Does Air Filter Brand Make a Difference?

The Stack Exchange network consists of 180 communities from Q26A, including Stack Overflow, the largest and most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge and develop their careers.

You'll get about 1BHP more from a good quality filter

. But unless you're the princess who slept in the pea, you won't notice. What better quality filters DO have is that they take longer to clog.

So, they don't really GIVE you more power, they're better at AVOIDING energy loss once you've driven a couple of thousand miles. I think it depends on the application. I paid good money for a K&N air filter for my old traveler, an 18-year-old Subaru 4-cylinder. After installation, I heard a pretty clean grunt noise from the engine when accelerating, but the idle and mileage and gasoline performance were the same. On the other hand, a K&N air filter installed on my Kawasaki Concours not only gave me that cold grunt noise when accelerating, but I noticed a smoother idle and a small, yes small, increase in top speed performance above 7,000 rpm.

So there you go, I think they're worth the money and time spent cleaning them every few thousand miles if used in a performance application, but for a normal old car, the standard, cheap paper filter is the way to go. As an expert in automotive maintenance and repair, I can confidently say that air filter brand does make a difference when it comes to your car's performance. It is important to look for the best brands of air filters and choose compatible options to replace your car's old air filters. You can find some of the brands mentioned below that supply high-quality aftermarket air filters that would improve the performance of your car. Commercially available air filters have varying prices; however, Fram is a brand that offers one of the most affordable options you can find. The good news is that these products are made with quality materials that make them durable.

You can easily detect Fram engine air filters with the orange housing and white mesh. These products are supplies from the Trico Group, manufactured by Honeywell (AlliedSignal, Inc. For most drivers, Mann air filters are one of the options you'll want to try, as this brand is known for offering consumers high-quality filtration solutions. Car engines need premium filters to work optimally and last longer. This feature equips engine air filters to block 99% of soot, debris and dirt.

Purolator builds these filters with steel grid holders, high-temperature glue beads (polyamide), or ridge supports for added strength and stability. Mann+Hummel manufactures these engine air filters for the brand and has been manufacturing premium products for Purolator. ACDelco is the OEM of General Motors vehicle equipment parts and, as such, they have a wealth of experience in providing innovative, quality engine air filters. These premium aftermarket filters protect the engines of both GM cars and those of other manufacturers. With the quality of these filters, the service life of the engine is improved and greater performance can be enjoyed. Because the ACDelco engine air filter supports exceptional airflow, the engine will continue to receive clean, unrestricted airflow.

The good news is that this brand uses quality materials to build high-quality, reliable air filters. Again, these environmentally friendly products further ensure that the engine receives an unrestricted clean airflow. You would be interested to know that Champions Laboratory, Inc., also known as Champions Lab is a popular name that produces quality filtration equipment for private brands such as Bosch. The brand of the air filter may not necessarily matter since the goal is to get a good filter that prevents dirt and dust from accumulating on the engine. However, some brands in the industry have been tested and trusted to supply only the best quality products. Cost may not matter when choosing air filters but this can help you differentiate between high quality and poor quality air filters.

It is often known that very cheap products are likely to use poor quality materials. The importance of air filters is enormous as the engine is still one of the most expensive auto parts. Accumulation of dust and other particles can damage the engine reducing performance to complete replacement. You can check the MERV rating which is a scale that determines filter efficiency from a low level of 1 to a high filter index of 20. I tested a new market-leading oiled air filter against a Ford factory standard paper filter.

I am using OEM air filter on my WRX because no one has been able to convince me that it is worth changing the filter type. A high-performance air filter is more technically known as a high-flow air filter which explains well what differentiates it from an average air filter. However most people prefer Merv filters for home use as they are one of the best air filters for domestic HVAC as recommended by ASHRAE. AEM Dryflow air filters are a great option that saves people from having to grease filters over and over again. However you can order filters online and in bulk which can save you money and hassle of running to store every time you need a filter. Just like oil filters act like vehicle's kidneys air filters act like lungs allowing clean air to pass through engine but when it comes time to replace it does it really matter what type of filter you choose? Aren't all filters basically same?Some nice features of this brand's filters are good airflow high filtering efficiency and reduced intake noise then I tried same test on old paper filter with air filter (compressor) & an old oil filter same brand as old one using this brand's filters to replace old or worn air filters would further improve fuel efficiency and ensure reduced emissions as there would be better combustion inside engine.

Willis Diruzzo
Willis Diruzzo

Typical sushi enthusiast. Infuriatingly humble music geek. Typical internetaholic. Subtly charming social media maven. Lifelong bacon buff.