K&N air filter worth the $$$?

[jaywalkersw]

I have a '96 T/A (RA WS6 A4...basically stock) and will need to replace my air filter soon. Does replacing my plain old paper filter with a K&N filter make enough of a difference (performance wise) to warrant paying the extra money for the K&N over the oem style? If not, is there another brand that works in the stock RA airbox that would be worth paying more money for?

[Z Ya Later]

Every little bit counts. Plus the fact that the K&N filter lasts a lot longer means it will pay for itself in a matter of months.

[Johnyd2]

aren't they gaurenteed up to 100,000,000 miles if properly lubricated..... i'm sold..... btw i have 1 or 2 LS1 style air filters if you want them

[Injuneer]

No.... they are warranted against manufacturing defects for 1,000,000 miles, and that assumes that you clean them every 30,000-50,000 miles. They will only stand up to 20-25 cleanings. They actually filter better when they are slightly "dirty". I run one in my Ram Air airbox.

[MN6WS6]

I wish that more people knew about that "slightly dirty" part. They think I'm crazy when I tell them they don't need to be cleaning their K&N every 10,000 miles or so just because it has a little bit of brown to it. One of the techs at work looked at mine a couple of weeks ago and kept on harping about it needing to be cleaned. I told him that if he read the instructions or did any internet searches about K&N, he would learn why I don't clean mine more often. I've had the car for about 55k miles and I've cleaned it once, because the previous owner had just cleaned it before I bought it. I do take it out every 10k or so and tap out the bugs and large things stuck on it (WS6 car).

[sneitzel]

Ya, the Slightly Dirty thing just doesn't compute with most people.

Anyone have a California Dash Duster? They are made of the same red dust mop material that janitors in elementary school used to use. Another thing that works better the dirtier it gets.

[Christopherrr]

Ya, the Slightly Dirty thing just doesn't compute with most people.

Anyone have a California Dash Duster? They are made of the same red dust mop material that janitors in elementary school used to use. Another thing that works better the dirtier it gets.

I agree...but my filter is black! LOL! Gotta clean now...it's been awhile.

Got the Duster also...works wonders after a drive.

[ToplessFormula]

Sometimes I just vacuum the big stuff off through the Ram Air box or take the filter out and bang the big crud off of it.

It think that they're worth it. They flow better than a paper filter, that's for sure.

I kept my paper filter to use while the K&N dries.

[ReBop]

My experience is that it caused a loss in power because the oil attracts so much dirt. It requires maintenance... The stock filters are cheap enough to toss often and if you drive an LS1, just how fast do you need to go?

[Injuneer]

You don't understand how the fabric filters work. They are intended to have a light coating of dust adhere to the oil. The K&N will continue to filter efficiently, with minimal pressure loss until the thickness of the dirt layer reaches the thickness of the wire that supports the fabric. Paper air cleaners are very efficient at capturing dirt, but cause pressure drop and lose HP. Most of us bought the cars because we like high HP and high performance. Why put a cork in the air intake track and lose some of the HP the engine it capable of? Spend $60 on a K&N and never change it again, or spend $6 on a paper element and change it 10 times..... cost is the same, and you've gained free HP.

Makes sense to me.