K&N Pollen Filter compared to OEM

I thought we were discussing gravity waves and the physics applied to how light bends around exo planetary objects due to said gravity waves ... and how it affects our lives. I could be wrong though!

 

You guys are too funny

 

"Gravitic Lensing and it's Corresponding effects on my Tacoma"

 

I like that topic better! I heard it can increase HP by 5% and reduce fuel consumption by 3%! Used in conjunction with a K&N filter, oh boy!!! Got the power of a pulsar! PULSAR POWER baby! PULSAR POWER!

 

I finally ordered the K&N. Yes, out of the box, the smell is not great. That was gone after a couple minutes of use.

The one thing that I saw was that the

$36 VF2005 K&N LIFETIME Cabin Air Filter: Premium, Washable, Clean Air for your Cabin: Compatible with 1999-2023 Dodge/Pontiac/Subaru/Toyota: Dart, Vibe, Liberty, Tacoma, Voltz, VF2005

VF2005 that I got did not fit the box as tight as expected in any orientation. The ribs running fore-aft seemed a touch too tight for the cover. The ribs running left-right seemed best, which also has the part number and "Made in . . ." text right side up and facing the aft. So, I went with that for orienting it down the road. I do wish that it was a squeeze fit on the sides.

That said, with the rubber frame, I just added some of the filter seal grease that came with my other K&N engine filters. With the grease, I am confident that no dust will be getting around the filter like the stock one.

Thanks for all the help.

 

I just stuffed my cabin filter compartment with 205.5 little scented trees...

 

Haha!

The problem for me isn't odors as much as the dust that gets around the stock filter. I'm not a fan of car air fresheners either.

 

/Closed here.

K&N is the way to go for me.

As a final note, the smell will come back on high humidity days for a few seconds after start up. It is a very subtle whiff and smells like a cross between fresh air and new car smell. I am actually excited to service the filter when it comes time, probably the middle of next summer. That will be the next time that I will be able to check on how well it seals out dust also since we are solidly into the rainy season here.

 

Just in case anyone cares, I just refreshed the filter after almost a year of use. Refreshing was a bit easier than a K&N engine air filter since you don't have to be as careful with the third step of applying the filter fluid. Cleaning was a piece of cake.

Yes. There is a faint scent of the filter fluid after recharging / refreshing. Not nearly as strong as when new.

As an update on sealing of the K&N:

I did have some dust getting around the filter even with the filter seal grease (fancy vaseline). I think the support fins above the fan are not correct / too high and prevents getting a good seal around the edges. Since the K&N is much more stiff compared to the crappy stock one, I am going to verify the height and most likely remove the fins.

 

How is it holding up 5 years later?

I put the microgard 5 layer HEPA filter. Not that i was looking for it specifically. I actually mistook it for just the charcoal filter at first.
Arguably, it's the best filtering a taco occupant can get, however that comes at the price of airflow. With the amount of dirt I drive, I'm expecting this filter to clog in 6 months LOL I'm unsure if that's a good thing or bad . My lady is one who will sneeze 5x in a row due to allergies, I'll call it a win if this occurs less frequently.

Here's a video I found helpful:
https://youtu.be/CYDSq9mQEFE

Before and after photos. Changed at 30k.

 

It is doing great. It cleans up very easy and is still working.

I did shove some drip irrigation hose along one side to improve the sealing.

I really wish the OEM filter was a better quality, like the engine air filter. It just doesn't do anything for small particles.

I would go with K&N again here.

 

I've been using K&N for my trucks for over 20 years, never had an issue with it.
Been using the K&N cabin filter on my tacoma since i bought it, about 6 years now.
Works great and easy to clean

 

Cool. I'll likely give that a try next.