So I have a K&N cone filter installed, which I tend to check on quite often to make sure it is still on and everything is good. But after a while, I got lazy and decided to stop checking. Well I opened my hood today to discover the filter had fallen off and was just sitting in the engine bay. Feel free to flame the **** outta me for being an idiot but I am really quite worried. It could have been off for up to two weeks, or it might have just came off yesterday. I'm not too sure. No longer than a couple of weeks though. My question to you guys is what kind of damage can happen in that amount of time with unfiltered air? And how do I know if damage has happened? Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated. I'm pretty stressed out about this.... Thanks so much

 

omg bro, due u not know what prob happened???

 

Turbo damage, would be obvious and probably sound obvious. 99% you are probably fine. To check, pull the pipe after the MAF and inspect the turbine blades.

 

Ok, I will go do that right now.... anything in particular im looking for on the maf blades?

 

You're fine dude, don't sweat it..

 

Phwew... I'm glad you guys think I'm ok lol... I'm so stressed I have knots in my stomach lol. I love this car to death and I don't want anything to be messed up in it. Plus its super expensive

 

You should be fine. Ran open stacks on my race bikes for years no damage. But my intake is on back of engine not front like evo. Did you drive on dirt roads or anything like that?. If not you should be ok. But find out why the filter is falling off. You could have the oil used on filters still on it clean it good so it doesn't fall off again. Your air filter should never fall off and you shouldn't have to check it all the time. Good luck.

 

i'd change the oil

 

I didnt go on any dirt roads or anything. Plus I try to stay out of boost cause its RIPS through gas. I think that there might still be some oil on the filter flange. This is the first time it's fallen off, but I'm gonna go clean it real good before I put it back on. Thanks for your help!

 

Not maf blades, turbine blades on the turbocharger.

You'd be looking for damage, like them not being shaped right or bent. I'm here to tell you that if you had injested anything big enough to harm the blades, you would have heard a loud noise when it happened, the turbo would sound weird when spooling, and there would be a noticible loss in power.

Peek in there, but don't waste worry, button it up, make sure its tight, and just drive it. Lesson learned, costly mistake avoided, bullet dodged!

 

Definitely learned from that one.... Thanks for your help... I think I found out what I was doing wrong. I cleaned and put the filter back on and went for a short drive, only to find it fell off again! But I believe I was over tightening the hose clamp. I think it was just pinching itself off because it was so tight. So I made sure it was snug but not super super tight and so far so good

 

tbolt ftw

 

For clarification, I think Noize is referring to the Compressor blades, not turbine blades. The turbine blades are on the O2 housing side. The Compressor blades are visible by simply removing the large air inlet hose to the turbo inlet and using a flashlight to verify the integrity of the blades.

 

Why not pull of your intake and check? Howcome you usually check on your air filter? Did you mount it in a ghetto way?

 

Ah, compressor side (visible from removing inlet pipe from Maf to turbocharger housing), sorry. I was brain dead when I wrote that.