G60: K&N Panel filter or normal oem paper filter

[Tempest 0]

The title says it all:

 

I'd like to hear your opinions on this topic, especially from the G-Lader overhaul brigade (Darren, PSD etc.), as on the German Corradoforum that I visit, a debate has recently been started due to which I'm very unsure now whether it was a wise thing to use a K&N panel filter in my G60 air filter box (yes, I do service the filter every year) as opposed to the VAG oem disposable paper filter element (not talking about conical filters and such like :lol: they should be fairly obvious by now as very G-Lader unfriendly :lol: ).

 

I don't want the scroll inside my G-Lader to look like the moon's surface after having used a K&N panel filter for too long.

 

Tempest

[Henny 0]

well, IMHO, you just need to look at the filter properties to realise that a paper filter is ALWAYS going to be better than a straight cotton based one as it's a much finer filter. The difference comes in when you oil the cotton filter and that makes it a much closer fight...

 

I use a K&N purely out of laziness reasons... I make sure that I clean it and re-oil it yearly which should mean that I don't loose much (if any) filtering properties over a paper one, but don't have to change the paper one 4 times in that year... ;)

[W3RKD 0]

if your not trying to squeeze every bit of available power from your g60. I would go for the paper filter oem of course! :wink:

[Dennis.be 0]

K&N filter gives also a better sound and if you're busy placeing such filter, remove the shaft out of the filterbox, this wil increase the sound and you'll hear the charger breathing.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Just stick a tea towel and some old socks in your air box, should do the trick.

 

Paper elements are fine for standard engines but they don't like getting wet and clog quicker than K&N.... in terms of throttle response, there's hardly anything in it.....

[Furkz 0]

its all an illusion the paper filter gives same performance as the k&n,, although i have got a k&n (coz it was cheap, bought it for 7 quid new from les smith when they went down the pan) its easier to service and apparently lasts forever but realistically i noticed abt 1 per cent more responsiveness if that when i changed mine over

 

2 p's worth

[Neverite 0]

recently changed mine to a kn panel, only difference i noticed was the sound... no idea about filtration yet though.

[Jim 2]

Eric... if you want to meet up at some point, you are welcome to pinch the top off my airbox (as I have a K&N) and try it in yours and go for a bit of a spin. See if you find the noise bearable or not? :)

 

Filtration wise.. well.. a K&N panel filter seems to be one of the more popular simple mods for most G60 owners and i've not heard of many G-Laders going pop with these panel filters fitted.. so they must be ok? :)

[Tempest 0]

Eric... if you want to meet up at some point, you are welcome to pinch the top off my airbox

 

Thanks Jim for the offer, but I already have a K&N panel filter in my Rado (almost 1.5 years by now, no noise increase noticed, but then again, my US-spec Rado seems overly well sound-proofed :lol:).

 

It's just that on the German forum folks increasingly are saying that given the delicacy of the G-Lader scroll it's best to use maximum filtration elements (that definitely rules out conical filters), hence the choice of a VAG oem filter element to avoid turning your scroll into a look-a-like of the moon's surface.

 

In NA engines it doesn't matter that much, but with G-Lader'ed engines it's the G-Lader that needs protecting.

 

See also Darren's comment above, also favouring the oem paper filter.

 

Tempest