Wet air filter

RFCRD · **Posted:** Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:53 pm

greiswig wrote:

I just took a trip over Thanksgiving, but after removing only the hose that connects the filter housing to the front of the grill. I can't seem to find a V-6 filter assembly in a local boneyard, but I knew I was heading into some wet weather on the Oregon coast. It has actually been too wet to expect the water in the bottom of the housing to evaporate, so I don't know whether what is there is just remnant, or it is still inhaling water. But my mileage went up by 2-3 MPG on the highway relative to other recent trips. This is using fuel from the same source.

I found the water pool in the bottom as just a symptom. The real problem is the wet air stream sucking into the filter before it has any chance of falling out to the bottom. If you can't find a V6 airbox, the internal baffle set-up I installed has been working fine for several months. I even opened it up some more by added a couple extra rows of holes without any wet filter problems. Strongly recommend this if you need to fix this problem on the cheap.

greiswig · **Posted:** Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:41 pm

RFCRD wrote:

I found the water pool in the bottom as just a symptom. The real problem is the wet air stream sucking into the filter before it has any chance of falling out to the bottom.

That was kind of my point...that the water droplets suspended in the air are liable to cause problems with the MAF. Even if they initially are trapped by the filter, air flowing over the filter will re-atomize the water on the other side and you'll now have filtered droplets making their way to the MAF. So yes, the water on the bottom is just a symptom of the system inhaling water, and perhaps your solution works well to keep it off the filter. There seem to be some other advantages to the V-6 assembly, though.

RFCRD · **Posted:** Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:06 pm

So I better understand your theory: Fuel delivery (fuel quantity, injector timing, and injector pulse-width) is effected by the temperature of the air passing the MAF. The colder the air, the more fuel that gets delivered. This may also be adversly effected by by abrupt irregularities in MAF cooling caused by damp/wet air that get past the air filter, fooling the EMC into thinking the intake air temp is fluctuating or just colder than actual?

This would definately explain why I can drive this thing like it's stolen all day long when it's dry & 90* and get 28 mpg, while the mileage drops-off sharply during the 45* rain/fog mix. Wonder if MrMopar is watching this and can comment?

greiswig · **Posted:** Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:06 pm

RFCRD wrote:

So I better understand your theory: Fuel delivery (fuel quantity, injector timing, and injector pulse-width) is effected by the temperature of the air passing the MAF. The colder the air, the more fuel that gets delivered. This may also be adversly effected by by abrupt irregularities in MAF cooling caused by damp/wet air that get past the air filter, fooling the EMC into thinking the intake air temp is fluctuating or just colder than actual?

This would definately explain why I can drive this thing like it's stolen all day long when it's dry & 90* and get 28 mpg, while the mileage drops-off sharply during the 45* rain/fog mix. Wonder if MrMopar is watching this and can comment?

You're close: my theory is that it's not so much the air temperature as it is the water droplets in the air which cause the problems. Water in any form other than a complete vapor which lands on the MAF will remove heat from the MAF hot wire as it evaporates off, which the ECU might "see" as being a lot of air.

In theory, the MAF should be affected relatively little by changes in air temperature.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:25 pm

I installed the '02 airbox, air tube, and rain deflector, took all of 10 minutes. The new box came with a airfilter, good thing because my old filter was really nasty from road crap and deformed from water.

The '02 box seem to fit in the area better and it was easier to get the lid on the filter. It seems to lean back a little further or is not quite as tall, even a 1/2" would have made the difference.

Don't ask about price as I get special pricing with turn in of the CRD box to the dealer. Ok it was less then $100 for the works.

greiswig · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:15 pm

oldnavy wrote:

Don't ask about price as I get special pricing with turn in of the CRD box to the dealer. Ok it was less then $100 for the works.

Hmmmm...I've got another one you could trade in for the 2002 gas parts. :wink:

retmil46 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:05 pm

Do a google search on used auto parts, will turn up several search websites. Put in the info on what you're looking for, and you get quotes back via e-mail from boneyards all over the country that have what you're looking for. In my case, got quotes ranging from $60 to $140 for a complete airbox, went with one for $90 as they stated up front they would replace the item if it turned out to be defective.

Found out that here in NC at least O'Reillys Auto Parts stocks honest-to-god Wix filters. Stopped by the one in Statesville last Saturday and they pulled a Wix oil filter for the 300D right off the shelf. They also stock Mobil 1 5W40 Turbo Diesel Truck oil, $5.99/quart.

0311_DoC · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:07 pm

Any updates? pros / cons? hows it working for you?

BioJeep · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:26 pm

If you mean the V6 filter assembly, the filter remains visibly much cleaner and was dry in the midst of driving in rain the one time I checked it. No issues with it. I should probably check it in rain another time or two.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:33 pm

Mine lastede for 8 months just fine right up until I traded it off 8 months later.

Hi guys, yes I still hang around some but it has been since before New Years I believe. Got to go and answer a PM.

PS I am crazy but Thinking about buying a Jeep for the wife. Someone stop me please!!!!

bdptp73 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:36 pm

oldnavy wrote:

PS I am crazy but Thinking about buying a Jeep for the wife. Someone stop me please!!!!

Get her a GC diesel. that way you will have the same engine in both of your vehicles.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:41 pm

bdptp73 wrote:

oldnavy wrote:

PS I am crazy but Thinking about buying a Jeep for the wife. Someone stop me please!!!!

Get her a GC diesel. that way you will have the same engine in both of your vehicles.

Sorry but the '05 & '06 MB E320 CDI's are the last of the old in line 6 cylinder engines. The Jeeps use the new V6 diesel.

0311_DoC · **Posted:** Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:23 pm

I installed the V6 air box this morning. I don't see how it gets much air thru the scoop when the hood is closed it is such a small gap if any......

oldnavy · **Posted:** Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:29 pm

0311_DoC wrote:

I installed the V6 air box this morning. I don't see how it gets much air thru the scoop when the hood is closed it is such a small gap if any......

That turbo sucks it in just fine, and that is one of the nice things about a turb.

0311_DoC · **Posted:** Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:32 pm

oldnavy wrote:

0311_DoC wrote:

I installed the V6 air box this morning. I don't see how it gets much air thru the scoop when the hood is closed it is such a small gap if any......

That turbo sucks it in just fine, and that is one of the nice things about a turb.

Very well.. Thanks oldnavy.

UFO · **Posted:** Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:31 pm

0311_DoC wrote:

I installed the V6 air box this morning. I don't see how it gets much air thru the scoop when the hood is closed it is such a small gap if any......

It may be a small gap, but it is very wide. I love how my V6 airbox looks factory...

oh, wait, it IS factory!

retmil46 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:10 pm

On mine, no problems since install. No evidence of water getting inside the airbox, even in a couple torrential downpours so hard I had to slow down to 35 mph on a wide straight 55 mph road. Other than the usual dust/dirt you'd expect after several thousand miles of use, filter looks remarkably clean - no evidence of that black oily gunk that would start building up within the first 1000 miles with the stock intake.

Only mod I've done since the original install was after putting it on the dyno at a TDR event in Sept 07 - after the dyno runs, and a couple WOT trials I did afterward to confirm the results, the Filter Minder vacuum gauge registered it had pulled around 4 to 8 inches H2O vacuum across the filter. That was still with the stock factory tune, no F37, pulling 150 HP at the rear wheels, but with the Suncoast, lift pump, and other serious mods already in place.

On the lower half of the airbox facing the fender, the part with ribs down the side, I drilled a series of 3/8" holes spaced about 2" apart in the channels between the ribs. Perhaps about a dozen total. That looks to have added just enough extra airflow at WOT to prevent pulling a vacuum across the filter, even with going to an Inmotion Stage II tune since then.

Wet air filter

Who is online