K&N panel filters worth it?

[Alpine]

Tried doing a search for topics on K&N filters but was unable to obtain any results.

A friend of mine who owns a 2005 Corolla fitted one of these things and swears by it, claiming it has improved performance, fuel consumption and the fact that he will never have to buy a standard paper filter from the workshop again.

So really.....how good are K&N panel filters over the stock item? Is it worth the money and do they really work like the marketing spiel says? I am trying to work out whether or not that since they supposedly allow more air into the engine so it breathes better, does this mean more dirt could also get in??

Out of interest I found brand new ones suitable for my car for $79 + $10 postage. Is this a good price?

[Drew]

$80 plus postage is about right for most cars

You don't have to replace them just clean and oil them instead; sounds easy? It will probably take you all day the first time as you have to let it fully dry before oiling and you will probably over oil it the first time which means you have to start over again :P

I have K&N in all my cars; so they must be good :P

As for performance and economy they are better flowing than most paper filters so you might see increased performance; you might not

[shadou]

uhhh let's see OEM paper filters changed over at every 40,000km over a K&N filter that needs to be washed and re oiled when dirty. I think K&N would be the better choice here.

[SiReal]

heres my story.

K&N - After a bit of usage i started getting poor fuel consumption - up to 100kms less than usual. so I put on my pod then changed to my stock filter and back up to 500km per tank. both pod and stockie increased my consumpton - which imo, is better than alittle bit of extra performance which is hardly noticable anyway.

not to mention the fact u have to clean it. i just cbfed. now its for sale.

[Encor3]

It will end up to be cheaper, coz you dont have to replace it\throw it away, just clean it witha cleaning kit. I use to have one and it was noticeably better. because it would just let the engine "breath" alot easier. Throttle responce was greatly increased, fuelconsumption dont know awbout, improved performance.. only marginally.

[Alpine]

heres my story.

K&N - After a bit of usage i started getting poor fuel consumption - up to 100kms less than usual. so I put on my pod then changed to my stock filter and back up to 500km per tank. both pod and stockie increased my consumpton - which imo, is better than alittle bit of extra performance which is hardly noticable anyway.

not to mention the fact u have to clean it. i just cbfed. now its for sale.

Hmm...that really is an interesting story, and quite contrary to others. Anyone else notice symptoms like this?

[Ph@t-G]

I recently installed one and I immediately I noticed a difference in the throttle response being more responsive and revs a lot smoother as well right across the band.

In terms of fuel consumption I have still yet to find out but it'll make sense as a higher air flow will decrease the need for more petrol to ignite.

[SiReal]

Mind you, it was probably dirty, but only having used it for less than or approx 10,000kms, i didnt expect it to reduce economy that dramatically.

[Alpine]

Any opinions on the level of filtration of dust with a K&N as compared to a stock filter?

[Encor3]

i couldn't compare i bought my car 2nd hand with old stock filter and tb was dirty as a mofo.

i changed filter after10,000 and that was quite dirty so i guess it works well :confused:

[SiReal]

heres the underside of mine after ~10,000kms

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9027/miniimg6442zh3.jpg

[shadou]

that's clean as a whistle :p should see one I pulled out of a gsr 3 weeks ago that was completely black O.o tried compressed air but ended up dumping some degreaser on it then washing it for 5 minutes

[Ph@t-G]

Damn where did the person take the car? Bushwacking? Either that or one lazy bugger...

[Simmo2302]

dont mean to hi-jack the thread but..

what about difference between K&N stock shape filter panel, compared to K&N Pod Filter. in regards to performance/fuel economy & throttle response.

i understand that if u have a pod filter u probably have a cold air intake, or short ram intake [pod behind battery] which would increse performace anyway compared to the stock air box.

[shadou]

Damn where did the person take the car? Bushwacking? Either that or one lazy bugger...

I'll put my money on the latter :p and um I hate mistubishi air boxes.

[Zilli]

i remember a long time ago when i forst got my N13 pulsar i changed to a k&n panel filter, and to be honest, it didnt make a shit of a difference... i would say its due to the fact that you are still running it in the standard airbox which is restrictive in that its designed to reduce noise. It may have a cold air pickup, but it is a compromise due to NVH requirements of a stock vehicle.

I then ripped out the stock resonator and cold air feed, cut a larger hole in the bottom and put in a 4inch cold air feed tied to the front bumper grill, that was a bit better.. but i saw the biggest difference when i swapped to a pod.

Panels i think personally are a compromise for people who want perhaps a little better breathability but still keep the car quiet, and save money over 300,000kms over buying a stock filter

[Hahn]

i have a high flow BMC panel filter. its awesome. BMC > K&N

[Simmo2302]

i remember a long time ago when i forst got my N13 pulsar i changed to a k&n panel filter, and to be honest, it didnt make a shit of a difference... i would say its due to the fact that you are still running it in the standard airbox which is restrictive in that its designed to reduce noise. It may have a cold air pickup, but it is a compromise due to NVH requirements of a stock vehicle.


yea thats kinda what i thought, might get a cai kit & pod then.

[EK4R]

heres my story.

K&N - After a bit of usage i started getting poor fuel consumption - up to 100kms less than usual. so I put on my pod then changed to my stock filter and back up to 500km per tank. both pod and stockie increased my consumpton - which imo, is better than alittle bit of extra performance which is hardly noticable anyway.

not to mention the fact u have to clean it. i just cbfed. now its for sale.

haha jeff its cos your car is auto it uses more fuel :P

but speaking of KN. didnt you guys read the article few issues back from ASM. i believe they is still a post here somewhere. i cbf searching.

anyways KN only came like 2-3rd. 1st was 3A racing....and thats like a cheap 30bux filter. go figure.

ebay FTW.

[marty]

Tried doing a search for topics on K&N filters but was unable to obtain any results.

A friend of mine who owns a 2005 Corolla fitted one of these things and swears by it, claiming it has improved performance, fuel consumption and the fact that he will never have to buy a standard paper filter from the workshop again.

So really.....how good are K&N panel filters over the stock item? Is it worth the money and do they really work like the marketing spiel says? I am trying to work out whether or not that since they supposedly allow more air into the engine so it breathes better, does this mean more dirt could also get in??

Out of interest I found brand new ones suitable for my car for $79 + $10 postage. Is this a good price?



Try ITG available through HYCLONE in australia.
I reckon better than k/n and ive used both.Noticable performance and heaps quieter and more dust retention.

[Ph@t-G]

ASM magazine are not always correct in reviews imo as there will always be some form for financial and marketing influence from the reviewed products distributor/manufacturer. I guess it's a matter of who is willing to fork out a bit more cash on the side for a favourable review?

[aaronng]

^^ That's right. ASM gave the highest points to the filters that were local. I guess there were some perks given in the background.

[Alpine]

Well, I took the plunge and ordered one in (I thought "what the hell, just do it").

Fitted the K&N filter this afternoon, reset the ECU, and took the car out for a spin.

It really does seem to feel a little bit torquier, throttle response feels sharper, more willing to rev. Noisewise, it's pretty much the same from inside the cabin as before. If anything, there's only a slight hint of a "hiss" sound when revving up to the redline which wasn't there before. I guess that is the intake noise which I have read about.

Overall, seems OK so far, but I really need to do alot more driving in various conditions to see how it feels. But so far, the K&N really does make the car feel abit peppier, more spritely. Not alot, mind you, but it is noticable.

I will keep an eye on fuel consumption over the next week to see if there is a difference as well.

The ultimate test will be when the wife drives the car next. I haven't told her I got the K&N and she has no idea about the mod. It'll be interesting to see if she feels any difference. After all, she did feel a difference when I tried Caltex Vortex 98 petrol in it, and she's someone who knows very little about cars or is interested in them at all, so if she feels a difference, then it has to be true. :)

[Simmo2302]

u have to reset the ecu when changing from stock airbox to CAI and k&n pod ?

[shadou]

u have to reset the ecu when changing from stock airbox to CAI and k&n pod ?

yes you will need to.

[connorling]

i have seen a report in one of the jap import, they tested different brand air filter on the RB26, the result is suprising, actually having a new new original air filter is better than aftermarket one due to the oil surface on the aftermarket one, paper one(perfectly clean) runs better due to no oily surface
but i think it looks better with a K & N pod in the car tho

[power_of_dreams]

just how hard is it to re-oil a K&N, and how much is an oiling kit?

[traumatized]

oil kits can be purchased for around $30 bux, you can buy them from autobarn, supercheap.

[int3gra_r]

Just for your info, if you're in Victoria, an oil-based filter such as K&N is not permitted. For more information: http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/Publications.nsf/d85500a0d7f5f07b4a2565d1002268f3/c90ec843f3bbbe8fca256d9f00181c59/$FILE/1031.pdf
Although I guess the cops wont find out unless they stop your vehicle..

And as for my personal experience with K&n, it didn't make much of an improvement in my performance. I was using it in my toyota corolla.

pq+ me if you found this useful.. its greatly appreciated.

[aaronng]

Nice link. I would have given you PQ if you didn't ask for it. :(

[Alpine]

The bloody link doesn't even work!

Error 500

HTTP Web Server: Lotus Notes Exception - File is in use by another program

[aaronng]

Works for me. I just tried it again: http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/Publications.nsf/d85500a0d7f5f07b4a2565d1002268f3/c90ec843f3bbbe8fca256d9f00181c59/$FILE/1031.pdf

[90LAN]

just depends on what car u have ....
u also need to remove the resonator box too to get best results
vtec motors have a better performance gain when u add a k&N filter

[Alpine]

Now here's what my filter looks like after 10,000km.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9620/kn003smallop4.jpg

[JaCe]

I don't think I noticed a significant improvement in terms of power or torque on my Civic FD1, but it was definitely smoother when I accelerated. I think the general consensus with K&N filters is that they may or may not increase outright power, but they typically do give you a slightly smoother throttle response.


The bloody link doesn't even work!

Error 500

HTTP Web Server: Lotus Notes Exception - File is in use by another program

LOL shouldn't be surfing the net at work!
(either that, or I'm surprised you use Lotus Notes).

[teh_mechanic]

that filters about ready for cleaning.i do it about every 10000km (and thats with a tricky cai with my filter down in the rear bar)...dedication lol

the k&n is a good product,ive seen numerous tests showing them to improve responsiveness and slight power gains through better flow,yet they also have brilliant filtration properties.

im running a hks airinx pod at the moment on my cai,it kinda scares me when you look at it,its a honeycomb design and you can see right through the filter....cant see hks designing a completely dodgy filter though so i stand by it

[EUR003act]

those foam filters (like hks) have really good flow, but their filtration is something to be desired... especially after running for awhile as the foam sucks in and moves it creates gaps for dust/dirt particles to get through...

[rayb3na_]

theres an asm article on best pod filters within budget. hks rated pretty low. just incase anybodys interested 3A racing rated the best =]

[jdm_kid]

Now here's what my filter looks like after 10,000km.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9620/kn003smallop4.jpg

damn thats pretty bad. lol i had mind for about 15,000km and its a alot cleaner. yours is a modified box ?


theres an asm article on best pod filters within budget. hks rated pretty low. just incase anybodys interested 3A racing rated the best =]

bs results. lol

[Alpine]

No, stock box.

[teh_mechanic]

theres an asm article on best pod filters within budget. hks rated pretty low. just incase anybodys interested 3A racing rated the best =]

as was said before there was probably some under table dealing with the asm test as the local filters rated best.hks rated something like 8 out of 10,because they said it flowed less and was dirty as.sure it does let alot of dirt through because of its foam design,but no way does the 3A flow more than it,even if there dodgy test says so,the hks you can see through the holes in the foam are so big,the 3a is cheap finely woven metal.

at the end of the day im keeping my hks,it will maybe kill my engine from contamination in the long run (ok thats exagerating)but it does increase performance and you only live once hey hahaha

[teh_mechanic]

damn thats pretty bad. lol i had mind for about 15,000km and its a alot cleaner. yours is a modified box ?


different areas of driving.10000km in the city is nothing compared to 100km in dusty conditions.just give it a clean and oil and its good as new

[Alpine]

teh_mechanic, you are obviously a mechanic? You fully believe in the benefits and use of these K&Ns? I read so many conflicting opinions and tests about these filters on the net, really don't know what or who to believe.

[dsp26]

i have seen a report in one of the jap import, they tested different brand air filter on the RB26, the result is suprising, actually having a new new original air filter is better than aftermarket one due to the oil surface on the aftermarket one, paper one(perfectly clean) runs better due to no oily surface
but i think it looks better with a K & N pod in the car tho

i know this post is old but feel it right to correct it...

This happens to all SR/RB series nissans because they use an AFM/MAF (Air Flow meter/Mass Air Flow sensor), for those don't know what it looks like.. its an exposed sensor inside a casing that goes in the middle of the induction path... it's very delicate and we had to be careful when cleaning it... the RB series had a mesh that goes on both sides of the casing to protect this element...

this also applies to any car that uses an AFM.... fortunately for hondas we run a map sensor...

[Alpine]

Do our Hondas use such a MAF? Or rather a MAF which is positioned where it is prone to oil contamination from the K&N?

[Limbo]

K&N cleaning kit will fix that right up

[teh_mechanic]

teh_mechanic, you are obviously a mechanic? You fully believe in the benefits and use of these K&Ns? I read so many conflicting opinions and tests about these filters on the net, really don't know what or who to believe.

just so people dont flame me if i say yay or nay,being a mechanic by no means makes me an air filter expert....omg i wonder if some sick bastard has that job.

but yes in my opinion,through all cars that ive seen with them and through lil articles here and there they are a fantastic product.i drive a few commodores every day,and you can get in a vt commodore and test drive it and feel a slight torque increase and know that when you open that airbox there is an aftermarket airfilter in it and most of the time its a k&n.

if your company makes lightbulbs,chances are your gonna be pretty bloody good at making lightbulbs....k & n make air filters,not like hks,3A, etc etc who make a huge range of parts,so k & n know what they are doing and they have the mix of performance and engine protection pretty much spot on

[teh_mechanic]

Do our Hondas use such a MAF? Or rather a MAF which is positioned where it is prone to oil contamination from the K&N?

hondas use a map sensor (manifold absolute pressure sensor), not a AFM (air flow metre) or MAF (mass air flow sensor).so we are ok.correct me if im wrong

[dsp26]

Do our Hondas use such a MAF? Or rather a MAF which is positioned where it is prone to oil contamination from the K&N?

like i said above directly above your post in the last line..

Honda's use a MAP (Manifold Air Pressure sensor) where it monitors obviously air pressure instead of the flow of air from a MAF/AFM to determine and communicate to the ECU how much air is going into the combustion chamber... so no.. nothing to contaminate or spoil.

[JaCe]

that filters about ready for cleaning.i do it about every 10000km (and thats with a tricky cai with my filter down in the rear bar)...dedication lol

the k&n is a good product,ive seen numerous tests showing them to improve responsiveness and slight power gains through better flow,yet they also have brilliant filtration properties.

im running a hks airinx pod at the moment on my cai,it kinda scares me when you look at it,its a honeycomb design and you can see right through the filter....cant see hks designing a completely dodgy filter though so i stand by it

Without seeing it or touching it (or even knowing what it is), maybe the filter is so 'fine' that at certain angles you can see light passing through it as if it was hallow? *shrugs*

[teh_mechanic]

Without seeing it or touching it (or even knowing what it is), maybe the filter is so 'fine' that at certain angles you can see light passing through it as if it was hallow? *shrugs*

no its not really that fine at all,thats what gives it its high flow properties,its quite coarse foam.

trust a honda forum to go this in depth about air filters ahahhaha

[TheGoodDeal]

Will contaminate or spoil IAT (Intake Air Tempreature) sensor?

[aaronng]

no its not really that fine at all,thats what gives it its high flow properties,its quite coarse foam.

trust a honda forum to go this in depth about air filters ahahhaha

The design of that filter relies on the oil to trap dust. If you ran it dry, then all the dust would go through. Run it oiled and all the dirt is trapped, just like in the K&N panel filter (almost see through)

[aaronng]

Will contaminate or spoil IAT (Intake Air Tempreature) sensor?
Nope, only part that I can see it contaminate is a hot wire mass air flow sensor, which is not found on the B, D, H, K and F series.

[Alpine]

What about on the 2.0 CR-V?

[aaronng]

What about on the 2.0 CR-V?

2.0 CRV uses a B-series.

[Alpine]

heres my story.

K&N - After a bit of usage i started getting poor fuel consumption - up to 100kms less than usual. so I put on my pod then changed to my stock filter and back up to 500km per tank. both pod and stockie increased my consumpton - which imo, is better than alittle bit of extra performance which is hardly noticable anyway.

not to mention the fact u have to clean it. i just cbfed. now its for sale.

After 10,000km funnily enough I think I could be getting the same symptom. I am lucky to get 350km out of a full tank. Maybe 400km if I do more highway driving than normal. I've now swapped back to the stock filter, reset the ECU, and will now run thru a few tanks and see if there is any improvement / difference in my mileage. So far I have not felt any difference in the feel or driveability of the car with the stock filter as compared to having the K&N in place.

[aaronng]

If your filter is dirty, you should clean it more often. :)

[NightKids]

I installed a K&N panel, couldn't really feel any difference.
So i've put in a AEM short ram intake, still can't feel much difference but it's a lot louder!!! Woo HOO!!

[Alpine]

Pretty much over the K&N panel filter honeymoon now. Cleaning it is proving to be abit of a chore waiting for it to dry all day, etc, restricting use of the car without refitting the stock filter as a temporary workaround. Too much stuffing around with very little if any real world gain. Will probably swap back to the stock filter and put the K&N up for sale after I clean it up to look nice.

[EUR003act]

Pretty much over the K&N panel filter honeymoon now. Cleaning it is proving to be abit of a chore waiting for it to dry all day, etc, restricting use of the car without refitting the stock filter as a temporary workaround. Too much stuffing around with very little if any real world gain. Will probably swap back to the stock filter and put the K&N up for sale after I clean it up to look nice.

even if you had to sit around its better than paying $60 for a OEM replacement that has less flow... and YES, they HAVE been proven to flow alot more than a stock OEM filter...

[traumatized]

a little off topic but what about those after market air filters you get at auto part stores that replace the stock one when it is due to be changed? i think the brand started with 'w'

are they just as good as a genuine honda air filter?

edit: wesfil/cooper is the aftermarket brand i was referring to

[Alpine]

No need to sit around all day. Wash it and sit it in the sun for about 10 minutes and a quick wipe down and apply the oil and let that sit for 10 minutes and done. I have been doing it like that for over 20 years and never had a problem or had to sit around all day.

But the instructions say to let it air dry naturally coz other methods of drying, eg "quick wipe down" when wet can damage the filter?? Even when I left it air drying naturally for 10 minutes if I picked it up, it was still dripping wet along the bottom where all the water settles?? So I don't know how you can do it in just 10 minutes and have it perfectly dry ready for reoiling then.

[Feverpitched]

To whoever suggested using compressed air to clean a foam filter, go and re-read the care instructions.

K&N is fine - they should be equal to or better than OEM, not inferior. Cleaning and oiling definitely does not take all day. And finally, whoever quotes ASM magazine as a reliable source of technical information is a twat.

[dsp26]

Just sling the wet filter towards the ground like you were going to throw it at the ground BUT DON'T THROW IT hold onto it and the centrafugal force throws out the excess water. A couple of throws gets rid of most of the liquid water. Do it toward the ground and when you don't get any more water spots there then most of the liquid water has been thrown out.

By "quick wipe" I meant just on the outside carefully where you said the water was collecting. It doesn't have to be bone dry because the oil disperses the water anyway.

:thumbsup::thumbsup: lol yeah

when it's just damp, put it back in the box and let the engine idle


To whoever suggested using compressed air to clean a foam filter, go and re-read the care instructions.

yeah this is a no-no.. used to do it to a pod.. it's crap, the compressed air compresses the dirt into the element.

[Limbo]

yeah i just wash it with degrease or the cleaning kit & reoil it whilst wet and put it back inthe car. :) was never a prob for me before