Honda air filter images - what would you do here?

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seekingbuddha

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Nov 2, 2014
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SF bay area, CA
Here are the images of my 2008 civic, OEM air filter. This filter has 25K - 45K miles on it; i really forget the exact milage. I was about to replace it today, when i noticed that one side of the filter was near new in condition. I have shown the dirty side as well as the clean side in images, taken in bright sunlight, with my cellphone.

I opened up the foldings on the clean side to check deep inside in the crack. It is clean all the way through and there is nothing in the crevice. So, i started considering washing this filter and reusing it. I know the filter is only $25 to buy, but why waste money, if this has life in it still ? Being a californian, i try to recycle everything possible :) I am not even sure if this filter has an oil coating (and thus, can not be washed). The car is in San Francisco bay area, and it is not being driven in dusty conditions - it goes only about 10 miles a day.

Images of my current air filter - both sides


Based on the air filter review i have seen on bobistheoilguy.com, i am considering Baldwin air filter for a replacement of this one, as it has done better than the OEM honda filter. In some other websites, i have seen the mention of honda OEM being superior to anything else. The pictures of Baldwin that i have seen in this forum are not as impressive compared to the honda OEM filter that i see in my car currently (It has the name FILTECH printed on it, as you can see in the image).

In case i have to replace, i would like comments from those of you who have used a Baldwin air filter before. Did you check it to see how it performed over time compared to your OEM filters ?
 
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It is never recommended to clean an air filter that is disposable. If you use compressed air you could enlarge the pores or cause holes that reduce the efficiency. If there is no visible particles that will fall out there's nothing to clean.

Since it's already been disturbed I would probably just replace it with an oem filter which typically have the best efficiency.

Have you considered a filter minder? K&N makes a really nice 15 inch restriction gauge perfect for small gas engines. Without a restriction gauge you have no idea how dirty the filter really is. It's pretty much impossible to look at an air filter and say that it needs to be changed.
 
The clean side (engine side) of the filter is supposed to be perfectly clean, if it is dirty then it is not doing its job.

Install a filter minder and never attempt to clean an air filter.
 
A new OE unit is about $20 and an aftermarket one is around $10. Just buy a new one.


Don't forget the cabin filter as well.
 
I'd go with factory OE air filter for Honda.

oil filter, I use Toyo Roki for Honda.

I don't necessarily buy into those "aftermarket air filter always excel in terms of filtering performance over the original factory OE spec'ed ones...blah..blah". Whenever possible, I'd go with factory for Honda and toy.

cabin filter is a different story...it's not required to filter into the micron or sub-micron level, just to trap large airborne debris. I use TYC.

Q.
 
Thanks for all your replies. (Special thanks to Memphis and Darwin). I have done enough reading to feel comfortable with the OEM air filter. In the past i have installed cheap filters (like fram etc.) since i never bothered to do spend enough time studying car maintanence.

Compared to what i have installed in the past, the OEM honda filter gave me a pleasant shock when i saw it first. The quality has visual impact. This is my first post here, and i am happy to be part of this forum. I will install a filter minder, as per suggetion.
 
Originally Posted By: seekingbuddha
Thanks for all your replies. (Special thanks to Memphis and Darwin). I have done enough reading to feel comfortable with the OEM air filter. In the past i have installed cheap filters (like fram etc.) since i never bothered to do spend enough time studying car maintanence.

Compared to what i have installed in the past, the OEM honda filter gave me a pleasant shock when i saw it first. The quality has visual impact. This is my first post here, and i am happy to be part of this forum. I will install a filter minder, as per suggetion.


Make sure to get the K&N filter minder, i normally don't recommend ANY of their products since they stopped making oil filters in the USA and outsourced them Mexico/Korea, and their cotton gauze filter has abysmal efficiency, but their filter minder is the best in my opinion, since it is the most sensitive. Wix makes a nice one but the sensitivity is too large and won't ever show restriction on a 4 cylinder engine.

The K&N goes up to 15 inches of H20, while the Wix and many others are around 25 inches of H20.


Be prepared to wait years to change your air filter, as many people easily get 60k+ miles once you have the filter minder installed and realize the restriction is very low. Most people end up changing after 5 years or more just to make sure the gasket is good.

Also Fram air filters are typically top notch as long as you get one of the made in America ones. Most all of their filters are top notch except the rare exceptions when they don't make the model or have to meet demand and end up buying from a Chinese company, this has happened before but most are good stuff. I still prefer OEM if possible since they typically exceed 98% efficiency or higher, while many others won't even post efficiency.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I've got a 2007 Civic and use Purolator / Fram air filters.

Both brands are low cost, high quality.


X2 on the Purolator in a Civic..happy with quality.
 
I have one from Filter Minder that goes to 25", I have 90k miles(3 1/2 years) on my S2000 cone filter and will change it out this Spring. I'm over 8" but under 11" right now but I think it will get to 15" this Winter. Once the filter starts to load up it goes up pretty fast. I didn't need to spend the extra money for the K&N as my gauge has stops at 8", 11", 15", 22" and 25". Just because the gauge goes to 25" doesn't mean you have to wait till it gets to 25" to change the air filter.

I just saw that in this pic from Filter Minder the restriction gauge is at 15" and that is when I'll change mine out.
http://www.filterminder.com/filter-minder®-indicators/filter-minder-grommet-mount-indicator.html

ROD
 
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