Hey guys...

I'm looking to replace my OEM Air Filter and I'm curious to hear your opinions on which one you guys like more.

Alta or K&N?

Thanks

 

DDM street with a K&N filter...No check engine lights with it, and ive been running it since january and love it

 

Oh boy......here we go !

I am of the firm opinion that the foam filter will outpwerform the pleated ones because the foam will perform better for the service life of the filter. In other words, the pleated filters will allow more air initially when clean but will get dirty faster and the performance drops off dramatically. Whereas the foam will be a bit less in air flow, the filtering properties of a foam filter are better. Much more surface area in a foam filter than in the pleated types.

 

+1! Just installed mine, and love it.

Previously had a DIY K&N CAI, clamped directly to the MAF. The DDM is much better, a lot smoother, quieter...just better.

As far as comparing it to Alta, its about $100 cheaper and does the same thing, plus I slightly liked the design better...its a no brainer!

 

believe me by no means what so ever do i want to get into the "mine is better than yours" talk bc that's all shinanigans and bs......I'm just saying I personally like K&N better than the ALTA because K&N is lifetime guarenteed, and frankly if you let your intake get dirty enough to reduce the life and performance of it, you really have no business with a CAI....it is cheaper than ALTA and we've seen MANY ALTA's come up with Check Engine Lights so my preference is DDM, but everyone has their own likes and dislikes...but WMW can do both for you either way yah go!

 

I have never heard of an Alta causing an engine light to come on.........why do they do that?

 

Where, how many is many, who is we?

Please expand on this...

 

through quite a few different people, in person and on forums, i have heard of this...i have been told that they found the cause, but are not disclosing what it is due to the fact that they can sell other products better...BUT i have been told by more than a hand full that it has happened....and that's all I will say on the matter, im not causing the drama b.s. just throwin it out there....

 

Actually with that reply you are creating quite a bit of drama. Either retract your statement or give us some facts to back up your claim.

 

Actually, I'm starting to lean towards my foam filter being the cause of an intermittent CEL (U3FFF) that I've been getting. I don't think it is the filter itself but the cleaner spray that is causing it.

The first time I got a CEL was when I only had the CAI installed, I had cleaned the filter earlier in the day. Since then I'd been receiving the CEL intermittently. I recently took my MINI in for service and as part of the service they installed a software update. For the first time I was able to go a couple of weeks with no CEL appearing. I've been cleaning the filter about every 4 - 5k miles and it was due for a cleaning again. I cleaned the filter and bam, I started the CELs again (every time the code is U3FFF).

I'm really starting to believe it is the cleaning chemical not washing completely out when rinsing it out. So, I decided to clean it again, making sure I rinsed it out as thoroughly as possible. I left it overnight to dry. It still wasn't completely dry in the morning so I used my air compressor and sprayed air through it to get out more water. I set it out in in the sunlight for 4 hours to help let it dry out. It seemed dry to me, it did still have a bit of a chemical smell to it but nowhere near like it was any time before. I oiled the filter and put it back on. It didn't help, I still get the (U3FFF) CEL several times a day.

I just clear it with my ScanGaugeII. However, I'm tempted to switch over to a paper filter instead to eliminate the hassle of having to keep the ScanGaugeII plugged in to my OBDII port all of the time.

 

I would suggest that it is not the cleaner, but maybe that you are over-oiling the filter. The foam filters only need enough oil to make the surface "tacking". You don't want to saturate the filter. This is a problem with cars that use a MAP to determine air flow. The sensor gets gummed up with oil and malfunctions. This is also true with pleated filters.

 

I thought it could be an oil related problem with the MAF sensor as well. Which is why I also purchased a can of MAF sensor cleaner and cleaned the sensor during my last cleaning of the filter. I was hoping that might make a difference. It didn't.

I had previously oiled the filter more than it is now. But I kept the oil light after my last cleaning (which was when I also cleaned the MAF sensor). When I checked the filter several days ago it was virtually dry.

The only thing I can contribute it to at this point is the UNI Foam Filter cleaner.

 

K&N verses foam



ScottinBend someday you and I .....

 

Next time try Simple Green to clean it . Or simply rinse your filter longer in water. If you read the HAZMAT you would find that it is a simple phosphate
and as such any residue that may remain can not be pickup by any sensor on a MINI.

 

Hmm...I guess it's worth a shot (simple green, I rinsed it for over 5 minutes the last time so I doubt my rinsing process is the problem). I'll pick some up tomorrow and clean it again Saturday evening (after our group run). I appreciate the suggestion! Hopefully it will work. I really like the idea of the foam filter versus a paper filter but I'm very close to making the switch to paper.

 

Seriously your problem is very isolated. It just is not posible for that to happen becuase of the cleaner. If you have a group you might see if someone would swap you there foam to try out. Hey I have seen weirder things your Mini may be the exception. Keep us posted I would like to know.
Also on the oiling a K&N if you follow the direction unlike a foam filter you cover the outside completely even to the point it may run off. This is NORMAL for a K&N. As instructed let it set and use a cloth to wipe the excess off. The oil does not go through the K&N like a foam.
Just for the record I use UNI's (foam) on my RG 500 GAMMA (386lbs wet 133 whp) but everthing else I own has K&N.



useful K&N facts
http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm


http://www.suzukicycles.org/RG-series/RG500-Gamma.shtml

 

I'm probably the only one in our club that has the ALTA CAI for an R56. We are still pretty much a fledgling club. I'd been reluctant to post anything about this as I haven't been able to nail down the exact cause and I am reluctant to speculate as to the cause but so far all indications point the UNI cleaner.

I've been tempted to put my stock intake system back in but I really don't want to, but I may end up doing so if another cleaner doesn't do the trick. That would really be my only way to confirm that the increased emissions CEL is truly being caused by the ALTA CAI. If simple green doesn't work, I will probably end up having to go back to the stock intake at least to confirm or disprove the idea of it being the culprit.

I would then go with a K&N setup if I can find a package for the R56 (I've been looking around a bit but haven't found a vendor that sells a K&N CAI package for the R56, I've looked on MINI Mania, Outmotoring, and GoMINIGo).

 

You can get the DDM Works intake with a K&N. That's what I have and it works great! The others here that have it seem to like it as well, with no issues.

 

Try just calling and talking to K&N about what is going on. They are the only filter company I know of that actually has an in has DYNO and great Techs. I know from experience that if this is a problem that they will solve it or refund your money back. they are that good about customer service.
When I sold K&N in my performance parts store from 1981 -1999 I never had an issue that they did not cheerfully resolve. And it has nothing to do with my contingencies from them for my race car and boat at the time.

 

I know he's watching the thread and if he feels like he wants to then he will but doubtfully because it's people who want to know everything and everything that start this...all I said was that "I prefer A over B because that's what I like and I know this doesnt have problems" this will be my last post of this...this is an opinion thread dont make it more than it is..not worth getting heated over

 

Here is my experience if I can help..

My first induction kit was a home made CAI with a 90o Samco silicone elbow and attached to that a pipercross foam filter, with the scoop totally open of course.
I was completely happy with this, no CEL at all, the noise was just fabulus, and in an other post you can find my dyno.
A significant change in torque occured....

Now I have ordered the DDM street intake system.
They sent it to me with a K&N filter and I ordered additionaly a foam filter because in turbo cars, the gause filters are not really good, because after a few dirt their performance goes down dramatically.

Until I receive the foam filter, I have to say that with the foam filter I am extremely happy with the results.

 

Hey Guys...

Thanks for the feed back.

I didn't want to make this into a He said / "S"he said heated thread.

 

i have a k&n square oval filter on my alta intake and i like it. performance is the same to me. i switched over to this filter because of all the bugs down here in florida. i have a long comute right next to the freckin everglades and the bugs are big and there is alot of them. the k&n filter lets me brush off some of the bugs right off the front of the filter with a small paint brush . i do this everytime i get home from my comute. the front of the filter takes a bug beating but the underside stays a lil cleaner and that is the side the cold air tube flows too. the alta foam flows great but i just kept seeing debree inside of the foam filter , nothing real bad but i had to clean it every month and that wasnt working for me. mpg is good too, logged in 34.1 mpg on my trip computer at 72 mph. 150 mile or so comute one way i have about 340 on the od and can go another 140 or so . just my two pennys on it.