Cabin Filter Test - No Filter, Purolator Carbon, Wix Stock and K&N

[awd.nv]

Summer is here and I wanted to see which filter allowed for most airflow. Noticed a reduction when I went to a carbon one in the winter due to the truck smelling like shop from being there 2 months. The Purolator Boss did a great job with the smell but lowered output over the stock one. So, here we are....

Put the truck in Max AC then adjusted the speed of the blower (vent still closed). I used a cheap meter from Amazon so the only thing this should be at least good for is comparison.

I used the vent to the right of the head unit and tried to place the meter in the same spot which was in the center of the vent.

The measurement is Feet Per Minute.

All filters are new, part numbers below.

Purolator Boss PBC35519
Wix WP10410
K&N VF2052


Day 1

Blower Speed (Max AC)

2

4

6

7

No Filter	610	787	1043	1298
Purolator Boss (carbon)	511	649	885	1102
Wix (Stock Style)	550	708	944	1121
K&N	570	728	944	1141

Being surprised by the numbers I tried a second day, adjusting the vent a little for best airflow, got these numbers.

Day 2

Blower Speed (Max AC)	2	4	6	7
No Filter	629	787	1082	1613
Wix	570	728	944	1397
K&N	570	728	964	1476

Thoughts:
I really do not think the K&N is worth it from a performance stand point, sure you can wash it but be ready to let it sit outside the box a day or two as it does have a funny smell.

That said, I am going to run it today and maybe over the weekend to see if I notice anything but I doubt it since I usually run the AC at max on speed 6 in the summer. The wild card is that if I put it in Auto, I noticed sometimes it does a speed 6.5, so here the K&N MIGHT make a difference. We'll see.

Another wild card, if the K&N is washed of whatever oils they come with, put in dry, it could work even better. So I may try that eventually.

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[Jamie Jack]

It bears repeating that the K and N cabin filter is not approved by K and N to function correctly unless it has been washed with their cabin filter wash product, and re-coated with their cabin filter distillate.

More succinctly, it does not actually filter the air if it is "washed and put in dry", so why are you considering it? In order to test any product for comparison purposes, they must be utilized as per the manufacturers instructions.

 

[RedDakooter05]

I used the K&N for my ranger just for better air flow and its washable. I could definitely feel the increase in flow on my hands


As for the smell, I just kept my windows down while the blower was going for a day or two.

 

[awd.nv]

I used the K&N for my ranger just for better air flow and its washable. I could definitely feel the increase in flow on my hands


As for the smell, I just kept my windows down while the blower was going for a day or two.

Driving around with it today, I can only feel it on max speed, which is welcome when I start the truck since it's 91F today.

Looking forward to washing it and trying it with no sprays on it. Thinking it will flow better.

Compared to the carbon filter though, wix and k&n flow noticably better.

 

[harringtondav]

Dang, I thought I was precise. I replaced mine because of ongoing mouse nests above the filter. I bought the most expensive I could find at O'reilys. None of the above.
I intentionally botched the airflow a bit by shaving a bar of Irish Spring with a micro grater and sprinkled the top of the filter with the soap fines.
Cools well enough in hot weather, and the cab smells really nice.
FYI, if you haven't changed your filter yet, I suggest watching a YouTube first. There is a spring damper under the dash that limits the full opening of the glove box that needs to be released. I didn't know this and ham handed the door full down. ...thinking I broke something.

 

[RedDakooter05]

Driving around with it today, I can only feel it on max speed, which is welcome when I start the truck since it's 91F today.

My ranger was similar like that, I barely felt anything unless I had it on high setting but then it would be too loud. Oddly the K&N filter did quiet it down some.

Waiting for them to get back in stock for my frontier.

shaving a bar of Irish Spring with a micro grater and sprinkled the top of the filter with the soap fines.
Cools well enough in hot weather, and the cab smells really nice.

I may try this, my truck gets a stank after using the AC... Though I suspect the drain line is clogged.

 

[awd.nv]

My ranger was similar like that, I barely felt anything unless I had it on high setting but then it would be too loud. Oddly the K&N filter did quiet it down some.

Waiting for them to get back in stock for my frontier.

With the carbon Purolator filter that was what would happen in the truck too, you could almost hear the blower motor working but less air than the normal stock style filters.

At lower fan speeds we can see the Wix did well against the K&N but the K&N does pull ahead at speed 7, slightly at 6. Still have the k&n in there for now.

It bears repeating that the K and N cabin filter is not approved by K and N to function correctly unless it has been washed with their cabin filter wash product, and re-coated with their cabin filter distillate.

More succinctly, it does not actually filter the air if it is "washed and put in dry", so why are you considering it? In order to test any product for comparison purposes, they must be utilized as per the manufacturers instructions.

The product was already tested properly, right out of the box. Testing without oils to see if airflow improves is scientific.

Simply put, I primarily care about air flow. I want a filter in there to keep the larger stuff out of the evap and heater core.

 

[Dereku]

I just took mine out and it was gross. 100k of nastiness in there. Ill get the cheapest replacement on my next rockauto order. But it flows great now.

 

[Sarge104]

I just took mine out and it was gross. 100k of nastiness in there. Ill get the cheapest replacement on my next rockauto order. But it flows great now.

I've always switched out my cabin/engine air filter on every other oil change. I drive gravel roads frequently so it definitely helps keep crap from getting further in the engine/cabin.

My replacements have always been blue line replacements from Carquest/Advance Auto and I've not noticed any air flow restriction.

 

[rbern]

After a few filters I got sick of buying new one so I decided to go with the k&n. Right away I noticed that there was a lot more air flow on low speed which sometimes is nice but a lot of times I wish it would go lower speed first time I washed it I noticed that funky smell thought I did something wrong I rewashed it. So good to know that it does have a funky smell for a while I will leave it out a little extra long hopefully that funky smell goes away I tried spraying it with some black cherry bomb that you make air fresheners out of not sure if that helped or not.

 

[got3fords]

Dang, I thought I was precise. I replaced mine because of ongoing mouse nests above the filter. I bought the most expensive I could find at O'reilys. None of the above.
I intentionally botched the airflow a bit by shaving a bar of Irish Spring with a micro grater and sprinkled the top of the filter with the soap fines.
Cools well enough in hot weather, and the cab smells really nice.

My Irish Spring story, I was having mouse issues in my shed and they ate a hole in my Harley seat. My wife told me she saw the Irish Spring trick, so I decided to try it. Shaved up an entire bar all around the inside of the shed. A couple of days later I went to get the Harley out, and those little bastards gathered up a bunch of the soap shavings and put them in a nice pile on the side of Harley's engine! And not where I could easily just brush them off.
Irish Spring does not repel mice.

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