AFE Filter Ordeal

Back in February I ordered an AFE filter thinking it could save me $ in the long term while increasing performance a bit. Installation was simple but I did struggle to get it to fit in place. It sounded great and performed great. 3 months later I ordered the cleaning kit. Unfortunately here’s where the problems started. The way it was designed made it IMPOSSIBLE to remove. The rubber end piece would just catch on the Airbox and and it managed to rip it. There was absolutely no way to get it out without damaging. I wound up ordering the original Mahle air filter and was happy again, until my check engine light went on. I knew right away there was an issue with the MAF so i removed it and discovered rubber pieces caught in the “cage” area of the MAF. I got these out and sprayed the sensor and after a few drives my light went off. I also want to add that the Mahle filter was super easy to put in and take back out. This process would repeat at least once a week over the course of a month. I wound up having to pick up a code reader just to be sure. And of course it was the MAF. Rubber pieces floating around from the AFE filter. I’m holding off any any kind of mods for a while after this experience. I emailed and called the folks at AFE , explained the situation and their response was that they’d have their engineers look into it. So I’m out spending on an air filter and cleaning kit that’s barely been in use since February 2020. I’m happy to say my check engine light issue has finally resolved (and hopefully will stay that way). The light going off during trips to Los Angeles Crest Highway or Ortega Highway have been unnerving to say the least. I don’t think I’ll do another upgrade again unless it’s genuine Porsche parts. Hopefully some day there’ll be a “Singer” type company dedicated to our cars 😄. I own a 2007 Cayman S with a little over 70k miles. Other than this issue and having to replace a water pump it’s been a dream to drive.

Sorry to hear. Is this the filter you used?

Thank you. Yup that’s the one. The rubber piece at the opposite end is way too big and easily catches the edge of the air box and gets stuck. The original Mahle fit is just perfect.

Oh crap.. I bought the same for my year end servicing. Anyone else face the same issue? @Obagam ... Why did you need to clean it after just 3 months?

I think read somewhere to clean every 3k miles and I was approaching that when I ordered the cleaning kit. There was 1 install tutorial vid which made it easy but there happens to be no “servicing/cleaning” vids on YouTube (I wonder why? 😬🤣). Make your life easy. Stick to the original air filter.

It fits fine, better than the BMC

Funny...I read the BMC fit the best and I was tempted to order one. Yes, it fits when you do the install but it's impossible to take back out and clean without damaging.

The procedure takes patience and experience as it's unconventional, I don't have any problems with either removal or installation.

There was a huge difference in the difficulty to install and remove when comparing with the original Mahle filter. I’d say that’s a big enough red flag on the design for anyone inquiring about these filters. If you read throughout this site about after market air filters in general and you compare the difficulties against the “benefits” they’re not worth the hassle majority of the time.

The shape of the afe is similar to the oem filter. Will just go ahead and try it at the next servicing. I don't reckon I'll be cleaning it every 3 months. Is that the manufacturer requirement? Is yours the oiled or dry variant? I ordered the dry.

The EVOMS filter is far more expensive because of the aluminum machined receptacle, but installs and removes in seconds with no rage or frustration. No broken bits No risk for MAF destruction Worth the few bits more.......[emoji6] Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

I looked up the EVOM filter, it is about $300.00. I will need to do some maintenance like this on my 2009 Boxster 2.9 in the near future. Good thread - it helps me to read the pros/cons and challenges others have had. Tom

I was considering the Evoms as well. If you're going with that, please do post a detailed review. A few posters on the Evoms swear the power bump is real.

I wouldn’t say exactly every 3 months but I did read in the manual from AFE that it was recommended every 3k miles. I got the dry version. The cleaning kit did come with oil but I didn’t use it. I’ve read a lot of issues about oil causing all sorts of MAF issues as well. yes the shape is very similar but as I said the rubber attachment piece is slightly too large which will give you a big headache eventually. I emailed AFE about it so hopefully they’ll be making some changes in the future.

I’ll be looking into this shortly 😁

So while you're on the AFE .. any noticeable difference to OEM paper?

It definitely sounded better and I felt there was smoother power delivery down low in comparison to the Mahle which seems to have more kick at the higher RPM range.

The power bump is bullshit. It sounds better. Its very easy to service and install. The extra grunt makes it sound like its faster..... unless you've done other mods, I can assure you the gains are minimal. This is a sound/service piece of mind investment. Note - I did ecu upgrade, exhaust , air filter, intake plenum and GT3 TB all at once. Now T-h-a-t was a big jump from stock. [emoji41][emoji100] Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

I have the AFE dry filters on my 981 which uses dual cone shaped filters. You are supposed to smear a little bit of synthetic grease around the rubber edge of the filter base on mine. This creates a better seal and lets the filter pop right out when ready to clean. Does the 987 not call for this bit of grease? I had a 987.1 and 2 and never used aftermarket with them and had my dealer or Indy swap out the paper filters for me, so I'm not personally familiar with the process on those models And no, there are no noticeable gains using aftermarket filters. Its all confirmation bias and placebo effect. Gremlins could sneak into the garage of those who claim otherwise and go back to stock and they would never notice the difference. Its like the common de-snorking mod on the 986 -987 models which has also been proven to be worthless in actual data testing despite mythical internet claims otherwise. Any power gains at all would be in the low single digits if anything. You gain more performance than that driving in cooler weather vs Summer heat or a change in lower altitude vs higher due to the air temps or density and automatic ECU timing and fuel adjustments than you will ever gain with aftermarket filters. I do it personally just because they eventually pay for themselves over stock.

987 one did not call for grease. Also, my AFE 'dry" filter (not the oiled cloth one), would not come out without destroying itself, thus making it's resusability null and void.

Insightful reply. Will try to remember the grease point. Thanks

Agreed, dont do it if not called for. It was just a curiosity on my part since I never ran aftermarket on my 987s.

Me too

Those whom never experiencing aftermarket delights...... You are missing out. [emoji6] Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk