K&N type oil-less engine air filter

At 8k a year, you are only replacing the paper filter every 4 years., How much could you save?

 

I had one of those K&N air filter's many years ago, but I got tired of washing it and oiling it. So this is the new dry version? For me, it's easier just to throw in a new OEM Toyota filter. And I know it fits.

I am in the dirty dust bowl of Southern California. I'm very picky, and I change that air filter AND the cabin filter every 12 months. And believe me it gets pretty dirty. They are so cheap online now days, I can buy both for under 25 bucks. It's well worth it to me.

 

AND....there is no particular advantage to getting "more air" into the engine.
It gets all that it needs or can use with the stock filter.
One with less restriction might actually make it run lean and your overall performance would be worse.

 

It was over 20 years ago, used it on a Honda Accord engine for 3 years. I just think it was more trouble than it was worth. And a mess to clean.

 

at 60,000 miles, i'm still on the original filter.

 

Exactly. I've yet to change either of ours; the engine filter in particular looks near-new, at 76K kms. Maybe this forest fire smoke is gonna hasten it's demise though.

 

With all due respect, I just don't understand it. People pay 25,000 to 33,000 for a Prius, and then they won't go spend 25 bucks for a couple of new filters?

At the very least, and I mean the very least, I would put in new filters every two years. Whether it looks dirty or not, there is stuff in there you probably can't see. New filters are very cheap insurance for that nice Prius.

I just buy one less pizza, and that pays for both of my filters.

 

to be fair, i only have 20k in hybrid mode.

electric motors don't need air filters.

 

I have the K&N cabin air filter because of the solar option, but will never go with K&N engine filter. It's much more porous letting more air through, the refresh oil is supposed to absorb and collect larger particles. The risk you run by not spraying enough oil to refresh the filter will cause larger particles to flow through the filter, and the oil will eventually get to your mass air flow if you spray too much so that's a risk/gamble to save $. And then if the oil dries wayyy before your 12,000mi interval, SOL Plus tprius ain't no performance vehicle so air, fuel, ignition adjustment by the CPU won't even affect power and MPG performance unless something is terribly wrong on the ratio like lack of maintenance.

 

Toyota's maintenance schedule is based off Miles or Months, and in many cases, this makes sense. Your oil degrades even if you don't drive, as does your antifreeze. Your air filter however is really mileage based, even though Toyota specifies Months, as they do for everything.

https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms-s/T-MMS-14Prius/pdf/2014_Toyota_Prius_WMG_lr.pdf

So while Toyota specifies 36,000 miles on page 42, (at 8000 a year, that 4.5 years) they also specify 36 months. I claim that months are not vital for an air filter, miles are.

So if a reusable air filter is only twice as much as a quality paper air filter, you still need to use it for 6 to 9 years to break even.

www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Replacement-2011-2016-2015-2016-2010-2015/dp/B01GGLVN8Y Paper 237 reviews
www.amazon.com/Toyota-Reusable-Washable-Replacement-Filter/dp/B06XH58DL6 Reusable 6 reviews

 

I've got no excuse...

Yeah I don't want to trot out another picture of our engine air filter, it's getting camera shy. But take my word for it: it would bring tears in your eyes to bin it; it's near-pristine. West coast of North America environment helps I think, no prairie dust-bowl, dust-laden air.

 

All I know, is that my engine bay seems to suck in a lot of dust & dirt. Must be all that driving in PWR mode. So I assume that some of that dirt is also making its way into the filters... and sure enough, after about 12-15 months they don't look so good.