there's no hot wire/film sensor to screw up. I'd be concerned on a MAF-equipped vehicle.

I run the Eventuri like James and there's plenty of sand and dust here. When I first moved here, I actually remember thinking how all of the cars were extremely dirty here. Just this brownish gray dust over every vehicle. It's a pain to keep a car clean. Anyway...I too check periodically by wiping the inside of the tubes and I don't really get anything. They're clean.

It's definitely a concern if you live in a climate with lots of fine particulate matter. Florida was a bad one as it's basically all built on sand (much like Dubai!) and I stopped using K&N's out there and only ran OEM filters.

[BuyTheWarranty]

Sooooo, it’s dangerous to use the oiled filters is the consensus?

[A6sport]

Here's another shot, vacuum pot actuator at the end is controlled by a solenoid. You can actually feel the flaps switch over during close to WOT acceleration. Once they're "activated", the flap forms the other side of the LIM intake runner wall and its completely flush.

Nice watch.

[Ape Factory]

Sooooo, it’s dangerous to use the oiled filters is the consensus?

I'd watch them. Maybe pull the elbow after a month and see if there's any dust/residue in the tubing just aft of the actual airbox. The oil itself isn't an issue with the RS5 like it would be with the S5.

[Yoda1]

James, that's crazy sandy. There isn't as much sand here but it's so dry here that even if there is no wind, you will find a film of dust on your freshly washed car after a couple hours. Very discouraging if you have a pretty black car. Sounds like all the RS5's OEM filters have that cotton prefilters.


Warranty, On my test, the K&N was cleaner than the foam and overall wasn't too bad but not as clean as the OEM. I think the K&N sometimes come over oiled from new and I may have had an oil film in some areas. Can't remember all the details that far back anymore lol.

Ape, ooh that's a nice watch
Was able to connect to OBD2 with one of them amazon gadgets and monitor engine with an app called Torque. The only sensor I connected to I presume was the MAP and it displayed under Boost gauge in the app. The MAP is in the intake manifold and I would like to get the pressure outside the manifold, outside of the throttle body so between the TB and the air filter . I don't think the MAP will work for me because its affected by the TB flap. On inspection of the plastic intake elbow, I only noticed one connection to it and it is the blowby return from engine most likely. I can probably disconnect that, plug in an adapter then connect a vacuum gauge maybe. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to use on the VCDS to monitor that area.
Thanks

[Ape Factory]

The connection on the elbow runs to the back of the manifold and provides a vacuum source I believe, for the pcv system. The car has an external atmosphere pressure meter. I’ll have to look it up on the VCDS later when I’m home but you can measure kpa and all sorts of stuff.

Torque is the best smartphone app but not as powerful as the VCDS.