[amit_mechengg]

i have a replacement K&N filter fitted on my alto. performance wise i am finding it okay.
but since few months i am facing a problem. my throttle body gets clogged every few hundreds of kms. since last 3 months it has got clogged 3 times.

how do i find the throttle body is clogged ? Ans: In idling conditions the RPM fluctuates. feels like engine is dying and again it springs back to life. i think rpm fluctuates in the range 600~800.

After cleaning the throttle body it becomes just perfect. i can see lot of black particles inside the throttle body while cleaning.

yesterday i made a 300kms non-stop trip. now again i am finding the same problem.
i just dont want to clean the throttle body again and again.

is it that the k&n filter isnt doing its duty right? its known for better filtering though.

[kb100]

I have the very same issue with my K&N! Except I find my MAF getting fouled frequently! I for one am terribly unhappy with K&N. I will be moving to the Green Cotton Dynamisation kit soon!

[yasw_anth]

im also facing the same problem. got the throttle body cleaned 3 times in less than a year.my mechanic suggested me to go back to the stock air filter!! what shall i do ?? i think it might be due to excess oiling of the filter when i cleaned..

[abhinav.gupta88]

Maybe you are not cleaning the air filter properly or at all.

If not cleaning, get a kit ( costs about 1000-1100).

In My Honda City Similar problem was there but then i cleaned the filter properly and its doing its work alright

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by abhinav.gupta88

Maybe you are not cleaning the air filter properly or at all.

If not cleaning, get a kit ( costs about 1000-1100).

In My Honda City Similar problem was there but then i cleaned the filter properly and its doing its work alright

i dont think so cleaning is the issue. K&N recommends cleaning after 20-25 k kms. also according to the brand marketing they claim that it filters better than rest of the filters.
mainly i checked the filter with the dealer. he said its not at all dirty , no need to clean it.

[Vid6639]

20-25K is other countries. The filter get's dirty in 6000kms here.

[amit_mechengg]

i visited the dealer from where i have purchased the filter. he opened it and told me a method to judge whether it is clogged or not.
hold the filter against bright light or a tube light and see whether the light passes properly through it. i could easily see the light passing and i could also see that the holes through which the light pases are very big. seeing such big holes its very hard to believe that K&N provides better air filtering.

can someone please explain how does a free flow air filter like K&N gives better filteration than a stock air filter?

[speedzak]

I think you have a faulty filter, Amit. Get it checked.
I've been using K&N and Green in my cars. Never had a problem of this sort. And I do drive thru all the dust, bust, dirt, wet... everywhere.
I clean my filters every 10k or so. My dealer does the cleaning and he looks after them very well.

[tadukuttan]

Originally Posted by speedzak

I think you have a faulty filter, Amit. Get it checked.
I've been using K&N and Green in my cars. Never had a problem of this sort. And I do drive thru all the dust, bust, dirt, wet... everywhere.
I clean my filters every 10k or so. My dealer does the cleaning and he looks after them very well.

+1 to that. And I clean and oil these things every 5000Kms. That would be best for Indian conditions, of course 10k works without too many troubles as well. Dont do more than 10k without cleaning, and oiling.

[tsk1979]

Filter like K&N allow more dust into the engine.
Any filter which allows in more air, will allow in more dust. This has been proved in tests, and even K&N says "Use shroud in dusty conditions".
With stock air filters you do not need to use any shrouds etc.,
Of course with stock air filters, air flow is restricted more, hence 2-3% lesser performance than K&N is possible

[speedzak]

5-6k kms is the best for any reusable filter in Indian conditions.
The amount of dust these things can gather in a months time is pretty surprising. And if we go by the book and run these filters uncleaned above 10-12k kms, then you'll soon have an engine job waiting at your doorstep.
As much as the importance of cleaning, oiling too is very necessary. And this has to be done a bit carefully too.

Just a thing to remember, never use compressed air to dry these filters. They'll give up very fast and you'll see holes in it sooner than you know. I won't even recommend using a slow speed vaccum cleaner blower in this case. Many dealers use this shortcut to save time. Beware!

[ghostrider]

Really glad I came across this thread. I just had a K&N open filter fitted in my 1.6 Ikon a couple of months ago. Since then, the car's done less than 1000km, but now thanks to this post I know that I'll be taking it back to the dealer in another 4,000km for the cleaning and oiling, and I'll be making sure that he doesn't go anywhere near it with a blower of any sort.

Seems like everyone says that the Green cotton filters are much better than the K&N ones. Wish I'd known this earlier. Sigh.

[suped99]

Originally Posted by vid6639

20-25K is other countries. The filter get's dirty in 6000kms here.

Very True. i get mine cleaned every 3000 kms when my car goes for servicing.

[amit_mechengg]

oh ****, i have done 15k plus without cleaning it. i had shown it to my dealer twice. he says its still not clogged.

but now i think the oil holds the key here. it must have dried up and thats why doesnt hold the particles.
by the way how much bucks do these people take for cleaning the filter. mine is a replacement filter. my dealer said its 350 rs which i find is quite high.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

yesterday i made a 300kms non-stop trip. now again i am finding the same problem.
i just dont want to clean the throttle body again and again.

is it that the k&n filter isnt doing its duty right? its known for better filtering though.

Is it not obvious that the K&N is letting in more particulate impurities into the engine than the stock filter?
If you want a troublefree experience with your car, put back the stock filter!
Of course this is a personal view. You are welcome to experiment further (with Green, for example!), if you so choose.