Thanks to
cliffsta,
GTIGuy and others for the DIY and other comments on this. I took my carbon filter out today, and the hardest parts were getting the box to unseat from the rubber intake hose (lol), then finding a clean way to snip off those postheads so I could return to stock, if needed. I found a pair of
nail scissors, which perfectly got into that narrow channel and also in between head/filter. Slicing the tops off like this left a clean post with no other damage, and the filter slides right back in place tightly enough. I put the filter and little snipped heads away in a ziplock bag, just in case something happens warranty-wise (and because also I take it to the dealer on a full-service plan, so we'll see how
that goes). I did
NOT reset the ECU, as that seemed a little hokey, to be honest. I'm running the stock filter, again, thanks to comments on this site.
Haven't had any issues yet, other than being amazed at the raw torque upgrade and immediate acceleration! :bowdown:
Combined with the boost (or restoration, depending on how you see it) from ethanol-free premium, this is still quite an upgrade from what I had just weeks ago, when the engine was hesitant, and had to be revved to get into the right powerband, etc. Now, the powerband starts at idle and goes smoothly to redline. I'm sure these two things are worth some 20 horses, but it's the torque and ridiculously smoother acceleration I've really noticed. Wow! What a freakin' no-brainer
