Poll: Knowing it might void your engine warranty, would you run an aftermarket air filter?

Absolutely not, waste of money.


+1

 

Another good thread.

Even though the 55k thread was "departed", it brought to light the issue of aftermarket filters possibly (under very extreme circumstances) voiding the Toyota warranty.

I would think that if I doesn't add any benefit, it isn't worth it during the warranty period or after.

TW delivers interesting information - again.

 

Lol is that thread nuked?

 

Terminated...with extreme prejudice...lol

 

Might be late to the 5'o clock free crack giveaway, but don't seen how a simple filter upgrade could be that bad if Toyota offers one

If anything, get a AFE Dry filter and call it a day

 

It’s a personal choice. I don’t care what you do to your truck. The fact is that they actually are less restricted than a stock replacement. The little display at your local advance auto parts can prove that. It’s to me a very common sense thing to say that if more air can pass through, so can smaller unwanted particles. I much prefer the stock replacement.

 

There's some discussion on Bobidtheoilguy site about the AEM dry filter (no oil) performing great. Test showed it on par with a paper filter in terms of filtration and flow. No performance gains. But the reusability of it for about $40 makes it an interesting option.

As noted in the other thread....I've been using one for nearly 40k miles. I've checked and cleaned my MAF twice in that time with alcohol and a Q-Tip. Zero dirt on.

I'm of the opinion that if there's no dirt on the MAF, it's highly unlikely there's any significant dirt getting in to the engine.

Note: I am not taking about cotton gauze oiled media. I would not run one of those types filters. The AEM DF is a non oiled synthetic reinforced media.

I can actually see more light through the OE paper filter than I can the AEM when held up to the light....for what that's worth

 

^^^ All add....my driving is all pavement, with about 2/3 of it highway. No real dusty situations for me.

 

Please IM me on what straw broke the camels back.

 

Perception is value. If someone perceived an aftermarket filter as being a value adder they’ll use it. The reality here is

Personally, I don’t see the value in anything not the inexpensive oem. Much like aftermarket exhaust the lack of hard power increase vs. terrible sound makes it not worth it. There’s too many issues with oiled filters as in over oiling. Dry filters probably not so much but cost vs. return. Additionally I’m over the age of fucking with engines.

In the other thead I can’t see a scenario where the filter itself was the cause. Plenty of Baja trucks run various open filter dry or oiled and dirt in the motor isn’t really an issue. It would seem to make more sense either the filter/box/tubing wasn’t installed correctly or there was an actual warrantable issue with the filter element itself.

 

Not sure.....here is the obligatory music

https://youtu.be/lksx_psBZz4

 

The warranty far outweighs the minimal "upgrade" of an air filter. The stock air goes through the wheel well and is basically a cold air intake anyways. Get a better dry filter for your stock truck. Rip out the charcoal filter. I put in a K&N air filter in my 2011 and had it on for about a year before I had enough of the rattle it had when the bolts got loose. It sounded cool sure, but that was about it.

 

Baja trucks will run intake so it’s sucking through the cab. So they use whatever filter they use, but it’s not like it’s out in the dust.

 

I’ve owned quite a few performance cars, and a CAI is really only worthwhile if you’re doing other things with it that don’t even apply to a Tacoma (long tube headers, ported intake, ported manifold, E85 etc). Otherwise, it’s just not a worthwhile mod for the really small performance gains it gives.

I really couldn’t imagine running one on this truck, especially an open box intake, if you do any off roading in dirty conditions, which is kinda the point of off roading. I’ll spend my mod money on more fun things.

 

Just to throw in my 2-cents . . . .
My vehicle before this Tacoma was an '05 Jeep GC, Hemi, lifted, etc. I put a cold air intake with a K&N oiled filter on shortly after buying it. A few months later we took a trip to NC (Outer Banks) and spent the week driving the beaches.
When I got back, I was doing general "just spent a week in sand and saltwater" maintenance and found sandy grit in the intake manifold. Now, I had run K&N filters on multiple trucks and SUVs over many years, but this worried me. I checked, and verified that everything was installed correctly, filter was oiled, all fittings tight, yet still I had grit in the intake.
I removed the K&N that day and went back to a paper filter and haven't looked back. I never did develop any engine problems after that, but to me it just wasn't worth risking it for little (if any) real performance gains.

For my Tacoma, I'll stay with the stock intake and filter. I intend for this engine to run a LONG time and don't want to do anything that might compromise this.

On the whole "dead engine at 55k" drama thread, I have a hard time believing it was JUST the filter based on the (limited) information in the thread. I'd suspect other factors contributed to the engine dying (twice), but why risk it?

 

First off, this is my opinion on air filter selection; I have used all the filters in the spectrum over the last 40 years, If people don't follow the care & regeneration instruction for reusable filters, it's on them & not the manufacturer! If the re-oil phase of the maintenance is done correctly, oil will NEVER get to the man sensor! I've had & seen a shit ton of vehicles that had no air filters & never had an issue.
With that being said, there might be a slight difference in a cold air intake, but, if you maintain a reusable filter, you'll never buy another filter again.

 

I'm so confident in my truck and the warranty I decided to run my Taco with no filter at all.

 

Point being they are at the edge of hard abuse. 100 miles of silt beds chasing slower vehicles down and the filter is being taxed.

 

Just get the TRD Intake. Might not be a metal tube with a cone filter at the end but you get to keep your warranty.

I have it and it looks and sounds great. Comes with the reusable air filter too. Probably does nothing for performance though.

 

buy a TRD Performance air filter and your warranty wont be voided