NotoriousGLU

I was running my previous Audi (2006 A6) on K&N filter for last 7 years. I am in military and was mobilized to El Paso TX for a year and dust storms are everyday problem. I must say K&N filter did amazing job stopping all the sand and I cleaned it only once a year and spray it with an oil just gently.

I know for a fact most of German shops use LiquiMoly on everyday basis and recommend it. I know it is personal preference.

Thank you guys for the input I appreciate it a lot.

EHLO

Sorry if I'm belaboring the point, but I believe friends don't let friends use oiled gauze air filters, so with peace and love I'm going to elaborate.
The K&Ns seemed to be doing a great job for me too, because on the face of it one would think that all particles would stick to the oil, but it's only after the filter is clogged that it starts to do the same job a paper filter does throughout it's life.

After reading the following I removed the K&Ns;
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a8-...-mind-2875131/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...5-tdi-2874308/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...ilter-2863265/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...ensor-2836866/
Air Filtration Test - MotoWiki
Air Filtration Test

NotoriousGLU

EHLO thank you

whooosh_s4

Piling on a bit now about the K&N filters.

I also thought they'd be a great idea for my S8 as I'd had them on most everything else I owned (they flow nicely on my '67 Camaro). My Audi dealer installed during a routine maintenance visit (so no operator error). I guess they are very close to the MAF Sensors, so the excess oil very quickly fouled them and I was in for a new set. After many back/forth e-mails and phone calls with K&N, they agreed to pay for the new MAF and Paper filters (and maintenance), taking theirs back.

I showed them before and after MPG ratings, 0-60 times, etc. I just happened to have the before because I wanted to compare the perf with paper vs. K&N.

Don't do this....

Brozee

I ran/ have been running a K&N filter on my A8 (V8) for over 100k. No issues. I would never, NEVER, run it on my W12. God I fear that engine, anywho the MAF is nothing to mess with, and honestly the minute difference of paper vs K&N wasn't worth the potential headache in my W12

volvopentaman

I have a few friends with turbo volvos (S40 T4, V70 T5 etc), they use K&N filters. I have several times adviced them to get rid of the filters.

The V70 T5 got a starting problem, located it to the fuel tank wiring, and after replacing the burned out fuel tank connector, to the MAF sensor.

The maf sensor had a LOT of dirt all over it, clearly sand dust and oil particles. This guy only does city and highway driving, no sandy places involved, ever, only asphalt.

Luckily the sensor started working again, after cleaning it with MAF sensor cleaner.

I did the same checkup on my Volvo S90 sensor, roughly same mileage on both cars, same driving conditions. No dust or whatsoever particles on the sensor, never cleaned it. Always used volvo original air filters.

Once I cleaned the bottom of the filter box in my volvo, went for a drive to my summer cottage, it had roughly 25km of sand road, and in the middle of the summer it was a real dust hell. Opened the air filter box after driving back and forth (50km), and found roughly 500g of sand at the bottom of the box. Checked both the new filter and the MAF, no particles whatsoever.



Another friend had a K&N filter on his 1998 S40 T4, eventually broke the turbo intake impeller (was like sand blasted because so much sand particles got through), this again had caused the turbo thrust bearing to break, due to the turbo compressor blade being in imbalance, and the bits of the thrust bearing broke the conrod big end bearing on 2.cyl.

A 1500€ (900e new turbo, new bearings, oils, fluids etc)+ labour work just for the sake of not getting a single horse power out from the filter.

NotoriousGLU

Guys

You were right!!!!! I was running those darn K&N for almost a year and now I will be buying second pair of MAF's or trying to clean both of them. I put only 12k on the car in the last few months. I was stupid not to listen to you

I got OEM filters and will never put those K&N again!!!

richard-tx

I removed the K&N that was installed when I got my car. I put it where it belongs...in the trash.

mishar

Why do I have feeling that you guys just opened Pandora box.

NotoriousGLU

Mishar I guess we did lol