wat i will never understand is to save urself the headache why dont people jus remove the aftermarket part that is attached to watever their issue is before going to the dealer for warranty work unless its something difficult to remove.

 

Well,

part of it is that many won't know that the aftermarket part MAY cause a problem until after the dealer runs the scam, or the mechanic tells the owner what the facts are. Once you have the knowledge you can do something.

I actually talked with a few engineers (one of them is a materials science engineer) because I found this particularly interesting. NONE of the engineers I spoke with believe the filters would or could cause a problem. The premise of every one of the engineers i spoke with, was the same. oil is not a corrosive. further, it should be a simple matter of cleaning the sensor.

thanks for the input everyone. I hope this information is helpful to someone else out there.

 

Nope, there is no CEL notice happening. your response is closer to what I've been told by various engineers. It makes sense that it would give a lean reading, rather than a rich reading. My mechanic will check it for me and fix it, when he returns from vacation. I've resigned myself to having to pay for this to get done right. however, i'm documenting everything and exploring the possibility of a lawsuit. I'm really tired of getting jerked around by idiot dealers and part changers who pose as mechanics.

 

i never re-oiled my filter...

the check engine light might not even come on when your MAF is dirty.. the symptoms could be low/shaky idle when the car is warm, etc...

K&N works differently for different cars..

cars like G35 where MAF is so close to the filter will definitely have issues..
maybe people who proclaim "i've had K&N for 10 years without a problem..." is talking about their older hondas where MAF sensors or any sensors at all were not present between the filter and the throttle body.

dip ANY FILTER in oil/grease.. let it soak.. blow on it.. it's will go through..

unless a filter is designed to block 100% of the particles, there will be SOMETHING going through.. it's common sense... you don't have to be an engineer to understand that..

K&N is known to have inferior filtration level compared to a dry cloth/paper filter. AKA more/larger particles getting past it.

I am not saying that K&N is a killer to a MAF sensor..
all i am saying is that, don't be shocked if your MAF sensor is damaged or dirty. check for irregular idle (lower end)

 

Will do. thanks for the input. I expect the MAF to be dirty and I will get it cleaned by my mechanic. I will even change the air filter. But I will not let the dealer tell me a bunch of b.s. The MAF should be able to be cleaned...The dealer said that it shorted out due to the air filter. If that is so, then it should be able to be explained in detail and evidenced. It hasn't thus far...there is no proof of this, other than the MAF is dirty.

please answer a question for me: Who states that the K&N air filter is inferior to paper ones?

Thank you again for the input. I still hope this thread is helpful to those trying to get their beloved vehicle properly serviced. A mechanic should be able to stand by what they say and prove it from an engineering point of view; not a part changer....

I got opinions, but they don't hold water if I can't substantiate it scientifically (so to speak).

Be well all!

 

I wouldn't bother with a K&N filter. If you're really concerned about air flow, get a foam filter that doesn't need to be oiled and call it a day. The performance gain is not worth the cost of the filter + cleaner + oil kit, not to mention the amount of MAFs that I have seen that were ruined because of the oil.

It depends on what you're looking for. Performance, longevity, filtration? Any part that has the ability to ruin other parts on my car for none-to-minimal gains is an inferior product. It's not scientific, it's common sense.

Performance: You won't find it in an air filer. Look elsewhere for power.
Longevity: K&Ns do last for a long time, but they need to be cleaned and oiled. It comes to personal preference on that one (i.e. how much is your time worth to you)
Filtration: Any 'premium' air filter will easily meet or beat K&N in filtration.

Personally, I run NAPA Gold Filters and I've never had a MAF let go due to them. The membrane is dense enough to where I can clean it once or twice without it degrading.

 

The foam is the absolute worst for letting dirt though.

The dry filters are great. But they end up not cleaning out 100% and get clogged up over time and losing their flow.

The best filter is the oem style paper and changing it out frequently. Good flow and great filtration. Just gets clogged up and needs changing.

 

I stopped using K&N about fifteen years ago. They just don't filter that good and require too much maint.

I use Fram off the shelf from Mal-Wart and change them every 10K - 15K.

 

Yeah, i'm an engineer too. A filter shouldn't cause an issue. However, i still take aftermarket parts off before I go to the dealer if there is a remote chance the affected part is even remotely related to the aftermarket part.

I had a fight with a dealership over what ended up being a seized REAR caliper because I had changed my own FRONT brakes myself...with nissan parts. It's bad enough when they refuse to do work due to replacing OEM parts, let alone aftermarket. They also apparently believe nobody but their own techs are qualified to fix their cars...but that's another rant for another day. I'm so glad my car is not under warranty anymore so i don't have to deal with that BS.

Dealers...they aren't here to be our buddies or help us out...there are here to make money.

 

here's a link to a test:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

there are other independent tests that came to the same conclusion.
K&N filters allow more air in, but the cost is letting MUCH more dirt in than typical OEM filters...

have you noticed that K&N NEVER talks about their filtration rates... only their air flow rates..

 

yea paper filters will always filter more better but at the cost of less air flow. thats jus always going to be the trade off. however i would guess "some" tiny dirt particles is ok for the engine or no?

 

Actually oem paper filters do flow well UNTIL they start getting dirty.

 

^im sure every filter flows less when its dirty lol but if u think about it the smaller the openings (for better filteration) i find it hard to believe that air flow isnt compromised.

 

I'm actually a filtration engineer. But you gus are right, your trade off for high flow, is a loss of some retention. As filters clog, they do filter better, but you lose flow.

Every day I get tasked with trying to make filters flow a bazillion liters of air per hour, and filter everything down to 0.001 micron. It's hard.

 

Discuss it with Hydrazine. He has done testing on various filters. That's what his conclusions were.