Oiled Foam Air Filters: Worth The Risk?

Not to mention it can turn a 200,000 mile CSB into an 80,000 mile wheezer.

GMC Gremlin

Are oiled foam filters worth the risk? I thought they were beneficial until after I bought one (mucho dinaro's) and then threw it away. Why? because I saw no improvement in performance but did notice my TBI getting much dirtier much quicker. You'd be better just buying a Hastings or NAPA Gold pleated paper filter.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% There are two classes of pedestrians in these days of reckless motor traffic - the quick and the dead. ~ Lord Dewar 1933 ~

Climbing into a hot car is like buckling on a pistol. It is the great equalizer. ~ Henry G. Felsen 1964 ~

Thanks. I'm trying to get both sides of the story. While some are saying that oiled air filters can cause engine and transmission damage, K&N is saying that its oiled air filters will provide nothing but benefits. And, they claim that their oiled filters "Will NOT Void Vehicle Warranty":

High Air Flow with Excellent Filtration Designed to Increase Horsepower and Acceleration Washable and Reusable Will NOT Void Vehicle Warranty Lasts up to 50,000 miles before cleaning is required depending on driving conditions

10 Year / Million Mile Limited Warranty Emissions Legal in all 50 US States. Economical, a K&N Air Filter Will Last the Life of Your Vehicle Works with Original Equipment Manufacturer Vehicle Electronics Environmentally Friendly, K&N Reusable Air Filters Reduce the Volume of Disposable Air Filters that end up in the Nation's Landfills

"Our high flow cotton gauze air filter is washable, reusable and built to last for the life of an engine. The filters consist of four to six sheets of cotton gauze layered between two sheets of aluminum wire mesh. This media is then pleated and oiled to enhance its filtering capabilities and overall performance. The result is an air filter that allows dramatically more air into an engine, is washable and reusable, and will protect your engine for the life of your vehicle."

For the life of your vehicle? Hmmm.......

REALLY, K&N is TELLING you how great their product is? I'm shocked. By the way I know of a great product that has been shown to reduce stress, lower your blood pressure and make you look very cool at the same time. Comes in handy package and allows you to meet lot's of others who want to share in the health benefits as well. What is it Unfiltered Lucky Strikes.... With no PROVEN side effects.

Here is a part of another post on them. The first part is just ONE of the TSBs issued about K&N, The second part is real world experience not "lab talk".

I grew up in an era when cigarette smoking was considered part of a healthy lifestyle:

"Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet."

"More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette."

"Old Gold -- not a cough in a carload."

Camel was the most notorious of all the cigarette manufacturers as far as health claims were concerned. Camel ads showed people smoking at the dinner table because Camels aid digestion. All types of athletes testified to the FACT that Camels "don't get your wind." Camel cigarettes may have killed millions of people and RJ Reynolds has been held blameless.

Maybe it's the same with K&N. Their oiled air filters may end up killing millions of engines and transmissions and they too will be held blameless.

Anyway, I came dangerously close to installing a K&N oil bath air filter on my 2004 Silverado, based on the many advantages explained to me by several friends and acquaintances. It was only yesterday that I was warned about the dangers of this type of air filter by a GMC mechanic. Mr. Goodwrench may have saved me a lot of money.

Thanks for the detailed bulletin. I am going to clean it up and print it out and show it to those who have told me what a hot setup those K&N oiled air filters are.

Which is true IF the vehicles problem was not caused by the foam filter. However, if the foamed filter screws up the MAF and that causes other problems, then it WILL void the vehicle warranty for those problems as well as the screwed up MAF. I'm sure that if you complained to K&N they would say that it could only happen if you put too much oil on the filter and therefore it's YOUR problem, not K&Ns.

-- Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . . Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House of Representatives, August 17, 1789

Hi!

I do not have any hard evidence to offer. I don't honestly know enough--but I do know that my dad tried a K&N filter of some type on his '94 with 4.3. There were no disasters, engine meltdowns or lasting negative effects.

The truck never seemed really "happy" with that air filter in place. It would turn on the service engine light from time to time, especially on rainy days or when driving in snow. I never did figure out why, but when that filter got dirty, we put a regular old filter in its place. The engine light has never been on since then.

For what it's worth...

William The Guesser

A friend I have who works for a parts store stated. You may gain a couple of horspower and a couple of miles per gallon. Considering the cost between K & N filter and its gain vs the cost of a standard filter over the same period is minimal. Remember as you increase air flow, the computer makes other changes to adapt. They also having heard of problems with vehicles with TBI injection.

Most of their sales for K&N filter are to young kids, who also buy the big exhaust pipes to make their rice burners sound like a pissed off bee.

William R. Walsh wrote:

I use a K&N filter on my 98 S10 and have the same results as below.. I also pull a popup with it.. JimW

=---

Outstanding. That should finally put an end to the K&N controversy. Thanks for posting it. I'm copying it off for my son, who just put a K&N on a freshly overhauled 400 Chevy small block.

Garrett Fulton

I don't have an ax to grind one way or another in this controversy, but I'm amazed that someone would say with a straight face (I guess) that the unattributed comments of "a gentleman who actually TESTED K&N in real world applications" should "finally put an end to the K&N controversy." Not exactly what I would call rigorous scientific method. Rather it looks more like grabbing at preconceived straws.

Also, isn't this thread titled "oiled FOAM air filters"? Maybe it got de-railed.

gfult> > This part is from a gentleman who actually TESTED K&N in real world

You can hold a K+N to a bright light and see direct light coming through lots of little holes.Might stop grains of sand out on a race track,but for the long haul I'll stick with paper.

******************** There are three kinds of lies; lies,damned lies,and statistics.---Disraeli

His experiences may not conform to a "rigorous scientific" test where every concievable variable is held, but to me, this type of information is even more valuable, it is real world. Rick

-- "Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible."

-Edwin Land

Who are you?!!

I am NOT a guy making extensive, authoritative-sounding claims of undocumented experiments? that are posted second hand.

(I w> >"His experiences...' WHOSE experiences? It ain't rocket science: who IS this > >guy?

-- "Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible."

-Edwin Land

But what is to say that he is wrong? Not very trusting are you. Glass is half empty isn't it. I perfer to except what he says, you don't have to if you wish not to. You are right, who I am doesn't matter but what does matter is that everyone can take or leave things on the Internet, they don't need someone knocking what is said unless you can provide better information and to this point I haven't seen it.