Disco 1 Raised air intake - k&n filter?

Thinking of picking up a K&N filter once my RAI goes on, purely because I expect the odd splash of rain must get in and we all know how much paper filters like getting wet.

Any thoughts?

I am going to fit some fine mesh behind the ram scoop grille just to stop the **** from my neighbors tree ending up in it while it’s parked.

I have one on mine, will take pix tomoz.

Are these K&N air filters all that they are made out to be.. I mean performance wise.. I've heard they make the engine run smoother.. more power.. even slightly better mpg I've heard..?
Obviously the fact they can be cleaned and water resistant.. but 40 or so quid is a lot

Ive got a Pipercross in mine and water will go through it, easily. Water will not easily go thru a paper one.

They are decent and are less restrictive as for power and mpg, minimal.

Don’t care about performance, it’ll do 70 if you ask it nicely enough and there’s no hills so that’s fine, just the thought of the odd few rain drops buggering up a paper one. Sounds like carrying a spare paper one might be wiser?

If it gets to the point where the filter in the airbox that is after going through a RAI is wet then the likelihood of a spare paper one in the cab staying dry is remote.

A few drops of water going into an engine won't harm it, but hydraulicing it on a cup of water will.

I have no plans of wading really deep, the RAI is just for a bit of additional safety. I’m not sure if k&n’s filter as well as paper filters, it is purely the dampness that is making me consider it.

AdamD1 said:

I have no plans of wading really deep, the RAI is just for a bit of additional safety. I’m not sure if k&n’s filter as well as paper filters, it is purely the dampness that is making me consider it.

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Unless I've misunderstood, you choose one or the other, but if anything you shouldn't really suffer damp filter probs if you are running with the intake fitted right, in rain and snow the scoop should be facing the rear not the front of the vehicle, the fact that you won't really be switching it around daily as per the weather just leave it facing the rear, if you have it facing front as to enjoy the ram air effect any rain can easily be funneled into the intake.

K&N filters are easier to maintain and all the gumph is just that.

Paper filters, are fine for everything and will give best protection against finest powder particles, we are not likely to encounter that kind of dust here in the UK, Sahara yes but the UK not so much.

I don’t think the scoop on the Southdown snorkel can be faves backwards, it looks like it fits too close to the body, will check that when it’s fitted though.

Can be turned so its not facing totally forward. Ive driven in very heavy rain with my Safari style head facing forward, checked me box at home, bone dry.

I do however swap back to paper when in sand, dust or know ill be wading. As the paper filters also seal better in the airbox itself as the rubber 'lip' is much larger.

bankz5152 said:

do however swap back to paper when in sand, dust or know ill be wading. As the paper filters also seal better in the airbox itself as the rubber 'lip' is much larger.

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Is that what you found after yours got moist?

Cheers

saw an interesting article ref K & N

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/50650-air-filter-tests-finally.html

gstuart said:

saw an interesting article ref K & N

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/50650-air-filter-tests-finally.html

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Very Interesting, Sort of puts me off the idea of a K&N filter now... But I wonder if the flat TD5 filters results are any different to the tube like filters.

Jamiegreen said:

Very Interesting, Sort of puts me off the idea of a K&N filter now... But I wonder if the flat TD5 filters results are any different to the tube like filters.

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personally i think there a waste of money , but of course down to the individual

also read that some filters like the K & N can sometimes interfere with the MAF sensor

whether that’s true is another matter ???

Jamiegreen said:

Very Interesting, Sort of puts me off the idea of a K&N filter now... But I wonder if the flat TD5 filters results are any different to the tube like filters.

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On the 90 300tdi.

I use a paper filter, But firstly I check that my RAI if closed on the inlet side will stall the engine, So I know the rest of the system is as sealed as it can be. Amazing how many are not sealed correctly and will suck up water if wading in a the deep stuff.

My thoughts are that I can carry a spare std filter if going on a long trip, they are cheap as chips, I will always use the spare during a service ( not a waste of money).

Cheers

Jamiegreen said:

Very Interesting, Sort of puts me off the idea of a K&N filter now... But I wonder if the flat TD5 filters results are any different to the tube like filters.

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round ones normally provide a bigger surface area vs flat ones

alas though the guys here will be able to advise what filter would be the best suited for ur TD5

gstuart said:

also read that some filters like the K & N can sometimes interfere with the MAF sensor

whether that’s true is another matter ???

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Quoted from K&N:
We are aware of the "urban myth" (K&N News Story) created by a few dealerships that a vehicle's MAF sensor can be contaminated by K&N filter oil. No evidence has ever been provided to support this "myth" and years of diagnostic testing by K&N has shown that not only is this allegation not real, it is not even possible. In our opinion, it is an excuse for a dealership and/or the vehicle manufacturer to avoid a legitimate warranty repair.... so on

Then again I was running my old disco 2 without the MAF connected, it was running much nicer.. and it was a brand new MAF..

Jamiegreen said:

Then again I was running my old disco 2 without the MAF connected, it was running much nicer.. and it was a brand new MAF..

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So it was running on default settings. Did you confirm the new MAF was working correctly using diagnostics?

I took the K&N off of my Fathers TD5 D2 when he got it and replaced with the std paper filter. Having stuck the nanocom on it, with the K&N it was reading 65 at idle with paper filter 57.

Cheers

I'm not sure where this Safari facing backwards idea comes from?

None of the manufacturers recommend it and they have rain traps in as far as I'm aware.

neilly said:

So it was running on default settings. Did you confirm the new MAF was working correctly using diagnostics?

I took the K&N off of my Fathers TD5 D2 when he got it and replaced with the std paper filter. Having stuck the nanocom on it, with the K&N it was reading 65 at idle with paper filter 57.

Cheers

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Alive Tuning fitted a new one when I had my remap, and im sure they checked the output of it, they were going to check it again for me but I never got round to it..
The engine just seemed to get up to the turbo zone much faster without it (Auto) so pulling off etc was much faster.