raz Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 This might be old news, but I did a search and came up empty. I was recently talking to a ex-Nissan Mechanic who was master rated at one point. I have a 2001 Pathifinder and he said that he highly recommends I get an original Nissan air filter. After 10 years of working for Nissan, he said, that 9/10 cars who came in with sensor problems had after-market air filters in them. Apparently the original Nissan air filters have an oil like coating on the paper which does a much better job of filtering air. They are only marginally more expensive than after-market air filters and can save your sensor. Raz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Interesting, I had never heard of that. Perhaps Alkorahil will chime in?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Yup, K&N filters are garbage. The oil tends to collect/accumulate inside the intake, etc. and will lead to common intake-related problems. If you have a K&N filter, ditch that piece of junk and go OEM or any non-oiled equivalent. For the 90-95 WD21's and 96-99 R50's, HKS offers a great triple-foam filter that's re-useable and a breeze to keep clean. I installed mine back in November and it's been great. http://www.hksusa.com/images/?id=2943 Edited April 2, 2009 by tekazgtr1984 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 the oil like coating is exactly what causes damage to the MAF sensor. an OEM nissan filter is just a paper filter. it's common knowledge that K&N filters (or any filter that uses oil) can cause damage to MAF sensors if you overspray the oil and/or don't let the filter dry thoroughly before reinstalling it. Actually, I followed the mechanics advice and bought an OEM air filter from Nissan today. He was right, compared to my after-market filter, it definitely has a very slight oil like coating on it. I've never seen or tried a K&N but this OEM filter is definitely different than a simple after-market filter which is plain paper. There's probably a happy medium somewhere between a thicker oil coating and none at all, and the OEM strikes it. Raz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Actually, I followed the mechanics advice and bought an OEM air filter from Nissan today.He was right, compared to my after-market filter, it definitely has a very slight oil like coating on it. I've never seen or tried a K&N but this OEM filter is definitely different than a simple after-market filter which is plain paper. There's probably a happy medium somewhere between a thicker oil coating and none at all, and the OEM strikes it. Raz Yeah, but it is still a paper filter, ever tried breathing through a tissue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I have had JWT "Pop charger" cone oiled clothe filter for years, no problems at all, although I did replace it rather then recharge it to avoid over oiling and risk fouling the MAF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I've had K&N filters on many cars and trucks over the years and never had a problem. Maybe it only happens to other people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Never once heard of anyone I know having any type off issues with a K&N filter in the many years they've had them. Ever. Must be a user malfunction thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoPathyGo Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Maybe it's an R50/VQ35 thing. The K&N Filter just gave me fits - literally! Installed a week to 10 days ago. Seemed to work great. First warm air rolled in today. 85 degrees+ in the DC area. We all know what happens when air heats up - it expands and fuel/air management becomes even more important. Whether that was the cause or just a simple coincidence is not clear to me. Started the Pathfinder up, loaded the wheel&tire combo I sold on eBay and headed to UPS. All fine. Exited UPS and the engine suddenly refuses to go over 2,500 rpm. Every time I get up to 2,500 RPM it cuts out and the Pathfinder jerks back and forth. Check Engine Light comes on. Drove back home. Tried starting and restarting several times. No dice. Drove around the house several times - still cutting out above 2,500 rpm. The way it was throttling back made me think about that filter. Swapped the stock filter in - thank God I didn't throw that thing away! At first, seemed like I hadn't diagnosed it correctly. Still herky-jerky. Stopped by Pep Boys, picked up the Scan tool I'd been intending to buy for months now and sure enough - Code 1130. Reset and voila! I have driven another 50 miles and not a peep. Pathfinder is zipping along in different modes (2WD, Full-time, 4Hi) and different RPMs (800-4,000). This is apparently quite a common problem with VQ35s. A search on Nissan 2,500 rpm or 2,000 rpm produces problems in Altimas, Maximas etc. While there are any number of causes for the problems other folks have been having, from filters to ignition coils, the sheer number seems to emphasize the sensitivity of the fuel/air management in the engine. BTW, I found an exceptionally helpful DTC list for Pathfinders: http://www.pathyoffroad.com/ Don't know who built this site but it rocks! Time to RMA that K&N junk. Cheers, GPG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 my K&N has never given me issues... just dont' over-oil it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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