Will Oiled Air Filters Contaminate the MAF Sensor?
aFe Oiled Air Filters Will Not Contaminate Your MAF Sensor
If you are wondering if oiled air filters are safe for your engine, or if the filter oil will damage your MAF, you are in the right place. Many enthusiasts know that oiled air filters can deliver better performance, but they fear that the filter oil can damage their MAF Sensor or engine. Although that may be the case with other brands, aFe POWER Oiled Air Filters and Filter Oil are specifically designed to be engine-safe and to avoid damaging your MAF.
What Sets aFe Filter Oil Apart
aFe Oiled Air Filters (that come pre-oiled) are safe for your engine because aFe uses a high-grade proprietary blend of oil with no contaminants that is specifically designed not to damage your MAF. It is the contaminants in other filter oil that cause MAF issues. But with 27 years in business, there have been no problems.
How Does the Oil Work?
Oil causes cotton fibers to swell, trapping debris, and oil acts like a magnet to attract dirt particles, while letting air pass through.
Pro 5R: High-Performance Oiled Air Filter
How to Oil Your Air Filter
We recommend cleaning and re-oiling your filter every 20k-30k miles. Please note that aFe oiled air filters– Pro 5R, Pro 10R, and Pro Guard 7– all come pre-oiled. Click here for the full guides on How to Identify Your Filter and How to Clean Your Air Filter.
Zig-Zag Motion is Recommended
Zig-zag is recommended to coat the filter in the perfect amount of oil, ensure it’s evenly distributed, and prevent over-oiling.
Thin line on the top of the pleats
Aerosol Spray
There’s No Wrong Way
But there’s no wrong way– you can do a thin line on the top of the pleats, or use the aerosol spray.
Either way, make sure to leave a finger’s width (½ inch) from the edge of the filter to give room for the oil to soak in.
Let the Oil Wick
In about 20-30 minutes, the oil should soak into the cotton gauze. If you see white spots, don’t worry, you can always touch up.
It may take a full 24 hours for the cotton to absorb the oil fully.
Don’t Fear “Over-Oiling”
The cotton gauze will absorb its maximum amount of oil– any excess will drip off. If you feel like you’ve over-oiled your air filter, set it up so that the excess can drain onto a paper towel or shop towel. Even if it gets on your engine, because the oil is high-grade and contaminant-free, it won’t do any harm.
Even if you over-oil your filter, you do not need to worry, because with aFe oil and oiled air filters, over-oiling will not damage the MAF sensor or engine.
Because of the nature of this process, many opt to keep a second dry filter on hand to swap out during cleaning and re-oiling, ensuring minimal to no downtime in your vehicle’s driveability.
