OMG MY K&N FILTER!!!

[metalshark]

I've been running K&Ns on the big V-8s for years. I clean them once a year and re-oil. On my truck its a whopping 14" diameter by 6" tall so I never have a measurable restriction even when its caked on. Typically these types of filters do a better job of cleaning the air after they are dirty up to a point. I've had the big trunicated cone type on a CAI inside the left front filter for one year now. Its been in there for 20,000 miles so its time.

[Qmobile]

yeah and I like my TRD one witch I think is the same thing as a K&N right? Ever since I put it in I noticed a tad more umph! not much though

[Tamago]

Originally Posted by Qmobile

yeah and I like my TRD one witch I think is the same thing as a K&N right? Ever since I put it in I noticed a tad more umph! not much though

here's the umph curve


miniscule------------------------tad----------------------VTEC!! MMMMMMMMMBAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

[bzinn 1]

be careful with the oil,it can gunk up the MAF really quick and give you a CEL.

[Doug007]

Originally Posted by PetersRedYaris

Keep paying for them? One kit last for multiple cleanings, which only need to be done every 50,000 miles for regular street driving...

+ 1...I have K&N's in my Sequoia, TSX and Yaris. I've made the cleaner kit last several years. I agree on being cautious with over-oiling.

In terms of performance gains, it's hard to tell. I do exceed the EPA mileage on all three cars.

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by bzinn 1

be careful with the oil,it can gunk up the MAF really quick and give you a CEL.

And that intial 1hp at the wheels (until the PCM adjusts for the extra airflow that it now sees) that you think you're feeling because you're driving more aggressive to hear the extra noise being made under the hood can quickly turn into about a 20hp loss at the wheels when the MAF gets gunked enough to set a code.

[thebarber]

Originally Posted by 1stToyota

And that intial 1hp at the wheels (until the PCM adjusts for the extra airflow that it now sees) that you think you're feeling because you're driving more aggressive to hear the extra noise being made under the hood can quickly turn into about a 20hp loss at the wheels when the MAF gets gunked enough to set a code.

only way it gunks up the maf is if its waaay over oiled. i had k&n oiled filter on my xrs and never had a problem w/ an oiled maf even running to 8350rpm...

its a common misconception that an oiled filter with screw up your maf....its gross user error to have that happen...

as for the hp increase...im sure its almost negligible in the yaris....but the ecu doesnt compensate in the way youre describing, otherwise you would never feel any power increase for any mods done on a stock ecu...and thats just not the case.

how much are those stock paper filters? for me, id rather spend the $50 on 1 k&n and never have to spend money on cruddy, restrictive paper filters

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by thebarber

only way it gunks up the maf is if its waaay over oiled. i had k&n oiled filter on my xrs and never had a problem w/ an oiled maf even running to 8350rpm...

its a common misconception that an oiled filter with screw up your maf....its gross user error to have that happen...

as for the hp increase...im sure its almost negligible in the yaris....but the ecu doesnt compensate in the way youre describing, otherwise you would never feel any power increase for any mods done on a stock ecu...and thats just not the case.

how much are those stock paper filters? for me, id rather spend the $50 on 1 k&n and never have to spend money on cruddy, restrictive paper filters

HP gains come from real mods, followed by a dyno tune. Try putting a cam, heads and LTs on a LS-1 motor w/o a tune. You'll be lucky if you can back down the drive until it's tuned, and then you'll see 100 or so extra hp at the wheels. And the PCM works exactly like I said...the MAF measures AIRFLOW, that's why a car will still stay running even when the paper element can be completely clogged with dust, trash, dragonfly legs, bird feathers, etc...

And it kinda depends on the location of the MAF, if it's real close to the airbox better chance of catching non-100% air across its heated wires. I'd say it's not a misconception when TSBs are issued on oiled filters.

K&N (drop-ins) is great for saving money but not for HP gains, maybe 1 or 2 hp at the wheels of most applications, at best. Probably saw better gains back when they first came out and was installed in bigblocks with hi-rise manifolds and dbl-pumpers, but now cars are getting too smart for minor mods w/o reflashes.

[Giobatera]

The bottom line is simple to understand. As "thebarber" said, it doesn't take much to figure this out. WHY spend $ on cheap quality paper filters every couple months, if you can just get something that will less you a eternity for less then $50.00 bucks? Even IF you don't see any significant changes as some of you described previously, just the fact the you don't have to keep buying these filters over and over again, pays for itself.
Now, use your best judgement!

[1stToyota]

In a perfect world no one will ever over-oil their filter, and if they do they'll always be smart enough to clean the MAF and have a code reader to see the MAF code and not have to pay a mechanic to read the code and clean the meter at a pricely sum, if the mechanic doesn't decide to make a MAF sale instead of just cleaning it. 50$ investments can get quite expensive.

had to be a need

...and paper filters are good for 15k miles, a year or more for most, not every 2 months

[thebarber]

ya, i agree....no gains even on the butt-dyno...i have one in the yaris and it still chokes past 5500 or 6000rpm - - i just bought it because i hate paying a toyota tech to install new paper filters when i can run w/ a k&n and clean it myself...

gains would be easier to get on larger displacement engines too....though i talked my dad into a k&n filter on his 3.8L (or is it 3.9?) v6 gmc sierra (2006, iirc) and i couldnt really feel a difference...but he says he gets a couple more mpg now...

[anonymous user]

I have a K&N airhog on my wrx for the past 5 years with no ill-effects. Like ChinoCharles stated, it's a race car, so whatever.
I got a Blitz LM intake on my yaris, and it seems to do the trick just fine. If I had'nt got it, I'd be rocking a K&N filter.
You haters are overanalyzing the situation. It's not like were talking about crank pulleys that throw off your harmonic balancer. They make balanced ones for race cars, but they cost 4x as much. IT is safer, as you have much more invested in the motor should it crap on you.

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by thebarber

ya, i agree....no gains even on the butt-dyno...i have one in the yaris and it still chokes past 5500 or 6000rpm - - i just bought it because i hate paying a toyota tech to install new paper filters when i can run w/ a k&n and clean it myself...

gains would be easier to get on larger displacement engines too....though i talked my dad into a k&n filter on his 3.8L (or is it 3.9?) v6 gmc sierra (2006, iirc) and i couldnt really feel a difference...but he says he gets a couple more mpg now...

Did it always choke past 5,500 rpms? Giving K&N their due credit, if you're going to notice an improvement that's where the car should feel better than it did before with the paper element.

At the risk of looking like a jerk it might be worth about 10 minutes of your time, a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol (or the CRC cleaner), because loss of top-end power sometime means dirty MAF. All you need is a small phillips screwdriver to remove the 2 screws. No harder to do then replacing the air filter. Might be worth giving it a try to see if that improves the top-end acceleration.

[1stToyota]

Originally Posted by anonymous user

I have a K&N airhog on my wrx for the past 5 years with no ill-effects. Like ChinoCharles stated, it's a race car, so whatever.
I got a Blitz LM intake on my yaris, and it seems to do the trick just fine. If I had'nt got it, I'd be rocking a K&N filter.
You haters are overanalyzing the situation. It's not like were talking about crank pulleys that throw off your harmonic balancer. They make balanced ones for race cars, but they cost 4x as much. IT is safer, as you have much more invested in the motor should it crap on you.

I'm not hating K&N, just saying that MAFs get dirty enough to need cleaning, even when someone isn't using oiled elements, so going oiled just increases the risk. And I know because most of the tuneups that I do the MAF meter (w/ paper filter installed) is a lot nastier than the iridium and platinum plugs that I pull out with over 100k miles on them.

[thebarber]

i found in a stock yaris the power just isnt there to redline...maybe 6000rpm is more accurate....maf might need cleaning too at this point....but i figure ill wait till spring....

i find with a proper intake the power runs to redline....

[anonymous user]

Originally Posted by 1stToyota

I'm not hating K&N, just saying that MAFs get dirty enough to need cleaning, even when someone isn't using oiled elements, so going oiled just increases the risk. And I know because most of the tuneups that I do the MAF meter (w/ paper filter installed) is a lot nastier than the iridium and platinum plugs that I pull out with over 100k miles on them.

I wasn't singling you out specifically, but i agree with your points.
I've never had a problem with the maf getting clogged up with oil, but have had carbon buildup problems with the IAT sensor on my wrx, and also water coming in the fenderwell clogging my filter after like 90 straight days of rediculous rainstorms.

[id3379]

K&N Drop in Filter FTW!

[Yaribhini]

Interesting that almost everybody missed the point that I tried to make and that is not that the K&N flows less than paper media, it is that it does so at the cost of filtration. A K&N let's more in which constitutes a dirtier motor and throttle body. I'd love to hear the arguments for needing more airflow for this 100hp air pump. Please don't kid yourself into thinking that the K&N is giving you better results. The only think that it's doing is making your motor and throttle dirtier.

Chino,
I assume you have your Yaris on the track often? That K&N filter must have you blowing by all the Porsche's and BMW's!?

C'mon guys, stock paper media is where it's at with this Yaris. That's a "no brainer."