Air Filter Recommendations?

[luck123]

Need to change my air filter. Just wondering what other folks are replacing theirs with. I'm tempted just to get the OEM, but would appreciate any insight on other, perhaps better, options for just a reg filter (non - K&M oiled type).

Cheers.

[Dman1]

Originally Posted by luck123

Need to change my air filter. Just wondering what other folks are replacing theirs with. I'm tempted just to get the OEM, but would appreciate any insight on other, perhaps better, options for just a reg filter (non - K&M oiled type).

Cheers.

I haven't changed mine yet, but I am interested as well. Why are you not interested in a K&N? I've never used them, but I was wondering why.

[luck123]

Originally Posted by Dman1

I haven't changed mine yet, but I am interested as well. Why are you not interested in a K&N? I've never used them, but I was wondering why.

Don't feel the need to spend the extra cash given I am going to keep my HL for only 3 or 4 yrs, and don't want to deal with the hassle of spraying with oil, cleaning etc.

[TrailDust]

Purolator PureOne air filters are excellent performers IMO. I also use K&N. For my HL I use the Purolator during my heavy off-road winter usage because I don't want to have to keep cleaning the K&N filter and I just throw away the Purolator at the end of the season and/or buy another if needed, then use the K&N for regular driving and road trips during the summer months. Never had an issue in any vehicle with K&N fouling up a MAF as some people claim, at least that's been my experience.

[adavid]

For normal driving, a K&N filter only has to be cleaned and oiled every 50,000 miles. If you are only keeping the vehicle for 3 or 4 years, why not just buy a K&N for $50, and never worry about it.

Andy

[05Moose]

I wouldn't want to deal with the oil either (and I've heard of enough people on the Tacoma forum having problems with the engine if there's too much oil on it, so why risk trouble?). I've always just gotten the Fram filters (for my Tacoma and all our past vehicles) because it seems to me they're all going to work close enough for an air filter. I recently switched to MicroGuard (O'Reilly) since our Kragen just converted and now they're carrying O'Reilly products. It's probably just a Fram anyway (the MicroGuard oil filters used to be purolator but are now fram, so no idea on the air filter). The risk on air filters is that either they don't let enough air through or they don't catch enough particles. I'm not worried about the latter. And the former (and least on the Tacoma) isn't going to be any more restrictive than the charcoal filter that sits on the engine side of the intake from the air filter. I'm assuming the HL has the same charcoal filter (as I think all vehicles do for emissions purposes).

But then I'll be using OEM for a couple of years on the HL because of the free maintenance.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by 05Moose

And the former (and least on the Tacoma) isn't going to be any more restrictive than the charcoal filter that sits on the engine side of the intake from the air filter. I'm assuming the HL has the same charcoal filter (as I think all vehicles do for emissions purposes).

Yep, we have it too. I removed mine. There's a thread in this 2nd Gen forum somewhere about removing it with pictures too if I remember correctly.

[Dman1]

This is all good stuff. I have never used K&N before and was not aware of these concerns. I have typically used Fram in the past on all of my vehicles and have never had a problem before. Looks like it will be the way I go with the HL as well.

[arabianobsession]

Fram also makes a tough guard air filter, which is better than the basic Fram filter, and has longer service intervals. They're great, my husband had one in his Sunfire and after 20,000 miles it hardly showed any dirt. (and we were living in a construction zone at the time)

[nov0798]

Ive never had an issue with my K&N on my Highlander. The oil thing is super easy. As for the MAF meter, it sits in front of the filter on this vehicle, so the oil wouldnt matter anyway.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by nov0798

Ive never had an issue with my K&N on my Highlander. The oil thing is super easy. As for the MAF meter, it sits in front of the filter on this vehicle, so the oil wouldnt matter anyway.

+1

And with the air flowing through at a few FPS rate there isn't enough force to dislodge any oil to foul up the MAF on the Highlander. Other vehicles maybe, but not the HL.

[Dman1]

Originally Posted by TrailDust

+1

And with the air flowing through at a few FPS rate there isn't enough force to dislodge any oil to foul up the MAF on the Highlander. Other vehicles maybe, but not the HL.

So, since the subject of K&N filters has come up, my question is are they worth the price? A quick search of the Canadian Tire website says that the K&N filters are from $69.99 and up. The Fram, I would suspect, would be in the area of $10. So, are they worth upwards of 7x the price? They claim a 5hp boost. Although I doubt many Highlander owners have hooked their vehicles up to a dynamometer, but is there a noticable power boost? Do you get better gas mileage? What are the advantages?

[Yuko]

I use Napa Proselect because they are the cheapest paper filter around here. Fits well, but not sure about the filtration but it's very similar to the fuzzy OEM air filter. It's the first made in Poland auto part I use. Also, I read that oiled filter flows better but less filtration than dry paper filter.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by Dman1

So, since the subject of K&N filters has come up, my question is are they worth the price? A quick search of the Canadian Tire website says that the K&N filters are from $69.99 and up. The Fram, I would suspect, would be in the area of $10. So, are they worth upwards of 7x the price? They claim a 5hp boost. Although I doubt many Highlander owners have hooked their vehicles up to a dynamometer, but is there a noticable power boost? Do you get better gas mileage? What are the advantages?

I would say if you're planning on keeping your car for 10+ years then, yes, it would be worth it as it would end up paying for itself. For people who lease, etc., and won't be owning it as long I'd say no way. I bought mine partly to see for myself how the K&N would perform, and partly hoping for an improvement in mileage. To date, my results with the K&N have been consistent: In the almost 3 years I've been putting the K&N in and taking it out based on my driving seasons, it's been about 1 MPG better in the city and 2 MPG better on the highway, which comes out to approximately a 4% improvement in mileage.

I know people's experiences vary, those are just my observations.

[arabianobsession]

I bought a K & N for my leased car. I live in an urban, dusty area and don't feel like spending $20 on a filter pretty much every time I come in for service. $50 for the K & N and I'm happy as a clam