Air Filters

[c240yaz]

How often do you change your air filters ? Personally, I remove them, shake out the dust, hoover if necessarry, refit. No different than a Dyson cartridge.

Done this for 2 years now on the same filters. As good as new in my opinion. At almost £40 quid for replacements, why not. Cabin filter is different. As I breath this, I change regularly, 6 months intervals.

Anyone do the same ?

 

[kwakdonut]

You change the filter you breathe through regularly but not the one the engine breathes through???

False economy IMO - I would change the Air Filter probably every 20-30k earlier if it's obviously dirty.

 

[Uberwagon]

I change mine at every other oil change, which is about every 10000 miles.

Hoovering your air filter is pointless, your air filter is well past its best.

Dave!

 

[Satch]

You can rinse them with mild detergent solution which removes a lot more grot. Takes quite while to dry out though.

 

[Dieselman]

The only way to know how blocked a filter is with dirt is to attach a sensetive vacuum gauge to the inlet tract before the throttle flap.
Lower vacuum is better and a blocking filter will increase it.

Visible dirt is almost meaningless.

 

[lynall]

10k or once a year, i remember my father law telling me a story about night trunks trucks running up to some power station up north and changing the air filter every 6 weeks gained them one extra mpg which is a bloody lot of fuel, boss used to moan about cost of filters until Peter showed him how much he was saving.

Admittedly this was many years ago and technology has marched onwards.

Got my last ones for wifes C320 which i assume same as yours from e -bay for under £20 the pair genuine.



Lynall

 

[1998K]

W203 cars (at leat mine C270 year '03) should be equipped with a sort of "indicators" on the engine airbox (as W203 Owner know a white sector that change into red colour to indicate a clogged air filter).

I've to admit that I've changed mine at about 26000km and it was still white (the indicator I mean) and now with the "new" air filter at abt 60000km the same indication is again always white.
So probably you have to run with a really clogged air filter to receive a real "feedback" from that indicator

 

[Uberwagon]

W203 cars (at leat mine C270 year '03) should be equipped with a sort of "indicators" on the engine airbox (as W203 Owner know a white sector that change into red colour to indicate a clogged air filter).

I've to admit that I've changed mine at about 26000km and it was still white (the indicator I mean) and now with the "new" air filter at abt 60000km the same indication is again always white.
So probably you have to run with a really clogged air filter to receive a real "feedback" from that indicator

We used something very similar in our generators and they worked brilliantly.

Not only do dirty filters make your engine work harder but they also trap moisture for longer.

Dave!

 

[c240yaz]

New filters fitted today, reluctantly after 30K miles since last change.

Bought them on ebay 2 months ago, £25, but held off fitting them. Job now done.

 

[grober]

How often you change the filter surely depends on the quality of air you are filtering? We usually associate this with visible dust particles in the air but I often wonder about particulates borne on water droplets and whether driving in wet conditions accelerates filter deposition via aerosol formation or washes dirt out of the air? I still change them at the regulation intervals whatever with the cheapest OEM filters I can lay my hands on Mann Knecht etc

 

[maddog]

10k or once a year, i remember my father law telling me a story about night trunks trucks running up to some power station up north and changing the air filter every 6 weeks gained them one extra mpg which is a bloody lot of fuel, boss used to moan about cost of filters until Peter showed him how much he was saving.

Admittedly this was many years ago and technology has marched onwards.

Got my last ones for wifes C320 which i assume same as yours from e -bay for under £20 the pair genuine.



Lynall

Same here , i can feel the car slowing up if its not changed every year .

 

[dspaven]

W203 C180k Engine Air Filter Change

10k or once a year, i remember my father law telling me a story about night trunks trucks running up to some power station up north and changing the air filter every 6 weeks gained them one extra mpg which is a bloody lot of fuel, boss used to moan about cost of filters until Peter showed him how much he was saving.

Admittedly this was many years ago and technology has marched onwards.

Got my last ones for wifes C320 which i assume same as yours from e -bay for under £20 the pair genuine.



Lynall

Could anyone please advise me how to change the engine air filter on a W203 C180K with the M271 engine? I have seen what might be the air filter housing next to the engine cover with a number of star screws.

Many thanks in anticipation,

 

[momomo]

From memory on your engine, the air filter housing is next to the engine cover and has around 6 bolts holding it. Loosen these bolts and remove the cover to reveal the air filter. Remove old filter, clean inside the housing and put new filter in. Put cover back on and do not over tighten the bolts.

 

[grober]

here's a pic of the housing plus filter Êàòàëîã

 

[crankiejohn]

W203 cars (at leat mine C270 year '03) should be equipped with a sort of "indicators" on the engine airbox (as W203 Owner know a white sector that change into red colour to indicate a clogged air filter).

I've to admit that I've changed mine at about 26000km and it was still white (the indicator I mean) and now with the "new" air filter at abt 60000km the same indication is again always white.
So probably you have to run with a really clogged air filter to receive a real "feedback" from that indicator

i have a 2003 c180 2.0 my air box is across the top of the radiator,should mine have the indicator you mentioned if so where is it(i must be one of the w203 owners who dosent know) thanks

 

[N7OGP]

Air is equally important as fuel is for a car, buy a k&n filter

 

[momomo]

i have a 2003 c180 2.0 my air box is across the top of the radiator,should mine have the indicator you mentioned if so where is it(i must be one of the w203 owners who dosent know) thanks

This indicator i think, is on some of the diesel engines. Not seen it on any petrol engines. Maybe someone can confirm.

Air is equally important as fuel is for a car, buy a k&n filter

Most people seem to experience trouble fitting K&N filters to Mercs as the oil contaminates the MAF and cause a lot of problems. But there are some who have had no issues.

I personally would just stick with an original air filter.

 

[N7OGP]

I have used a K&N filter in my merc for over a year now, and touch wood no problems, before that i used one in my 406 with no probs..

 

[momomo]

Yes some of the members on here hav also used the filter without problems. But a lot have had problems with the oil from the filter contaminating the MAF. As long as you dont over oil the filter i guess there shouldn't be any problems.