Clean your air filter for better mileage

[daf62757]

I was noticing quite a drop in mileage. At first I thought it was tire air pressure...then oil....then spark plugs....then I cleaned off my lifetime air filter.

It was the air filter. It wasn't really that dirty, but once I cleaned and oiled it, my mileage increased back to the levels before I noticed the drop.

So it might be the winter...the winter gas....but the air filter is really, really picky about being clean!

[bronsin]

Is that a KN filter? And you added oil to it?

The AF is upstream from the MAF sensor. Incoming air blows oil from the filter onto the fine wires of the MAF, fouling it. It doesnt happen right away but over time the wires tend to accumulate oil.

Oh and another thing. Your oiled element is 95% efficient. The stock paper element is 99% efficient. Your oiled element therefore passes FOUR TIMES as much dirt into the engine.

You might want to reconsider that air filter and go back to the Toyota one.

[Hershey]

Agree , the Toyota filter is of good quality . I vacuum it out on the upper half ( air flow in ) with a crevice tool every 3 or 4 months . Then change it at around 15,000 miles .

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

i got 50k and haven't touched my TRD cold air filter once..... methinks its about time....

[Hamster]

I've never vacuumed the Toyota air filter before, but it sounds like a great idea! I took a look at it last summer and saw bugs stuck to it, but I didn't think anything of it.

[OTA'sTOY]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Is that a KN filter?.

yupper shows up on his list of mods
had me confused too!
maybe he should've stated that in this post would've made it more clear as to "what the hell" he was talking about

[Hershey]

Originally Posted by Hamster

I've never vacuumed the Toyota air filter before, but it sounds like a great idea! I took a look at it last summer and saw bugs stuck to it, but I didn't think anything of it.

Do the same for the cabin air filter . Also vacuum the bottom of air filter housing with the crevice and brush attachment .

[RedRide]

About K&N filters......

A properly oiled K&N filter will not foul a MAF!
This has be proven time and time again. Those that do foul an AF must not be properly oiled.
Properly oiling a K&N is just about idiot proof and it's beyond my comprehension why some over oil them. They are probably the same people who will tighten a small screw until they strip it or snap it off. Overkill is their mantra.
As with most things, a little common sense goes a long ways.

Also, there is a lot of erroneous information on the net that is simply hearsay, of hersay, of hearsay...... and most repeating the hearsay info have no real experience with it, whatever the subject might be. This often the case on various web sites/ articles that claim to be a definitive authority on a given subject. So one must always be careful about giving credence to what one reads on the net without verifying its accuracy.

I ran a K&N in my Celica for over 85,000 miles without a single problem and now run one in my Yaris. My Celica stiil ran like new when I sold it.

In adition Toyota sells a K&N tpe filter, it called a (over priced) TRD filter.

Yes, a K&N will allow some matter through that a restrictive paper filter will not However, the vast majority of it is super fine organic matter that simply burns up
If one drives/ lives in a dusty area, they would be foolish to uas a K&N/TRD filter is such conditions. Like I said a little common sense is always in order!

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by RedRide

About K&N filters......
A properly oiled K&N filter will not foul a MAF!
This has be proven time and time again. Those that do foul an AF must not be properly oiled.
Properly oiling a K&N is just about idiot proof and it's beyond my comprehension why some over oil them. They are probably the same people who will tighten a small screw until they strip it or snap it off. Overkill is their mantra.
As with most things, a little common sense goes a long ways.

Agreed. I'm guessing those that have had issues with it either used a whole can of oil on one filter or - and most likely - oiled both sides of the filter. Derp!

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by RedRide

About K&N filters......

A properly oiled K&N filter will not foul a MAF!
This has be proven time and time again. Those that do foul an AF must not be properly oiled.
Properly oiling a K&N is just about idiot proof and it's beyond my comprehension why some over oil them. They are probably the same people who will tighten a small screw until they strip it or snap it off. Overkill is their mantra.
As with most things, a little common sense goes a long ways.

Also, there is a lot of erroneous information on the net that is simply hearsay, of hersay, of hearsay...... and most repeating the hearsay info have no real experience with it, whatever the subject might be. This often the case on various web sites/ articles that claim to be a definitive authority on a given subject. So one must always be careful about giving credence to what one reads on the net without verifying its accuracy.

I ran a K&N in my Celica for over 85,000 miles without a single problem and now run one in my Yaris. My Celica stiil ran like new when I sold it.

In adition Toyota sells a K&N tpe filter, it called a (over priced) TRD filter.

Yes, a K&N will allow some matter through that a restrictive paper filter will not However, the vast majority of it is super fine organic matter that simply burns up
If one drives/ lives in a dusty area, they would be foolish to uas a K&N/TRD filter is such conditions. Like I said a little common sense is always in order!

Yes oil gets on the MAF sensor wires....yes the KN type of filter is not as efficient at removing dirt as a paper filter...yes at ~$55 a Kn filter is 4 or times or expensive as the Toyota filter...yes and that means at 30,000 miles a paper filter $55 buys a lifetime supply for your Yaris...no a properly oil filter wont foul your MAF wires...no the reduced efficiency of the KN probably wont hurt anything...BUT the bottom line is the KN isnt any cheaper...has potential problems...is just a way to put money in the pockets of another company...which we were already doing by giving it to Toyota so...THEREFORE stick with the origioal paper filter!

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

just got the TRD air fillter cleaning kit this morning:

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Yes oil gets on the MAF sensor wires....yes the KN type of filter is not as efficient at removing dirt as a paper filter...yes at ~$55 a Kn filter is 4 or times or expensive as the Toyota filter...yes and that means at 30,000 miles a paper filter $55 buys a lifetime supply for your Yaris...no a properly oil filter wont foul your MAF wires...no the reduced efficiency of the KN probably wont hurt anything...BUT the bottom line is the KN isnt any cheaper...has potential problems...is just a way to put money in the pockets of another company...which we were already doing by giving it to Toyota so...THEREFORE stick with the origioal paper filter!

Like I said, I have experience with them, do you?

You forgot one........Stick with the paper filter if you want to restrict air flow at the top end.
If an engine can't breath freely at all RPMs it can not perform properly.

Yes, a paper filter will do the job under all conditions. Manufactures have no idea under what condition an engine will be run. So, restrictive paper filters are standard. Therefore, how can a manufacture tell you when to change a filter if they have no idea of under what conditions you are driving in?

By the time a paper filter is scheduled to be changed, it is often compacted and restriced with fine particles that would cause an engine absolutely no harm if passed through. So, a paper filter is only really good when new and progressively restricts air flow from there.
However, if you are going to run an engine under non dusty conditions, (remember commom sense?) a K&N filter can improve performance slightly in the top end without doing an engine any harm.

BTW, are you also telling the OP he does not know whe he is talking about?

[bronsin]

I look at my Yaris primarily was a way to get to work as cheaply as possible.

Im sorry but my life is pretty dull.