How often do you change your air filter?

[ragnar's vw]

Some opinions needed here. I know most people will say "when it's dirty" but unless you have a restriction gauge in your filter housing or inlet how do you know when? If you over service the filter you run the risk of letting dirt into the engine.

[Rockerchick]

Check it every so often and see if its dirty. That's pretty much all we do with all of our cars. No real set schedule. Though once a year right after pollen season isn't a bad idea

[Glegor]

pull the filter out of the air box, bend it a little to open up the pleats a bit, if its that type of filter, and VISUALLY INSPECT it. if it looks dirty, then it probably is. air filters are cheap maintenance items.

[theman53]

regular paper filters I would change around 9-10,000 miles. My K&N I clean every 3,000

[Glegor]

regular paper filters I would change around 9-10,000 miles. My K&N I clean every 3,000

Lucas, my good fellow, you sir, are wasting money..

i dont even service my K&N till its VISIBLY DIRTY.. usually once a year.

every 4-6 months if its on my toyota wheeler..

normal air filters tho, i VISUALLY INSPECT them.

short of hooking up a restriction gauge and going for a drive, your sight is the only tool you get..

[ragnar's vw]

I do what Glegor does on my vehicles. Every couple of oil changes i just inspect the filter, and change it if need be. So maybe twice a year. My work changes air filters every other oil change so around 10,000 miles. Now granted these are transit buses, but they don't operate in Tuscon, Arizona where they have dust storms, it's Washington state. The problem I believe this over servicing is causing is worn out piston rings. The rings are worn down so sharp you could shave with them. So this is causing oil useage issues. Even air filter suppliers (who are trying to sell air filters) say don't over service your air filters.

[theman53]

Lucas, my good fellow, you sir, are wasting money..

i dont even service my K&N till its VISIBLY DIRTY.. usually once a year.

every 4-6 months if its on my toyota wheeler..

normal air filters tho, i VISUALLY INSPECT them.

short of hooking up a restriction gauge and going for a drive, your sight is the only tool you get..

Every 3,000 miles with my K&N it is visably dirty. That is why I went to it. It will have 1/8" of oiled dust attached to it over 1/2 of the filter. I drive around 150 miles or so per day and lots of it on dirt roads. I understand that K&N says flows great with up to 1/4" of junk on it, but I had a honda quad I had to rebuild because of dirt. I started using the UNI filter wrap in front of the K&N and now only clean the wrap as the filter stays clean for the most part.

[uDraft]

Every 3,000 miles with my K&N it is visably dirty. That is why I went to it. It will have 1/8" of oiled dust attached to it over 1/2 of the filter. I drive around 150 miles or so per day and lots of it on dirt roads. I understand that K&N says flows great with up to 1/4" of junk on it, but I had a honda quad I had to rebuild because of dirt. I started using the UNI filter wrap in front of the K&N and now only clean the wrap as the filter stays clean for the most part.

I'm no expert on K&Ns, but I do know they filter better when they are a bit dirty.
3k miles seems awfully often to service those. I would go with K&N recommendations for cleaning. Also, never use an oiled type filter in a vehicle with the air flow sensor element up close to the air intake.

[meboice]

I am new to the TDI, but every K&N filter I have ever used is an oil type filter - direct OEM replacement or CAI. But I do agree with your point; my winter car is a Saab 900S and the K&N filter is 6" below AMFS...I clean this meter fairly often in an effort to preventing poor AF mixtures.

[Glegor]

I'm no expert on K&Ns, but I do know they filter better when they are a bit dirty.
3k miles seems awfully often to service those. I would go with K&N recommendations for cleaning. Also, never use an oiled type filter in a vehicle with the air flow sensor element up close to the air intake.

never use an oiled filter on a vehicle with a HOTWIRE mass air sensor.. and NEVER over oil it, there is a measurement on the end of the K&N box as to how much oil to use.. DO NOT OVER OIL! they work better with the right amount..

if you are smart, and dont over-oil your filter (the re-charge kit has about 8 charges of oil for most filters, the re-charge kit has enough cleaner and oil for a SEMI air filter.. most people use the whole kit..

[meboice]

K&N has performed some fairly exhaustive air mass flow tests with their filters and according to their tests, their oil stays trapped in the cotton filter element and does not contaminate the two types of air flow sensors found on cars today. Search K&N filter and air mass flow sensors...there are several tests/videos.

I am not picking a side, I am simply offering this information. As with anything car, your actual experience may vary.

[Glegor]

K&N has performed some fairly exhaustive air mass flow tests with their filters and according to their tests, their oil stays trapped in the cotton filter element and does not contaminate the two types of air flow sensors found on cars today. Search K&N filter and air mass flow sensors...there are several tests/videos.

I am not picking a side, I am simply offering this information. As with anything car, your actual experience may vary.

thats what i was saying.. its not the filter, or the oil that wrecks your MAF, its the stupid idiot cleaning it, that used the whole bottle of air filter oil on the filter, and the engine sucked the excess oil off, contaminating the MAF hot wire film..

I AM PICKING SIDES lol.