As I was sitting there in the K&N info session, listening to a bald man with a raspy voice throwing me his best pitch on air filters, I thought to myself, "K&N really does care for their customers."

This guy wasn't just some salesmanHeck, he was as nervous as 6th grader giving a book report in front of the classHe stuttered and stammered over his words, as if it were his first presentationBut you know what? The guy knew what he was talking aboutCars are his lifeMaybe it was the excitement in his words or the sweat dripping down his face, but I could tell he wasn't fakingHe loved his job and loved talking about auto air filtersHe even told us his life story-- about growing up working on cars with his dad.

But, back to the debatePeople around the country are bringing their cars to dealerships and mechanics with MAF(Mass Air Flow Sensor) problemsThe problem-MAF failureWhat causes MAF problems? The dealerships claim excess oil from K&N filters is to blame.

The K&N representative, however, gave a compelling argumentIf you are not familiar with what a K&N filter looks like, let me explainIt is cone shaped part, basically constructed of a paper filter with wire mesh around itIt attaches to a hose that brings air into the engine; blocking dirt, bugs, and any other hazardous objects that happen to make their way under your hoodThe paper, which is the filter, is coated in oil.

Have you ever gotten a really greasy piece of pizza and blotted it with a napkinIf you haven't, I will give you the low downThe napkin absorbs the grease, practically making the paper transparentWell the paper is similarThe filter absorbs the oil, which coats it for protection, and is invisibleYou can't even see itMechanics are claiming that the oil from the filter is coming off the paper an affecting the MAFEven if you were driving 103mph and held a grease covered napkin out the window, the oil wouldn't come off-trust me.

His number two argumentThe MAF is fouled by oil right? Well, the MAF is in the engineDo you know what is constantly cycling through the engine? You got it-- oilIt is much more likely for oil from the engine to get sucked through the intake and foul the MAF.

His final pointIs the filter fouling the MAF or is the MAF flawed? It is just as likely that the MAF comes defective from the factoryMechanics are telling customers that MAF readings show it is "saturated" with oil from the K&N filterBut I looked at the cone-shaped piece in the man's handsIt was a solid, dry pieceHe made a good pointWhere would all this "excess" oil come from? Hmmm...

Of the 2,500,000 filters K&N sells a year, they encounter less than 200 dealership problems annuallyThe representative continued to explain the company's lengthy product testing processI work for an automotive company, but I'm not that into my carI'm more of a motorcycle guyMy point being, I was ready to buy a K&N air filterOn top of all the testing, K&N works with customers to make sure dealerships honor their warrantiesSolid argument if you ask me.