air filter question

[gjacobs]

When I got my '03 about 6 months ago the air filter gauge read about 60%. So I replaced it with a Fram and after a month or so showed %70-80 plugged up. So I bought a amsoil filter, after about 2 weeks the filter minder was at about 20% and now back to 60-70%, even after resetting it. I pulled it out and you can not really even tell that it is dirty. All I do is run down the freeway, not much dirt but fuel milage is going down. Is there something to do about this, and what is your opinion of the best aftermarket air intake and price if you know it.

Thanks,

George

 

[ScottBrown]

I believe there was a TSB on the filter minder on the 03

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html

 

[LHallmark]

Not sure about the 3rd gen trucks ... . Had the same problem on my 2nd gen, even changed to a K&N and still had the problem. After considerable thought and reading I realized that the intake to the filter was to small, causing the turbo/engine combination to pull more air than the filter could get. I then drilled four 1 1/2" holes on the input side of the filter box..... no more vacuum reading on the filter minder..... even uphill under load. Filter seems to dirty up a little faster and I am getting under hood air into the input of the filter. However I have noticed no loss in boost due to higher temps... ... . and the dirtier the filter gets the better it filters... ... until the filter minder shows a vacumn. Then it's cleaning time.