Nice post. Good info.

 

The first thing I noticed in the linked article was they talk about K&Ns having an oiled, paper fliter element. This, of course, is not correct and K&N makes a big deal about how their layered cotton gauze element traps dirt in a different manner than paper, yet effectively.

Then there is the fact that not all dust particles damage engines: size matters. 10-20 micron-sized particles do the damage and K&N removes these from the air stream as well as paper. Yes, paper filters more dust out, but it’s irrelevant. It's like a music system that produces quality sounds beyond the capability of human hearing. Who cares, I can't hear it anyway. So, it is with paper filters. Cleaning this irrelevant dirt comes at a performance cost.

Another analogy might be Gortex vs plastic coated clothing to keep you dry. The fact that Gortex lets more moisture through than plastic coatings is actually a plus. However, because it controls the size of the water molecule it lets through, perspiration escapes, while rainwater, with a larger molecule, is prevented from passing through.

Since relatively free flowing air requires less expended energy for air intake, engines run more efficiently and perform better.

 

You must have one miserable life to have to get on here and have to start **** with people just to try to impress yourself.

If you go back and actually RE-READ the posts that you and I have posted, it's pretty clear who was acting like the expert here! It sure as hell wasn't me!

You're absolutely right... I don't know squat. I'd rather know what I know than to know squat anyday.

And let's stoop to some name calling now..... AH, Yes... just your style.

Oh well ... this is the end of this for me on this subject.

Carry on if you wish. I have far better things to do with my time than to get into a pissing contest with you over a friggin filter.

 

[sm=closed.gif]

 

Now you're coming around. Good boy. Got pinned against a wall and can't defend your nonsensical stance any longer. It's okay, you can give up.

 

Guys I really appraciate the input from you all, funny as it was at some points.

All I wanted was an opinion, and I see that some like and some dislike for whatever reason.

Just like an earlier post on my subject,

Synthetic or Mineral oil etc.... Well what made my mind up to take the jump to K&N is for the same reason I use Mobil 1 Synthetic. Simply that it does not have any mineral based compound and has specifically been developed using cells & atoms and all that technical stuff that does not break up the cell structure like 20 million year old dead dinosour does. Thats what we call the Sludge in the engine!. Synthetic does not break down and nor does it sludge up Mineral oil is great for lubing up the lawn mover or even fixing a squeeky garden gate.. But a car engine has components that come into contact with heat that is as hot as the sun - for a millisecond - that's why protection is important.

I will keep everybody posted on how I get on with the KEN filter.

Thanks to Lugnut, Cruzin, Rocksolid, Sleepwalker to name a few... hope the hand bags have been put away until next Friday..

Take Care

Peter-Brooklyn

2001 w203 C320 - Elegance - Brilliant Silver - Black Leather - Premium Wheels

[IMG]local://upfiles/8150/221E4DDEF0284550A3609B6AA2B82877.jpg[/IMG]

 

Keep Voting If You Read the Posts.

Thanks

 

please post your results on your purchase of K&N's

i have been in the car performance industry for 20+ years, i am a development partner with several benz tuners such as KLEEMANN, CARLSSON, BRABUS, RENNTECH and many more... in my research to obtain more horsepower and maintain the car as a driveable daily driver without sacrificing reliability, i have chosen K&N. In fact when you buy the pulley kits (C230K) from one of these tuners a K&N filter is included in the kit, this is so because we have done testing to prove that they WORK, in the end the K&N filters are a wise choice. I have always used and recommmend these filters to all my friends and family.

if these filters didn't work or were not reliable...then why is it that all the performance minded technicians at the Local Mercedes dealers buy them from me....? kinda makes you wonder doesn't it...now as for the over-oiling yes this can cause damage to the MAF sensor, but then that is just commen sense "DON'T OVER OIL IT"

i currently have 7 cars in my garage all equipped with K&N filters..so rest assured if it can go into my car, i'm sure you will enjoy them in yours.

i hope this helps

 

My original post stands as my opinion. Here are some more ramblings:

I am concerned that aftermarket manufacturers build products "to fit" our cars without engineering to show they improve our performance for that application. That goes for all aftermarket products. The real engineering (because they have too) is done by the car manufacturer, as they have liability issues and standards riding on what choices they make for OEM installed items.

While it can be shown that upgrade brakes (to four piston calipers, for example) have a performance advantages. An air filter is a subjective item. Every bodies experience with it is different. And really, this is a low dollar, low payoff item. IMHO.

Also, the MB dealership is interested in selling products that wear out on a regular basis. Why would MB choose a product that they never have to replace? I guess they could charge $50 to clean the filters each time we change our motor oil. A bad cleaning could lead to absorbing a MAF replacement. If I was the dealership, I would rather keep it simple and throw away a disposable filter and install a new one.

 

The air intake system, which includes the choice of filter medium, is over-engineered. I thought it was obvious, but apparently not. In any case, I already waxed poetic about it above. M-B is not interested in providing maximum performance for a car designed for the street.

You have to understand the basics of how an internal combustion engine performs, I guess, to understand how a high-flow filter medium can improve performance... and how such a filter can reduce performance as well. But I waxed on about that already too.

The improved performance can indeed be measured. That's why clocks were made. Don't use your butt. That's NOT why it was made.

Try this experiment. Cover your mouth with your hand and take deep breaths. Then remove your hand and take deep breaths. In which case can you breathe better? Same applies to your engine. It's merely an air pump. If you choke it, it doesn't perform as well. It must breathe to perform. The better it breathes, the better it performs.

To continue the experiment, cover your mouth again and take deep breaths, but this time have a friend throw a glass of water at your mouth. Do the same with your hand removed. In which case did you almost drown? This is the stuff that M-B enginners are faced with and must design around.