Replaced Air Filters for cabin and engine with K&N (Good or Bad?)

Had to change my filters before spring came on, so opted for the supposed "reusable and washable" High Performance air K&N filters for both, the cabin and the engine. We'll see how it goes.

Here is the old filters, as you can see, they needed replacement asap. The bottom of the filter had a lot of fine dust that wasn't immediately obvious until I started coughing from an itchy throat.



Here is the new cabin K&N air filter.


I want to see how this works out in the long run, especially with these filters being supposedly "washable" and "reusable" with their cleaning kits that I bought from AutoZone as well

 

Factory filters are better than anything K&N makes.

 

That's what I'm experimenting with, see if this is worth it in the long run.

 

Most likely not,most guys don't like anything K&N.

 

Damn, and I already invested in their cleaning kits
Well, I'll make use of it, probably be super diligent with the cleaning intervals on these filters (supposedly up to 6 washes and reuses)

 

Is there any brand other than OEM worth using? From what I've seen on Amazon they are mostly selling crap filters these days, so I'm looking at just buying engine and cabin filters from the dealer and installing them myself. If there are viable alternatives I'd like to hear about them.

I'm less concerned about the cabin filter than the engine.

 

Pretty sure Denso is the OEM supplier for air filters.

I have a TRD washable that I've used around town, but I use a paper filter when hitting dirt. I pretty much just leave the paper filter in now.

The cabin filter takes on a lot of dust when following another truck for many miles. I considered a washable, but I usually take it out a couple of times on longer trips and knock all the dust out. Same with the engine air filter. A washable in those conditions would let too much stuff through and/or clog way too fast.

I think any of the normal brands that aren't the "economy" version work well enough.

 

Thanks. The closest I come to off road driving is a dirt road here and there. Of which there are more than a few in Texas. I'll have to see if Denso filters are available outside of the dealer. For that matter, I'll have to see what an OEM filter costs.

ETA: The Denso part number is 1433653. Amazon does carry them, but for some reason the listing may say that it doesn't fit the 3rd Gens.

 

Yeah, I avoid buying parts on Amazon, too many good counterfeits. RockAuto has them.

 

Guys, I wish I saw this before I spent $150+ on K&N engine Air Filter and cabin Air filter....

 

Project Farm also proved that point - K&N is only if you want performance, not longevity

 

Apparently WIX and PurlocatorONE had one of the best filtrations (WIX filtered the best with lower air flow, but Purlocator came close with a bit more air flow).
No WIX filters in my area, so would have to ship it in if I decide that filter...

K&N does let a LOT of air in, but with it also lets a ton of dirt particles as well

Wondering if I should change my filters asap...
I mostly just drive it on the weekends...

 

WIX and PurlocatorONE, according to what info I found so far..

 

My Denso from Amazon came today. One a quick inspection, it's genuine, but I'm going to take a deeper look later. Now, if my truck would only come home from the body shop.

 

You will be fine running the K&N. I would just check them every month or so.

 

FWIW: The last time I purchased mine, (last fall) the OEM Toyota air filter was manufactured by Denso, and the cabin filter was made by Mann. This has been true since I bought the truck three years ago. I buy them online from a local dealer that has a free pick-up at dealership option, and pay about $5 more for them than what AutoZone want's for a generic STP filter. I wouldn't buy them from any other source than a dealership: too many examples of counterfeit/fake parts.

You can also find OEM Denso and NGK spark plugs for under $7 each from a dealership using the Toyota online parts website.

 

I use Toyota air filters and for cabin air filters EP Auto: EPAuto CP374 (CF10374) Replacement for Toyota/Dodge/Pontiac Premium Cabin Air Filter includes Activated Carbon

$13 EPAuto CP374 (CF10374) Replacement for Toyota/Dodge/Pontiac Premium Cabin Air Filter includes Activated Carbon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY5YMJJ

Whether K&N filters are good or bad, doesn’t matter. The cleaning and re-oiling seems unnecessary and a waste of time.

 

It shouldn't matter what you use with the cabin filter.

I had a K&N on a 1998 F150. Paper filters for that truck cost around $20 each vs $4-$5 at the time for most vehicles. I decided it was cheaper in the long run to buy a $50 K&N and clean it occasionally.

Performance wise it made zero difference. I don't regret doing it because it was a little cheaper to go that route and as far as I could tell it didn't hurt anything either. If someone drives a lot in dusty conditions, I don't believe they filter air as well as conventional filters. But that wasn't an issue for me. That filter was still in the truck when I sold it. Never bought another.

If you read K&N's literature carefully even they only show slight gains in performance with engines running 5000-6000 rpm's. At slower speeds even they admit they don't help. For some guy building a racecar to take to the local dirt track races a K&N filter might mean 1-2 2 mph top end speed. Which could mean the difference between 1st and 2nd place. But for most of us they don't help.