I usually run an outerwear for Glamis. But there's been a couple of times when it came off and the k&n would be seriously caked with sand, but shockingly nothing ever made it through.

 

I just found this on K&N's site about the sensors. Interesting read.

27. Will a K&N filter cause my vehicle's mass air sensor to fail?

No, it is both impossible and ridiculous.

It is impossible because we know that the oil treatment on our cotton is very small (usually less than 2 ounces). Once the oil is properly and evenly absorbed through the cotton, no oil will come off, even under extreme engine conditions. It is ridiculous, because no dealership or service provider has ever been able to provide us with evidence to support this "myth," and in fact, our investigations have revealed that even authorized dealerships are simply speculating and do not have the test equipment necessary to know whether the sensor has failed or why. It is even more ridiculous because some car manufacturers use and sell air filters treated with oil on a regular basis. There are also major brands of disposable air filters that are treated with oil. We all use oil for the same reason, it helps in the filtration efficiency of an air filter. For more information on this topic including videos, see our Mass Air Flow Sensor Statement page.
Out of the millions of air filters we sell, we only receive a handful of consumer complaints each month that a dealership or service provider has blamed a vehicle sensor repair on our product. We take each complaint very seriously and see it as an opportunity to stop a consumer from being taken advantage of. We investigate the situation thoroughly and take full responsibility for resolving the issue. For more information on how we educate and persuade the service provider to reconsider their position, see Mass Air Flow Sensor Information & Testing. We are so confident in our ability to resolve these situations and to help a consumer fight back that we offer our Consumer Protection Pledge.

As a result of our standing up for consumer rights and providing assistance to resolve a disagreement, we have had over 100 actual sensors sent to us by dealerships who claimed our product had caused them to fail. Microscopic, electronic and chemical testing revealed that none of the sensors were contaminated by K&N oil (K&N Detailed MAF Sensor Test Results). What is perhaps the single biggest clue to what is going on is that over 50% of these sensors were not broken in the first place for any reason. Click here for more information on how this may happen.

 

Yea, I might have came across a little harsh earlier, but I've dealt with the misconception that oiled filters are bad because people think that sand gets through the element for too long. My issue with the concept is that people chime in saying a motor died not too long after the addition of this filter or that filter, but the truth of the matter usually contains something along the lines of the motor had some underlying issues that they didn't know about.

Now, if we want to talk about water, then yea an oiled gauze filter is a poor choice, but most filters wont handle water....

I just get a little adamant when someone comes in and passes along words of wisdom that are great misunderstandings in that area.

As for the junk comment, I know no one said anything about that, but when I write a response to any topic, I am not only writing to a previous comment or question, but to other people that might be reading the type up. Whether it be other members or people that are not members just merely gazing upon our activity.

 

so what filter r u going with?

 

I got the K&N. I was a little worried about the oil but I think after everyones comments here I feel better about my decision. Thanks everyone for your insight into my concerns.

 

for those with just a drop in K&N...what gains (if any) are you getting out of using the drop in? Any MPG effects either way? Any sound differences?

I really just want some feedback the effectiveness of the product as pertained to a HEMI 5.7 engine in a RAM 1500. I could imagine the filter showing different gains for different cars.

It's proven dry paper filters out smaller particles and can trap more at a time. K&N or any cotton gauze oiled is less restrictive but holds less dirt and lets through a little more.

I find it REALLY hard to believe that K&N can go 50k miles without service. I am really skeptical that after 25k miles you wouldn't see some decreased air flow or the particles all slip their way through eventually. Where would the dirt go after all that time? Wouldn't you be able to see dirt built up on the filter, thus blocking air flow?

 

If you are worried about using too much oil when you clean your K&N then do this, after you have cleaned and oiled your filter then put it in an old pillow case and swing it around for a bit. This will help get any extra oil off the filter and will leave the right amount. I used to do this all the time on my charger and have never had problems with it...also I have never heard of someone having troubles with an oiled filter unless they put too much oil on it after cleaning.

And to you doraz..if you think that the filter is too dirty then simply clean it. There is not limit to how many times you can clean a K&N filter. And filters will get dirty at different rates depending on what you do with your vehicle. Cant go wrong with aftermarket filters as long as you stick to a name brand.

 

HP Gains-about 2-3hp
MPG gains- ???
I've gone 15k miles without cleaning in a mix of dusty desert conditions and urban driving. There was dirt built up on it but there was no noticable powerloss. You might see it on a dyno but not enough to really notice. So with just city driving, 25k would be nothing.

 

I haven't noticed any significant mileage gains. As for the sound no change there either. I have noticed a little bit of power gain. I reset my PCM after I put it in and noticed the engine was running a little smoother. I don't know if it was from the filter or the resetting of the PCM.