air filters opinions

[johnnie27]

Hi Boys and Girls

what air fliters do you all like, i have had K&N in the car now for some time (they came with her), but i get paranoid when i clean them that i may over oil them and in turn disturb the MAF's..as it is a bit of a pain to clean.

do you all just use std audi ones..or is there a great flowing aftermarket option

keen to get your thoughts please

johnnie

[hahnmgh63]

Most just go with the OEM Mann or Mahle filters or from the Dealer which are usually Mann. K&N's will definitley kill the MAF's. The oil gets on the wire and although the wire does superheat to burn off contaminents, it leaves a burnt film on the wire just as a oil on a header will leave a stain when it burns off.

[rle55]

Curious about ITG, has anybody here use them? not sure if its the same w/ K&N but for sure its made of foam.

[JSRS6]

Hmmmmm, I wonder if this is why my car feels like it's missing, even after I changed out the plugs and packs....

[hahnmgh63]

Use Vagcom and log your MAF's to see what they are showing for flow. There is a bit of MAF flow data in the archives to search on chipped & un-chipped cars for comparison.

[ben916]

I started down the K&N path, even ordered them.... I was about to install them and was directed not to and then informed about the potential MAF issues.
Returned to sender...
Ordered from Genuine - case closed...

[JSRS6]

Damn, I wish I had known about this BEFORE I bought them and installed them. Are the k&n filters pre-oiled? If so then I guess I'm in the market for some new mafs. Is it cheaper to buy the sensor itself and reuse the housing?

[speedtrapped]

i was under the impression that the k&n's were fine, and the MAF issue happened , when cleaned and not properly reoiled, ie too much...and as w/ my ford maf, why not use maf cleaner on the element....are the elements that diff?...aside from obvious technology

[Elevens]

Curious about ITG, has anybody here use them? not sure if its the same w/ K&N but for sure its made of foam.

I used an ITG Filter in my 2.7T in both my former A6 and my Allroad (AWE Tuning called it an S-Flo Filter) and here's the result after a few month's to a year of use in the A6. I would never use any after market filtert again. Just use stock (Mann) and change frequently........

[4everRS]

Mahle for me. Audi's Mafs are touchy. I have spritzed them with MAF cleaner though as I had them off for a plugs change anyway. Never had a problem.

[skribe]

You could try cleaning your MAF sensors with MAF cleaning spray if you think they're already gone. Don't touch the wire physically even with a soft brush, just spray them.

I've had ITGs in my beast for 10k miles and like them. They are flat elements, not cones like Elevens disaster (yeesh!) above.

Have not vag-com'ed or dyno'd with/without, but anecdotally, the car has a bit more aggressive intake roar with them in, and the butt dyno believes they add a bit. They do have a different set of cleaning/charging solutions than K&N, maybe better. I personally believe the stock RS 6 intake is a point of restriction, witness the covers going concave on the dyno with paper filters.

Foam filters DO inherently flow more air, I think they get a bad rap because people over-oil them and foul their MAF wires. I've run foam filters on other cars for 50k+ miles with no fouling issues, but I definitely oil them to spec (not more) and blast them with the compressor a bit before reinstallation.

[RS6Steve]

Curious about ITG, has anybody here use them? not sure if its the same w/ K&N but for sure its made of foam.

I have ITG filters and I'm impressed with them. Checked them the other day after 3k miles all okay. Certainly help the air flow

[johnnie27]

thanks for all the informative replies folks, great reading and experiences shared

[grizz]

I use ITG , they are very good . I've seen filters do that but only when they have been incorrectly cleaned .. Itg are very specific on how to clean them ..

[2TURBOV8]

I have both filters, ITG and K&N. I do believe that the K&N flows the best, but will cause MAFS issues if you use them all the time. The ITG is what I use on a daily basis. It has almost as much performance as the K&N, but protects alot better. The K&N will let alot of particles get through which could cause serious engine issues, as well as the MAFS issues. But I do put the K&N's in the car when I am going to the track, they do perform the BEST!!