Does High-Performance Filtration Really Make a Difference?
Whether you drive a Volkswagen GTI, an Audi S4, or some other VW or Audi vehicle, you could be leaving performance gains on the table by using a stock engine air filtration system.
You’ve heard it before from so-called “car guys” and probably other sites like ours: if you want to maximize your Volkswagen or Audi’s performance, you need to upgrade from stock.
But who do you trust? Is it really worth the extra cost to upgrade from stock for “simple” parts like oil filters and air filters?
What is Performance Filtration, Anyway?
Performance filtration is about maximizing air or oil flow while sacrificing the least possible filtration, and ensuring dependability and long life.
Oil filters and air filters are two very distinct parts that serve unique purposes. While this blog post mostly centers around performance air filtration, we will briefly cover the importance of upgraded oil filters too, in case you came here looking for that information.
Air Filtration
What Do Engine Air Filters Do?
If engine oil filters help keep oil clean, engine air filters help keep the air clean before combustion.
Your VW or Audi engine needs oxygen for combustion to happen. Think about the last time you built a bonfire and blew on it to get it started. Now consider the difference between fanning the fire vs. blowing on it with a little more intensity.
Performance air filters work kind of like this. Stock air filters are designed and engineered to provide maximum filtration at a low cost. This means that they are pretty restrictive, being designed to offer maximum filtration and protect the engine above all else. Makes sense, right? But what happens when you start making changes to your car?
Maybe you’ve already tuned your VW or Audi and have either started making other mods like an upgraded turbocharger or supercharger, or a performance exhaust system.
If this is the case, you should, at a bare minimum, upgrade your air filter. That being said, a cold air intake (which will include an upgraded filter) is a far superior option with maximum flow and great induction noise that really makes driving more fun.
Dry vs. Oiled Air Filters
Most stock VW air filters are what are called dry air filters.
Dry air filters are best for street driving as well as high-dust environments (such as if you live in the desert). This is because they naturally filter more particles than an oiled air filter with less maintenance. The trade off is low flow rates, robbing power.
Most performance air filtration systems utilize what’s called an oiled air filter (not to be confused with an engine oil filter). Oiled air filters are often made with a material that naturally allows for more airflow, but that also means that more particles can get into the engine. To make up for this, oiled air filters contain a thin layer of oil that traps this particulate matter.
What that means is when properly maintained, oiled air filters can be reused for longer than dry air filters, which are generally not reusable. Oiled air filters also offer improved airflow, often at the expense of improved filtration compared to dry air filters.
Oil Filtration
What Do Engine Oil Filters Do?
As your Audi or VW engine uses oil to keep engine-critical components lubricated and cool, the oil collects contaminants as byproducts of combustion. It’s the job of your engine oil filtration system to keep the engine oil clean and free from contaminants. This serves a few purposes. Not only does it prevent unnecessary engine wear, but it also ensures that combustion is as efficient as possible.
When is an Upgraded Oil Filter a Good Idea?
Most upgraded aftermarket oil filters are designed to filter more effectively and efficiently than OE filters. More importantly, though, they are almost always composed of a filter surrounded by a metal housing, offering more durable housing for enhanced protection.
There are plenty of high quality filters made by reputable companies such as Mann or Mahle which are better constructed, more durable, and offer better filtration than OEM products.
Making the Right Choice for Your VW or Audi
So, should you upgrade to a high-performance filtration system? Here are the benefits of doing so for performance oil filters and air filters, respectively.
Reasons to Upgrade to a Performance Oil Filter
- More Efficient Filtration: Performance oil filters do a more effective and thorough job of filtering contaminants, keeping engine oil cleaner.
- Enhanced Durability: The exterior housing of performance oil filters usually provides more robust protection versus stock filters.
- Better Able to Protect the Engine: Maintain cleaner oil and protect your engine better with a high-performance oil filter.
Reasons to Upgrade to a Performance Air Filter
- More Airflow & Better Performance: Performance air filters are designed to maximize airflow compared to stock filters, improving combustion efficiency and allowing for enhanced performance.
- Reusability: In most applications, oiled air filters can be reused for longer than dry air filters, offering long-term cost savings and a longer life.
- Optimized for Performance Mods & Harsh Driving Conditions: High-performance air filters are a must for vehicles with cold air intakes, turbochargers, superchargers, performance exhaust systems, and other performance mods.
Dive Deep with Integrated Engineering
Before making bolt-on mods to your Audi or VW that are best done with performance filtration upgrades, you’ll need to complete a Level 1 tune, otherwise known as an ECU tune.
At Integrated Engineering, we have a passion for helping Audi and VW enthusiasts make the most out of their cars, and we offer one of the easiest systems to tune your vehicle on the market.
Discover our software tuning solutions now.