K & N / MAF failure relation?

I'm curious as to whether there's any relation to MAF failures and K&N air filters. I've got 182,000km on my 99.5 Jetta, and it's got the original MAF. Over the last few months my power has gone to pot, and I don't think it's the intake. I installed a K&N air filter last fall, and I wonder if the oil from the filter could have anything to do with a MAF failure? It looks like I may have overoiled the filter the last time I cleaned it (oil residue in the bottom of the airbox). Has anyone else seen any relation between the two? And yes, I have cleaned the MAF, twice. Very minor improvement in performance.

[ August 30, 2001: Message edited by: Cosmic Green ]

i guess people are afraid to answer this question

People don't wanna open the "bag-o-worms" topic of aftermarket filters and MAF failures. All I know is, I have a K&N and I'm damn happy with it. As a "common sense" rule of thumb, wipe the excess oil off of ANY oiled filter before re-installing it. That's all I have to say about that.

I noticed a decrease in performance with my oiled performance filter. All I did was clean up the oil residue in the panel box in the bottom. I took the MAF and used a non residue contact electronics cleaner to spray the center of the MAF. I just pulled the rubber hose off of the airfilter box. I left the MAF in the box, but disconnected the air passage hose. I then could play with the top cover. I did not remove the MAF out of the box cover. I just took it out and sprayed this contact cleaner everywhere. I let it dry and put it back in. The car ran smoother and I have not had a problem since. So just clean the sensor carefully. This should solve the rougher running engine problems.

I'm using a Piper-X cone filter with NO oil on it. That should be plenty good enough if I don't drive in very dusty conditions.

It's certainly possible that an over-oiled filter will muck up a MAF. However, I put 50,000 miles on my MAF with a BMC filter that was so over-oiled it left puddles on the bottom of the box. I never had a problem, and never cleaned it. (The MAF, not the filter. I cleaned the filter way too much, and soaked it with oil until it was dripping. "If a little is good, a lot must be better!" That's my philosophy! It's especially true of sex. Or so I hear.)

-mickey

When I bought the K&N recharge kit it mentioned oiling the filter after cleaning it and letting it sit for a perios of time. I figured overnight was enough and there was some oil that had dripped off even though I oiled fairly lightly. But it wasn't enough to even clean up really. I really don't think the filter is to blame just a really poor quality part. Its too bad the TDIs that use this MAF don't have lots of other choices to turn to rather than the $$$ VW MAF. Do the TDIers across the pond have this same MAF or is theirs better?

Mafs fail no matter what filter you use. just one of vw's annoying bugs. Ive never oiled a K&N so bad as to have oil dripping off. what the heck did you do to it? you should use enough oil to turn the surface a consistent red. no more, no less. fairly simple. the only reason to let it sit is so the oil can spread, it should take no more than 10 minutes. (let it sit for a few hours after washing to allow it to dry before oiling) On my clothes dryer, I can turn the tumble off and put the filter up next to where the air exits the dryer to go outside. I then turn the heat to low and let the filter sit in there for 10 minutes. instant dry filter.

car54, it didn't seem overoiled (well, maybe it was slightly heavy)when I installed it, it's just that when I removed it yesterday after 30,000km to clean it again, there was oil residue (which naturally picked up lots of dirt) on the bottom and part of the sides of the airbox. The MAF housing and intake duct seemed dry, though.
mickey, I like your sex philosophy!