Hi all,

I purchased a K&N Air Filter a couple of years back and didn't have any problems with it until recently. The filter itself is fine. However, when you install it (at least on the 2003 model) there are two rubber pieces that go in before the air filter itself does. They get placed in by you with a kind of glue tape. (You strip off the tape from the rubber piece and then attach it). Anyway, I live in Vegas with extreme heat and it apparently heated the glue up to the point where it dried out and the two rubber pieces flew thru the air intake and almost into the engine. Thank god they didn't reach the engine, they just clogged up the air intake (and I couldn't go over about 20 miles and hour). Anyway, you don't really need these two rubber pieces so I'd remove them (or just not install them at all if you haven't install them yet).

Just a warning,
Thomas

 

thanks for the input. i'll take the precaution

Good to hear that luckly your car didn't get damaged

 

You should contact K&N about this. Seems like something they would like to know about.

 

I just purchased the K&N filter last month and installed it..there were no such pieces as described.
Can anyone explain the difference?

 

It could be because mine is a 2003 and I've had mine a while? The rubber piece is about 2x1x8 inches if I had to guess. One for the top and one for the bottom part of the filter. Maybe they stopped putting them in with the filter on the newer model. According to my Nissan dealer you don't need those two pieces anyway.

I'm definitely going to send K&N a letter. Cost me $100 for Nissan to fix that for me.

 

I have a k&N filter and there was only the filter and stickers in the box. No White rubber things..

 

?

 

My car is a 2003.
Whats the K&N part number?

 

mine has the two rubber piece you are talking about.. it still hold in place so far... thanks for the info.

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have been meaning to purchase a Drop in K&N. Did it help any in performance or MPG?

 

Improved air flow...better performance...You probably won't feel much or any difference but your engine will thank you for letting it breathe. LOL

 

What about MPG?

 

Maybe...mine got a little better with a CAI.

 

the real benefit of the K&N is not haveing to replace your air filter every 3000 miles, They say its good up till 50,000 miles. I paid $20 for mine, and OEM filters costing $5 a pop pays for itself in 4 oil changes.

 

Well of course that's assuming that it doesn't get clogged up with the two black pieces.

 

I didn't notice a change.

 

1st version of K&N's had rubber strips for better fitment - newer versions of filters I believe do not need strips

 

Mine didn't have the strips... just the filter and two stickers...

as far as difference? When I first got it I thought it made the car act a little different... I couldn't tell if it was faster or slower but it was different. I would like to do a blind test sometime and see if I could tell which was which... I doubt it was worth the 30-40 or whatever it cost but I got it on an impulse and it lets me add one more thing to my sig.

 

I think I know what you mean. I think the car has to like adjust to the amount of air flow. When I first put my CAI on my car was at such a low idle I thought it was going to stall in neutral. After about 10 minutes of driving it around it adjusted itself or something and is now back to normal.

 

The first K & N filters sold for the 350z weren't designed for the z; it was just a close fit from another car. I'll bet that those rubber things were to prevent air leaking around it. Later versions I'm sure are a perfect fit for the Z, and don't need the rubber things.