Denso air filter worth the price?

[Hollow]

Going on about 30k miles, about due for a new air filter. The current STP filter isn't holding up as well as previous Fram or Wix I have had, so I'm going to change it earlier than normal.

The Fram filter is about $15.
The Denso is about $32. Any reason to go this route. Plan to run for 30k-50k miles.

 

[bigt61]

I'd blow out the old filter with an air compressor, put some grease around the seal and reuse it. Unless it was really nasty. Here in the DC area air filters are going 50k easy. If you have to spend money, buy the Fram and put the other $17 into an investment account.

 

[Voltmaster]

DO NOT USE AIR COMPRESSOR!

it will damage the media. The denso filters are very think and well build I dont think it make sense to pay 30 for them when you can get pod filter from AFe for similar pricing and K&N for not that much more.


I'd buy fram or something else and wait for a deal. I was able to get AFe Magma ultra flow filter for 12 bucks shipped to my house on amazon. Its basicly a life filter for my car at this point.

One of those reusble filters can be washed and oiled a few times and it comes pre-oiled.

Which means you can get about 100k from one no problem.

 

[Hollow]

aFe doesn't make a reusable filter for my car.

K&N...no thanks. Ran them before, and never saw any benefit.

Will stick to a good replaceable filter, I usually change about every 50k, but this STP filter isn't sealing correctly anymore.

I'd get an Amsoil EAA if one was made for my vehicle.

 

[Quest]

IMHO Denso and Toyo Roki filters are worth the extra money spent.

I would not hesitate to use them until they are no longer avail for my cars.

Q.

 

[tenderloin]

How long does it take you to reach 30,000 miles? If a few years get the one you want to try. $15 difference over 2-3 years is not even worth discussing IMO.

 

[Hollow]

2-3 years currently, but that could change easily.

I'm just trying to see if there is any reason the Denso is twice the price. It doesn't seem to be a "special" filter. No mention of reusable, synthetic media, other buzzwords.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
I'd blow out the old filter with an air compressor, put some grease around the seal and reuse it. Unless it was really nasty.


This is a recipe to damage the filter media and have the compressed seal let dirt in.

50k is easy on a good air filter but only if you leave it alone! Once it's out of the box, the compressed seal never works as well as a new one no matter how much grease you goop on it.

Blowing it out with an air compressor is a good way to blast lots of holes in the media (to simulate a K&N, perhaps?). If you're really cheap, vacuum it from the dirty side but don't expect the seal to work particularly well a second time.

If I were the OP, I'd install a filter minder and use the Denso filter. You might be surprised how much life you get out of the filter before it needs to be changed.

 

[dparm]

Never blast the filter. You can tap it to dislodge any large particles, but that's it. The filters actually work better with a bit of obstruction, so don't assume dirt = bad.

 

[Rolla07]

Get the fram.

 

[Jim Allen]

Any of the premium off-the shelf filters. Look for one that fits and seals the best. Since that aspect is often very application-specific, you will probably have to look at several to see which one fits & seals the best. There is very little to choose between the premium off-the-shelf pieces as far a the media goes... though that is not going to be 100 percent true in all cases. I suggest opening some boxes, looking at the sealing method and the amount and type of media.

I third, or fourth, the "no-blow" advice. Quick way to ruin a filter. You can get away with that on some industrial/ag filters but many PC/LT filters are not robust enough. You can damage the fibers and decrease efficiency and the damage may not be visible. Plus, as stated above, the filter gets more efficient as it loads up. The generic stat is that an air filter will pass half of the lifetime amount of dirt in the first 10 percent of use as it loads up and gets 2-3% more efficient. If you wonder how much that might be... the average filter is around 93% efficient on fine dust. a premium fitelr is iin the 97-98% range and can get into 99% after loading.

Code:


For Every 10 Pounds of Dust Drawn Into the Air Filter Inlet:



EFFICIENCY OF FILTER DUST INTO ENGINE



99.95% 0.005 lbs.

99% 0.10 lbs.

95% 0.50 lbs.

90% 1.0 lbs.


The best way to know when the optimal point to change the filter is via a restriction gauge (google Filterminder). You can't tell much by looking oftentimes.

 

[Pajero]

I only use Denso air filters in my Montero. They are worth the extra$$$$$$

Im sure you can find them cheaper on the internet. I use Mitsu

for all my parts. At times, stealer parts are cheaper than NAPA. But I only used OEM parts for piece of mind..

Good luck sir

 

[CELICA_XX]

I hate Rock-Auto, but they sometimes have the lowest price on the Denso filters. (although you pay full price for shipping)

 

[afoulk]

holy cow, thats expensive. The factory Denso filter for my Scion is only $12 or $13 from my local toyota dealer. I havn't found an aftermarket filter that fits and seals as good as the Denso in my car.

 

[Jim Allen]

Hollow- Not sure I have seen the Denso. Is it a lofted "fuzzy" media? If so, it could be a depth style synthetic fiber media and that type offers a lot of extra capacity and possibly efficiency vs ordinary cellulose. Sometimes better flow as well. It might be worth the extra money because you can safely use it a LOT longer. I have 60K on that type of filter in my Honda and it hasn't moved the restriction gauge at all yet (so it's below 5" of water restriction even at WOT).

 

[Hollow]

Jim,

This is the Denso for my application. Can't find efficiency % or media type anywhere though.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2141414&cc=1418161

 

[Jim Allen]

Actually, sounds like a composite media or a multi-layer synthetic. Either way, it's probably a good filter. Maybe a very good one. Whether it's good for you will depend on how you utilize it's goodness. It's a long-haul filter and you won't recover your value in performance unless you use it longer than you might be tempted. Until the filter gets restricted enough to cause a drop in performance, it's better not to change it. Fuel economy is virtually unaffected on EFI engines until the filter is severely restricted to the point where performance is massively impacted... and then only by a coupla percent.

I guess the bottom line is that unless you will run the Denso for 60-80K, or as indicated by a restriction gauge if you live in a dirty-air area, better to go with the cheaper filter.

 

[DVE]

Denso is a member of Toyota group companies. Denso for my 04 Sienna is made in USA and one for my 2000 Altima in Japan, go figure. What makes me bit nervous about the one for Sienna is the no rubber/foam gasket. Can it possibly draw moisture or get wet? I am sure that the last thing Toyota wants and designs are insufficient air filters.

 

[CarbonSteel]

How about a NAPA Gold Filter ?

I ran Motorcraft in my FX4 for a while, but the NAPA filters sealed much better and my silicon levels dropped from 19-20PPM to about 11-12PPM.

 

[901Memphis]

I was going to recommend you a PureOne filter, but it seems they only make it for the H6 from that year not the 4 cycl.

I am very fond of my PureOne air filter, it seems to be top notch.