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There are 3 main filters, Pipercross, K&N and ITG they are all of a similar design and all offer the same specs, better filtration more air flow and longer service life. Ask yourself why you need one, because if you need it you don't want it and if you want it you don't need it. Personally I have a Pipercross filter in my 451, but had ITG in my 450.
OEM quality paper filters offer better filtration and less flow resistance. Paper filters also provide higher flow rates when dust loaded than reusable filters. Paper filters can be blown clean with compressed air so can last a lifetime. My air filter is still the original that came with my Smart in 2002. I check dust loading by weighing filter and flow resistance by measuring vacuum in inlet duct before turbo. Dust loading is almost nil as long as inlet duct is sealing. Vacuum in inlet duct before turbo becomes greater without any filter in the air box. One could therefore conclude that a more free flowing reusable filter will result in poorer performance.
OEM quality paper filters offer better filtration and less flow resistance. Paper filters also provide higher flow rates when dust loaded than reusable filters. Paper filters can be blown clean with compressed air so can last a lifetime. My air filter is still the original that came with my Smart in 2002. I check dust loading by weighing filter and flow resistance by measuring vacuum in inlet duct before turbo. Dust loading is almost nil as long as inlet duct is sealing. Vacuum in inlet duct before turbo becomes greater without any filter in the air box. One could therefore conclude that a more free flowing reusable filter will result in poorer performance.
Emm, interesting. I do have an air compressor and in the past I have blown out paper filters on cars/motorcycles, there still comes a point when that doesn't really work too well though,....I've not got one to last over 10 years so well done.
Weigh your paper filters and write their weight on filter with a permanent marker pen. Their weight will vary with humidity so the filters have to be left in an airing cupboard at least overnight to dry out for accurate weighing result. Permanent dust loading after 12 years and 200,000 km is no more than five grams.
. Permanent dust loading after 12 years and 200,000 km is no more than five grams.
But you don't know if any paper has gone missing!
Either washed away (dissolved as paper does when subjected to wet environments) or abraded away by the constant bombardment of dust. Or some other degradation.
There's just no guarantee that blowing a filter clean means it can be endlessly re-used. If so - would the service instruction not be to 'clean and refit'? There's scarcely a service facility or garage without compressed air.
I recently bought the ITG filter, but didn't like running it. It's had one days use and is for sale if you want one cheaper than new, which is in as new condition.
wouldn't you need to look at the filter loading under a microscope before use, after use and after blowing out to be totally sure? weight doesn't really indicate anything really. As has been said, decay, damage, break down of the material, absorption of air contaminants that can't be removed from the paper with just air (e.g. oil vapours) could be skewing the results drastically.
Lots of impractical advice in previous posts. How can you inspect an air filter under a microscope without cutting out a sample to be mounted in a slide rendering your air filter holed and useless? Air filters are changed out far too frequently. Fit an air filter indicator which will turn red when dust loading becomes to great. Water will damage air filters especially those made out of paper. Wet air filters also reduce air flow and increase vacuum before turbo. That is one good reason for not to de-lip and castrate your air intake.
But you yourself have previously highlighted the different recommended mileage at which the CDI and petrol engined models should be replaced, the difference being no doubt due to the larger quantity of air ingested by the CDI over the same mileage.
Are MB/smart overly conservative? And why don't they 'clean and reuse'? Why not treat the oil filter in the same manner? Why is that thought unthinkable?
exactly tolsen but surely the only way to tell what the loading and contaminates in the filter is like.
weighing is useless unless you can take out ALL contaminates (not just particulates) and re-weigh the filter to see what its uncontaminated weight is vs new and then you can blow out all the particulates the best you can (possibly forcing them through the material and damaging it etc) and so on.
for the sake of £10 you could change it out every month if you wanted.
as for aftermarket "performance" filters then why not?? as i asked earlier and you ignored, if OEM paper was so good then red bull racing would build a carbon fibre air box to take a renault megane OEM filter in
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