s0vietbenz

What is the best air filter for the s500? K&N is a NO NO!

yxc145

what's wrong w/ K&N??? that's what I have..

430

Green Filter appears to be a pretty nice step up from K&N. People also seem to like the ITG filters.

yxc145

so K&N sucks??!!!
shoot!!!! how much does other brands cost? K&N cost about $35 each.

Twinturbo

K&N has good air flow, but is said to let in more dirt. Make your decision, power, or possibly more wear. I don't think there is a filter that has less restriction than K&N, or is there?

yxc145

so My K&N is ok?? How do I check if I actually have the filter installed? I had a tuner did it for me.. But, never actually saw the parts nor gotten my original filter back..

what's this ITG brand? I can't seem to find the right application for my w211.

430

I would not say K&N's suck, they are very good filters. There are much, much worse out in the market place. I just think that there are better choices available.

I would not feel the need to run out and replace the K&N's you already have.

s0vietbenz

I can't use K&N I have them taken out. all w140 s500 don't use K&N oil based filters because they distroy the engine. k&n are good filters just not for my car.

430

I am calling BS on this claim. The K&N filter used on your car is the same K&N (shape is different obviously but the media is the same) as used on countless motors and it does not destroy them. If you have a MAF (mass air flow sensor) the oil can damage the sensor which is not cheap, but it will not destroy the engine.

yxc145

will that happen to my w211?? or am I safe? Hey, do i have to clean the air filter once awhile? how often? do i have to buy special solution for that??

Greg Elmassian

IMHO, K&N is a good filter if properly oiled... too dry and too much dust gets through and wears out the rings early.

Unfortunately, the oiling seems to make the maf fail prematurely.

It could be that there is a good balance between enough oil to filter properly, and not too much so that it gums up the maf...

But, the oiled type filters have a bad rep from dealers, and some people have gotten warranty repairs refused because they used the filter.

If you are out of warranty, and are careful, I think they can be fine, but in warranty, I don't think it's a good gamble, unless you clear it with your dealer first.

Greg

430

If you are careful and practice you can apply just the right about of oil. But it is pretty easy to over oil it.

There is a way to clean the MAF if it gets guncked up. Again you have to be careful and know what you are doing.

If you talk to you dealer just make sure you get everything they say in writing.

sarb

Why risk it with the oil treatment on the filters. BMC used by Ferrari racing teams are oil free.

ITG are good also, but use oil type product.

You know you could forget all this stuff and get better performance with a carbon fiber intake box. Renntech has a great product.

s0vietbenz

which filter fits the W140? I looked to buy bmc or what ever it was and they had air filters for w220 only. I need a w140 s500 air filter. this is really annoying me a bit. I been looking for 4 straight days

430

Are you sure the BMC filters are oil free? If you look at their website they offer a cleaning & oiling kit.

Greg Elmassian

From the BMC site:

"The filtering material is composed of a special cotton gauze soaked with low-viscosity oil to give you the best air permeability."

OK, in the same category as K&N...

Back to paper filters.

Greg

s0vietbenz

so in other words there are no performance air filters that are good for our mercedes benz except for the stock one?

430

I would not agree with that conclusion. You just need to be cognizant of potential problems if you have a MAF.

Best thing to do though would be to test the inches of lift with the stock filter vs. aftermarket filters to get a true measure of how well they flow.

Greg Elmassian

Yep, that's not what I said... for me, I'd try to improve the entire induction system, maybe a different air box would yield the same improvements without going to an oiled filter.

If you use an oiled filter, just be careful.

My comments were based on the original poster's comments about how to tell what is enough oil.

If it's too difficult, then don't do it.

Greg

s0vietbenz

I just got the HiPerformance chip which I would recommend to everyone. anyways It is recommended I get a high performance air filter. Is there any high performance paper air filters? Is there any kind of air filter that fits the w140 mercedes and does not need to be oiled that could ruin the sensor?

430

What are your before and after dyno or 1/4 mile times? I always like to quantify any claimed improvement, esp. on an unknown product.

s0vietbenz

I'm gonna get a dyno soon. I feel the diffrence by just flooring the car tho.

430

Do you have before numbers?

s0vietbenz

here is what it claims to give.

- 27-35 more HP and 30-40 more Torque Ft/lb
- Great acceleration at low RPM (1000-2000)
- Sharpens the throttle response much better than stock. More punching power in 2000-3000 RPM range and up.
- Removes Top Speed Limiter/Governor
- Removes the Upshift Delay during drive on cold start
- Smooth Idle