VW MK4 Pollen Filter - 1J0 819 644A

I decided to keep a log of the filters I try and their weights to determine which one is perhaps best value.

WIX Filters - WP 6895 Version With Active Carbon

I had 2 of these. They weighted 122g and 126g. Built in Poland. It looks like active carbon was sandwiched between layers.With a cost of ~9euro, they are pretty cheap.

It fits tightly to my VW Golf MK4 filter box. My only complaint is that the filter has uneven thickness. At some points, you can see the light going through like transparent. This tells me that larger particles can fly through these parts. If you are buying this filter, you should check it by looking through it to see that it has no manufacturing faults.

The box has a list of OEM part numbers which it is compatible with.:

MANN: CUK 2862, FP 2862
KNECHT: LAK63
PURFLUX: AHC178
FRAM: CFA8869
FILTRON: K 1047A

I made a small test with the old filter. I washed it under sink and it seem to keep its shape and do not get destroyed. Perhaps we can call it washable :)

Below are some photos of the item:

 

Chinese Noname Filter 1 (2018)

For a cost of ~6euro it is possible to obtain a filter from AliExpress. I am guessing that they can be made in different factories. So your experience may vary. The filter I received weighted 132g and it had much better construction than the WIX filter. When I looked through it, there was no light going through and it had a uniform thickness.

While it is impossible to tell the effectiveness of the carbon filter part. As it was so tightly woven that the light did not go through, the filter itself probably functions at least better than the WIX filter.

The filter construction seem to have a thick black piece in the middle and thin white microfilter on both sides.

Chinese "Noname" Filter 2 (2019) - OEMMASSIVE

For a cost of ~8euro (well it was cheapest I could find in 2019) it is possible to obtain a filter from AliExpress which is brand OEMASSIVE. It is similar to previous chinese filter in constructions. The difference is that it weights a whopping 257g. More active carbon? Yes please! The manufacturer says "double layer active carbon". It seem to be true!

I am not putting many pictures as it came in a white box and the construction is similar to the previous chinese filter. The difference was that it had a thick microfilter in middle and on both sides of it was harder fiber filters with active carbon attached. This one seems to be much better than the first chinese filter. Unfortunately the box was smashed during delivery. They should have used a better box! I really hope it will stay in form once installed.

However there was some text on side of this filter and here it is.

I do not understand why this filter is difficult to find on AliExpress. Actually it does not appear if I search for "1J0819644A". Only appears when I search for "OEMassive 1J0819644A". More importantly, the sellers does not seem to advertise the weight of it. This filter clearly is very good for the price.