K&N air filter or go with a stock filter?

CALL911

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Location
Indiana
TDI
2015 Golf TDI
My MK7 Golf TDI is due for a new air filter. This will be my first time changing it on the car.

My old 2001 Golf TDI I was researching on here after I had planned on getting a K&N air filter for it and was told not to get the K&N for the TDI, and stick with the paper factory style one. I don't remember exactly why, just that the car ran better with the paper style vs the performance filter of the K&N.

I thought I would post the question again for my 2015 MK7 Golf TDI to see if it also does better with the factory style air filter or if I could use the K&N. If it runs just as good or better I would prefer the K&N simply because I can clean and re use the filter and don't have to keep buyin new ones. But above all else, I want to run what is best for the car.
 

Ol'Rattler

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Jul 3, 2007
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PNA
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2006 BRM Jetta
Will K & N buy you a new, expensive MAF once the oil that gets on it ruins it? That is the question.....:rolleyes:
Did you pee in someones Cheerios again? Shame on you.:D I'll go ahead and expand on your most excellent post.
*************************************************************************************************
K&N oiled filters are a joke. They might give you 1 or 2 extra horse power at wide open throttle because they don't filter as well as a factory. filter. If you open your air filter box to inspect/clean an air filter, you should probably just throw it away because the sealing gasket will leak after that. K&N's bogus "fix" for this is some sort of Vaseline looking jelly that you are suppose to use on the gasket every time you open the air cleaner box.

In regards to change interval, VW recomends 40K miles which doesn't seem to me like you are "constantly" having to buy filters. A VG idea would be this: Wix Model 24801 https://www.amazon.com/WIX-Filters-24801-Filter-Service/dp/B0014BI1KA . Then you would just change the filter when the indicator indicates it is starting to loose efficiency.

Some good reading on K&N and CAI's:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=290373&highlight=cai
 
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CALL911

Veteran Member
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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
My point was you can answer the question with the free advice and not be a jerk about it also.

I literally have K&N on everything else I drive. For how long I keep my cars and how many miles I put on them, it makes a lot more sense buying 1 filter 1 time that also allows more airflow and power.

On my wife's Firebird Formula WS6, the filter literally sits inches away from the MAF. Been cleaned and re oiled more than a couple times and almost 100,000 miles later, the MAF still reads fine and the car still runs great. This is one example of 5 other similar ones I have. I'm not sure why my VW is more picky than the rest, but again, I'll run the paper if that's what's reccomended here.
 

CALL911

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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
For those stating the K&N does not make more power, I am not here to invade on your opinions on the matter but I have first hand experience with changing a filter made a 50 RWHP difference in my Camaro (heavily modified and boosted setup). This was on a dyno, not some seat of the pants or "it said so on the box" type thing. Granted the car was not an economy car, however I do believe they filter just fine with giving more power.

Again, I will stick with the paper filter for my TDI though (just placed an order through ID parts).
 
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1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
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Location
Westerly, RI
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2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
My point was you can answer the question with the free advice and not be a jerk about it also...
Please be careful with your name calling if you ever hope to get any advice from the old timers around here.

CALL911 said:
On my wife's Firebird Formula WS6, the filter literally sits inches away from the MAF. Been cleaned and re oiled more than a couple times and almost 100,000 miles later, the MAF still reads fine and the car still runs great...
The Firebird most likely has a hot wire type MAF sensor. The TDI uses a hot film MAF sensor, which is more accurate, but more sensitive to contamination.
 

aja8888

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Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
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Out of TDI's
My point was you can answer the question with the free advice and not be a jerk about it also.
You have been here long enough to realize that the search function should easily find you the answer and a series of threads explaining why. Sorry if I upset you with my answer.
 

CALL911

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Location
Indiana
TDI
2015 Golf TDI
The Firebird most likely has a hot wire type MAF sensor. The TDI uses a hot film MAF sensor, which is more accurate, but more sensitive to contamination.
This is helpful. Thanks for the info.


You have been here long enough to realize that the search function should easily find you the answer and a series of threads explaining why. Sorry if I upset you with my answer.
I did search first. Nothing was found in the MK7 forum. I was not sure if the MK7 would share the same issue the others had with it or not (why I made mention of it on my first post).

At any rate, no problem. Thanks for trying to help. Sorry if I took it the wrong way.
 

740GLE

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NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
btw OEM paper filter is something stupid cheap like $16, FYI. $16 ever 60K is pretty darn cheap considering DSG maintenance.

Just my 2 cents for using OEM
 

CALL911

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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
btw OEM paper filter is something stupid cheap like $16, FYI. $16 ever 60K is pretty darn cheap considering DSG maintenance.

Just my 2 cents for using OEM
Well, if you want to argue price, the interval for changing the air filter is every 20k, not 60k. At $16 a filter, you'll have $80 spent at 100,000 miles driven. A K&N air filter is $50. You buy it once. I know for a fact I'll be likely putting another 300,000+ miles on the car from where it's at. So at that point you're talking $240 in the OEM filters (assuming the price does not go up) vs the same $50 K&N filter you bought once.

We've already established that going with the OEM paper filter is better here and that will be the route I take, however you're not gonna be able to sell me here that buying the paper filters over and over again will be "cheap", especially compared to the K&N.
 

CALL911

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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
According to the manual, the air filter interval is 60k
IDparts recommends every 20k and is offered in their 20k service kit. Even if it was every 60k, the fact of the matter still remains the same that I would have more over time in going with the paper filters over and over again vs the K&N filter once.
 

demagxc

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Massachusetts
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2015 Golf TDI SEL
IDparts recommends every 20k and is offered in their 20k service kit. Even if it was every 60k, the fact of the matter still remains the same that I would have more over time in going with the paper filters over and over again vs the K&N filter once.
It most definitely is 60k. Just because IPparts markets it for 20k, doesn't mean that is when you should replace it. Firestone once told me that I should be coming in for an alignment 3 to 4 times a year... My air filter still looked like new at 20k and didnt look like it needed replacing at 50k either. Ill swap it in a month or so when I do my 60k maintenance with the filter leftover from the last 20k kit I got from IDparts.

$80 in air filters for 300,000 miles of driving is nothing. Personally, I would much rather spend the extra $30 over that period of time to know for sure the MAF wouldn't be affected by my choice of filter.
 

20IndigoBlue02

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Was North NJ, now SoCal
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IDparts recommends every 20k and is offered in their 20k service kit. Even if it was every 60k, the fact of the matter still remains the same that I would have more over time in going with the paper filters over and over again vs the K&N filter once.
You still need to clean and re-oil the filter, and hopefully, you know restraint when it comes to oiling the filter, this is if the cotton gauze doesn't disintegrate and its media gets fed into the turbo, etc (it does happen).

I would go with a Green Filter instead. Instead of cotton gauze, it uses woven fabric, like a polo shirt material.
 

CALL911

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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
It most definitely is 60k. Just because IPparts markets it for 20k, doesn't mean that is when you should replace it. Firestone once told me that I should be coming in for an alignment 3 to 4 times a year... My air filter still looked like new at 20k and didnt look like it needed replacing at 50k either. Ill swap it in a month or so when I do my 60k maintenance with the filter leftover from the last 20k kit I got from IDparts.
$80 in air filters for 300,000 miles of driving is nothing. Personally, I would much rather spend the extra $30 over that period of time to know for sure the MAF wouldn't be affected by my choice of filter.
Back to semantics at this point. He brought it up as it would be cheap. The only point I was making is that the K&N route was cheaper.

You still need to clean and re-oil the filter, and hopefully, you know restraint when it comes to oiling the filter, this is if the cotton gauze doesn't disintegrate and its media gets fed into the turbo, etc (it does happen).
I would go with a Green Filter instead. Instead of cotton gauze, it uses woven fabric, like a polo shirt material.
Not sure if you read the thread or not, but I have plenty of experience with K&N. I have them on every other vehicle I own and have for years. Not that it matters at this point at all since I mentioned a few times before that I'm not going this route for my TDI and I'll be going with the paper filter.
 

MAXRPM

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for performance is a waste of $$$ ive had them when dynoed my cars and no gains at all, if you want to believe they give you more HP its ok but they dont
 

leicaman

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Word of advice. The MAF are clearly sensitive. A clod technician at the dealership didn't tighten an intake hose right on my now former B5.5 TDI and I had to replace the MAF. The VW OEM filters are huge and very good at what they do. Do not fix what is not broken. For everyday driving, we are not on the race track!
 

turbobrick240

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maine
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2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Just get a K&N sticker to put on the car. Power gains will be similar, and your engine will thank you.
 

MichaelB

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SE Wisconsin
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2014 Passat SE DSG
Back to semantics at this point. He brought it up as it would be cheap. The only point I was making is that the K&N route was cheaper.
Back to semantics........cheaper than cheap. BTW you need to go through the hassle of cleaning it, letting it dry and reoiling it before you can use it again. I would rather just toss the old one, drop in a new one and be done with it. :D
 

BroncoAZ

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Common knowledge on the diesel truck forums is that K&N filters don’t filter well on turbo Diesel engines. I have seen first hand the buildup of dirt on the rings of a Cummins engine with poor compression after 80K miles as well as erosion of the turbo.

I used to run the K&N on my Nissan Titan gasser. I was very careful cleaning and oiling the filter, going as far as blotting off the excess oil inside and out with a microfiber cloth. Within a couple days the truck would run rough and I’d have to pull and clean the mass air sensor. Proof that the K&N filters were inadequate came when I wiped the inside of the intake tube with cheesecloth and found it to be filthy with yellow pollen.

The only aftermarket filter I will run is the Volant Powercore made by Donaldson. It is the same material as Ford and GM run in their new diesels. I’ve had one in my truck for the past 70K Miles, oil analysis proved lower silica numbers than my factory filter. I don’t believe they have anything similar for a VW yet.
 
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crazyrunner33

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Jul 11, 2006
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NC
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'10 Golf(bought back)
No service tech has ever been fired for properly replacing an air filter at the appropriate time on a generator in a mine, an engine in a crane, or a Cummins powered fire pump engine. But there would be hell to pay if they replaced the air filter with a K&N and their manager saw the oil analysis down the line, especially if there's a premature turbo failure or increased blow by.
 

CALL911

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Location
Indiana
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2015 Golf TDI
Back to semantics........cheaper than cheap. BTW you need to go through the hassle of cleaning it, letting it dry and reoiling it before you can use it again. I would rather just toss the old one, drop in a new one and be done with it. :D
Unfortunately your argument is a moot point as the whole thing was never about time or your choice to toss and replace filters, it was price.
 
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