blacksheepSpyder

Did the oil change today and replaced the air-cleaners...

I was shocked at how dirty the air-cleaners were.

I recommend getting washable and rechargeable air-cleaners and doing them every time you change your oil.

Also I think that all the pretty stuff in the rear trunk may eventually end up in a box on the shelf to make maintenance easier...

Marine Blue

Interesting to hear that the air cleaner was dirty at 6k miles. I haven't changed mine yet at 14k miles, sounds like something I'll need to do soon. Any pics of the dirty filter?

danschy

I'm assuming filter change interval has more to do with the conditions you drive in, rather than the car. Lots of dusty roads probably require more frequent interval. I've typically replaced mine in the various cars I've maintained per the recommendation, and they usually come out clean enough to make me think I'm wasting my money changing them. Haven't yet changed my Cayman's - about 8k miles since l had it changed.

blacksheepSpyder

I have been working on my own cars for about 35 years and I have had lots of them and put lots and lots of miles on them.

Ohio is not a dusty place, very green and humid.

All that being said. I was shocked at the debris that were not only in the filters, leaves, bees, sticks, small stones, etc., in the scoops. This thing sucks air!

Do what you want. I was just posting my opinion, based on my experience.

danschy

Perhaps sucking air in the sides picks up more road dust than through the front grill in a typical car, since the intake trails the front tires (although this is not a complaint I've heard before). Shortly after getting my 07 Cayman I put grills in the front radiator openings and side scoops to keep some of the debris out. Of course that also makes it harder to clean out the things that do get past the grills. When I bought the car (7 yrs old w/40k miles) the front radiator openings had an amazing amount of trash in them, so presumable the prior owner did not clean them. I've gotta pull the engine cover off to top off my PS fluid - maybe I'll check the air cleaner if I"m ambitious.

terbiumactivated

I have this to add: I changed the front bumper cover on my 986, it had debris blocking a little of the bottoms of the radiators that could not be seen from the outside. Still, I'd be less than enthusiastic about taking off my spider cowl for simple cleaning.

Ddesimone17

So which air filters would you guys suggest for 981 spyder n why

Stock , K&N , BMC ?

danschy

Have you seen this video - ? Looks like lots of stuff between the radiator and condenser(?) which would be impossible to remove from the front without taking off the bumper. I'm trying not to think about that.

blacksheepSpyder

I used K&N, I know lots of people hate them, but I don't.

One thing you HAVE to do in my experience, I used them on many cars over the years, Like my modified GTP or my modified 03 Cobra, is

When you clean them and oil them make sure they are dry before putting them back in!

One thing it said in the Spyder owners manual my wife thought was funny was

"don't toss objects out the window as they can be sucked in the intake openings"

Ddesimone17

K & n Any issues w fittment and do they come pre oiled new

blacksheepSpyder

fit great and yes pre oiled new.

terbiumactivated

BMC fits great appears to be about the same as K&N

BoulderGeek

FWIW, just my experience: I had installed a BMC pre-oiled filter when I did my IPD plenum and GT3 TB in my 987.1 Cayman S.

It took a few months, but eventually I got engine codes and MAF warnings. I'd reset them and they would come back.

I cleaned my MAF element a couple of times, and eventually they went away.

Now, I don't actually suspect that they are related, but whenever I am at 3000 RPM in traffic for more than a few seconds, if I lift off the throttle at a cruise, I get dual "Bank 0/1 Lean Off Idle" messages. It's just interesting that I get codes dealing with air flow measuring after my MAF got dirty from new oiled filter.

I have a new MAF to put in whenever I feel motivated. I'll see if the problem persists after that.

Just saying that the BMC filter works well. I felt zero improvement with it. And had to clean my MAF. It's still in my car, though.

Spokayman

Ive read too many stories about fouled MAFs with oiled filters so I use stock/OEM paper filters on my '06 CS and '09 Boxster, and I find that the engine air filter should be changed at about 12-15K miles and the cabin air filter at about 8-10K miles.
Paper filters are not that expensive online.
I agree with others that the dustyness of the environment really seems to determine the intervals.

Ddesimone17

Have to give you a big thank you black sheep. Changed my filters over the weekend went k
& N

I just turned 5 k miles this wkend and filters were nasty. And the car only sees sunny days when all grit is picked up . I was very surprised!