NWS4Guy

Yes, the key is moderation, you don't soak the thing in oil.

meteor man

how does this play in with audi warranty coverage and leases?

Zed 2.0

From what I can tell looking at the filter (and based on what Strat packages) it's not designed to be oiled.

NWS4Guy

There is no way a filter and intake change will affect warranty. Keep the old one and swap them back out after the lease is up and sell the used intake for a hundred bucks.

Funny, because it looks exactly like a K&N cone filter, which are lifetime filters you use a solvent to clean the dirt the oil catches off, then re-oil it to catch more when it becomes dirty.

K&N cone filter which is oiled and has a "million mile warranty"

http://www.knfilters.com/cold_air_intakes.htm



Stratmosphere filter:

http://www.stratmosphere.com/hyperflow.htm

Zed 2.0

It's just a cone filter, doesn't mean it's the same internal structure as a K&N. I have run cloth filters in the past that did not require oiling. Strat's install manual also doesn't say anything about it (and doesn't include oil).

Can somebody from Strat weigh in?

Needsdecaf

Until some blowhard regional warranty director gets a bug up his rear and decides that the filter doesn't protect as well as an OEM and decides your MAF or something else upstream is no longer covered.

Never say never. There is always the one jerkoff out there and yes, I have seen them in action for things stupider than that.

NWS4Guy

The MAF has to actually BLOW before they can say anything. No one can look at something that has not had any ill effect on the car and say "Voided!" unless it actually alters or circumvents a government mandated safetly/emissions feature. Then there would need to be concensus as to why the MAF blew and the cause. If it got too hot and melted, that wouldn't be the fault of an intake or oil, for example.

Needsdecaf

Correct, something has to fail first to be denied a claim. However, it doesn't have to fail for someone to enter a note into the system with your VIN saying: "aftermarket intake affixed, beware of pending failures in the following parts...". Yes, this does happen. I have seen it on many occasions, and have seen cars being "black flagged" due to aftermarket parts.

Also, there doesn't have to be a consensus. Audi can say "it blew because of your intake and we're not paying". Now before anyone cites Magnuson-Moss, be aware that the manufacturers are playing the odds that you won't put up a legal fight. After all, the burden of proof is on you the user for proving to Audi that it was NOT a contributor to the failure. Lot of time and $$ for not much gain, except the satisfaction of seeing you're right.

Fortunately, this is pretty rare for something as simple as an intake, but I have spoken to people who have been denied claims on MAF failures due to the use of oiled filters. And I have spoken to people, service advisors and regional warranty reps who have partially or totally black flagged a car due to aftermarket springs, sways, etc. These are not merely stories I have read on the internet, these are people I know who have had this happen, and service people and manufacturers reps who I have met and spoken to and given me the story to my face.

I am not saying it's going to happen. Merely saying never say it's 100% safe and will not affect your warranty in any way. I feel that people should know that, however slight, the possibility of the above does exist.

johnatstrat

I'll chime in-

in regards to the warranty, I'll use the same line I have been using:

As I am not AoA, I can't say anything for sure.

But I can say that the kit keeps the lines ported where they were stock, keeps the breather line filtered, and pulls air from the same places as the stock box. I believe there is no way that this can create any negative issues- but I too have heard of dealers claiming wild things like aftermarket shift ***** are why we won't warranty your tranny... you know how that goes.

On the flip side, our car went in for the water pump under warranty, complete with intake, exhaust, short shifter, and wheels.. and we got nothing but compliments from our local dealer. Of course this same dealer has referred new customers to us for chipping and other upgrades.

In short, have a quick sit down with your dealer if you are concerned. If you can show them pictures online, or have them read any of this stuff, go for it. Also feel free to have them give us a call (866.533.1777) if they have questions about it.

I think you'll be fine.

johnatstrat

Oh and as for the filters- ours are lightly oiled.. LIGHTLY! Some of the K&N filters we have seen are SOAKED.. and can cause issues. This will not cause any issues here. Filters are to our spec, and can be cleaned and refreshed just like the K&N ones... just with less oil. A lot less. As soon as you hold one of these in your hands, you'll be like "Oh, right, this is less oil."