Premature clogging of air filter

[Mr.Goat]

We have been having some serious winter here lately so I've been driving in alot of fluffy snow of various depths. The light snow swirls around the truck like dust.

I started loosing power gradually the other day. It seemed like she was starving for air. So I stopped and popped the cover off the air filter. Sure enough there was 2 1/2" of densely packed snow frozen to the filter, the bottom of the filter box also full of snow. There was none in the tunnel leading to the filter box. The engine was working hard enough to draw in air that it had deformed the filter. It was amazing the engine even ran.



So I off to the dealer for a new filter. While there I haul out the service manger and a mechanic to observe the situation. They hadn't run across this problem previously. But thoroughly inspected the truck to see where the entrance to the air tunnel was located. Through poor location it is very easy for the engine to draw in heavily contaminated air thats swirling up from under the truck. They compared mine with other 03's and 04's on the lot, there all the same.



The service manager called the DC tech dept. They are aware there is premature air filter clogging problem. However they state it is an enviromental issue, and therefore not there problem. There suggestion was to replace the air filter more often when driving in poor enviromental conditions.



My dealer was decent, they took the truck in, removed and cleaned the filter box no charge. The mechanic doing the work stated when he was away at DC diesel school last summer they were told if a customer comes in complaining of loss of power. The first thing to check for is a clogged air filter, because of were the air intake is located they suck up alot of road dirt.



Anybody else experiecing any air filter problems? I'am going to have to make some modifications to mine as I can't afford $48 on air filters every couple months.



Comments gentlemen if you please!!

 

[Crunch]

Originally posted by Mr. Goat The mechanic doing the work stated when he was away at DC diesel school last summer they were told if a customer comes in complaining of loss of power. The first thing to check for is a clogged air filter, because of were the air intake is located they suck up alot of road dirt.

I haven't experienced that particular problem, but it may be something that transcends our trucks. I'm on the Safety Committee for a town in North Texas and one of the incidents we reviewed was that of a police officer who trashed a 10-day old Crown Victoria patrol car. Ford lowered the air intake on the `03 Crown Vics and when this officer drove through 15" of standing water it washed over the wheels, up the intake and into the engine, bending some connecting rods. The engine had to be replaced.



Maybe so much is being packed into the engine compartment things like air intakes are located wherever they happen to fit.



Keep us informed if you hear anything else.

 

[jungledave]

Nothing like a quote from RED GREEN. Since I live in Colorado I will keep a good eye on my filter. I did not know how much the filter was cause I have only 3400 miles on my 04, wow $48. I am not much of a K&N fan, but can easily justify not having to keep buying $48 filters. I was thinking of opening up the air box on the engine side and blocking off the inlet with the peice I cut out for the winter, and after hearing your problem it is sounding like a better idea. I realize that this would suck in warmer air but I am not all that concerned with power since I am pretty happy with what it makes now compared to my 02. I guess the 04. 5 has a better box design that may not have this problem but I haven't seeen one myself yet.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"However they state it is an enviromental issue, and therefore not there problem. "



JEEZE - so I guess as long as you don't drive the truck in rain, sunshine, snow or dust, yer OK - otherwise, DC simply writes it off as an "environmental issue, not THEIR problem"... .



I guess that's the latest crutch for bad engineering...



I've drilled a half-dozen 2 inch holes in my airbox, along with the K&N filter - so I draw air from underhood as well as in the fender area as the '02's do - apparently the '03's are still pulling air from the fenderwell? or from the frontal area near the radiator?

 

[bmoeller]

If the '03 and later trucks pull air in from the fenderwell like the 2nd gen trucks, it was problem on my truck also. If they still have a removable piece that fits in between the fenderwell and the air box, I would pull it out. On my truck, water would get in on the filter when it rained. With the BHAF, no more trouble with it.

 

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by jungledave

Nothing like a quote from RED GREEN. Since I live in Colorado I will keep a good eye on my filter. I did not know how much the filter was cause I have only 3400 miles on my 04, wow $48. I am not much of a K&N fan, but can easily justify not having to keep buying $48 filters. I was thinking of opening up the air box on the engine side and blocking off the inlet with the peice I cut out for the winter, and after hearing your problem it is sounding like a better idea. I realize that this would suck in warmer air but I am not all that concerned with power since I am pretty happy with what it makes now compared to my 02. I guess the 04. 5 has a better box design that may not have this problem but I haven't seeen one myself yet.

I'm not sure I'd want warm air drawn into the engine. I believe they're supposed to run off cold air.

 

[Tony T.]

clogged filter!

Mr. Goat I was just curious to know what the filter minder reading showed. Did you happen to notice if it was pegged into the red or not.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"I'm not sure I'd want warm air drawn into the engine. I believe they're supposed to run off cold air. "



Then a LOT of engines that ONLY have underhood aircleaners are in DEEP doo-doo!



On mine, the EXTERNAL air inlet is still functional, I just have added airflow from the additional openings - and MANY users here have BHAF airfilters that do essentially the same thing as far as pulling in underhood air - no problem!

 

[Jeremiah]

Cold v. warm air

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q

"I'm not sure I'd want warm air drawn into the engine. I believe they're supposed to run off cold air. "



Then a LOT of engines that ONLY have underhood aircleaners are in DEEP doo-doo!



On mine, the EXTERNAL air inlet is still functional, I just have added airflow from the additional openings - and MANY users here have BHAF airfilters that do essentially the same thing as far as pulling in underhood air - no problem!

That might be true. I'm getting my info from an aFe rep who said external air is better.

 

[Mr.Goat]

Thanks for the replies. Tony, I never noticed the filter but I'll look next time out.



Have been thinking about getting a AFE - PG7 filter since the latest post's on these after market filters rate it as the best one from what I've read thus far. And of course it's washable, no more paying DC $48 a crack.

Does the AFE filter draw it's air from the fender well area? Or does it draw under hood air? Why does the diesel reguire cold air as it obviously can not get it in the warm weather?



This is where mine at present draws it's air from. There's a large cavity behind the front bumper and the front wheel well liner. The air intake at present is at the top of this cavity. There is no removable tube betwwen the air box and the fender well as on the 2nd gen. Pete

 

[rbattelle]

Could we come up with a intake with a trap at the bottom (similar to what you have on a sink drain) that's open to atmosphere? This would allow heavy stuff like water and snow to drop through without being sucked in?



Or maybe we should all get snorkel kits?

 

[jungledave]

I just figured if I cut a hole on hte engine side than maybe it wouldn't idle up to 1000 as often on really cold days. Just in front of the air box is a between the rad and support that should still let in cold air when driving at highway speed but not a pure cold inlet as the air would be a little of both i figure. Yea hybrid air! I don't know anything about the AFE filter so I guess I'll have to learn.

 

[Dean Upson]

Re: Cold v. warm air

Originally posted by Jeremiah

That might be true. I'm getting my info from an aFe rep who said external air is better.

I don't know much about physics, but cold air is denser than warm air. It would stand to reason that cold unexpanded air would be more efficiently compressed by the turbo, more power, etc.



Dean

 

[jungledave]

add "gap" between "a" and "between" in the second line of my reply. I am a power lineman not a writer.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

external air is better, but if you can't get enough of it, you can pull it from under the hood... I've got an open BHAF under the hood, and it seems to be doing alright.



Forrest

 

[jungledave]

That is true but under hood air in the winter is still probably colder than summer air coming in the fresh air inlet.

Originally posted by Dean Upson

I don't know much about physics, but cold air is denser than warm air. It would stand to reason that cold unexpanded air would be more efficiently compressed by the turbo, more power, etc.



Dean

 

[jakprince]

Since all the air has to go through the intercooler anyway i don't see how it would be a problem with sucking in warm air from under the hood.

 

[lil red cummins]

mr. goat



i had my air filter out at about 200 miles for a look see of the air system and noticed the prefilter mesh already had a light coating of soot or something black like that. i figured it was part of the exhaust that comes towards the front of the truck when idling. i am one of those that has bad exhaust fumes in the cab when idling at a light. i have got used to switching the system to "recirc" when coming to a light. my guess is the same stuff is getting in the air filter.



guess its time for an intake bomb!!!!

jim

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Originally posted by jakprince

Since all the air has to go through the intercooler anyway i don't see how it would be a problem with sucking in warm air from under the hood.

the cooler/denser the air going into the intercooler, the cooler/denser the air coming out of the intercooler...



Forrest

 

[rbattelle]

It's certainly true that colder air is better for the turbo (the compressor). You'll get better efficiency, higher mass flow (due to the increased density), and higher pressure ratio.



As an aside, the interesting thing is, warmer air is better for the engine! I know this sounds backwards, but think about it... a warmer air charge in the cylinder will tend to decrease ignition lag, which decreases rate of pressure rise (which reduces knock).