KN and other filters

A couple of years ago we took a trip from SoCal to Texas in our Tacoma, without trailer. Our mileage was so bad I stopped and got a K&N filter in hopes of improving. Mileage with the new filter was terrific. Of course, I also slowed down from 85 to 70 and the strong head wind stopped... I think that performance is more affected by our driving habits than engine breathing. The ONLY advantage I have found with the K & N is that I can fairly easily clean it after a trip off roading in the desert.

I have not been able to figure out if it is the K&N filter itself or that cool K&N sticker that comes with the kit that gives you the most horsepower gains...

With that being said I do have a K&N filter on my Mustang that came as part of a kit I needed to relocate the filter to inside the front corner quarter panel. It is nice to be able to clean it and not have to buy a new one but that is the only benefit I see. Its most likely an excellent promoted gimmick.

I have heard that you have to be extra careful not to over oil the filter because that excess oil can mix in with the intake air and gum up you Mass Airflow Sensor. If that happens I have heard success with using a non-lubricated contact cleaner to remove the oil from the MAF.

Wayne, I went to GMI but after it the name was changed to Kettering when they tried to diversify from the auto industry. Got to love beautiful downtown Flint.

Josh

The general consensus on the VW diesel board that I follow is that the K&N claims are nonsense. Somebody went to the trouble of ripping apart an OEM filter and K&N and comparing them. They concluded on the basis of filter surface area and some other stuff I don't remember that the OEM air filter was superior. But this was just comparing to VW OEM filters. Nonetheless, I would take their claims "with a grain of salt".

[T and C]

Tom-417,

After my first trip to the pipeline and seeing that the fuels came from the same bulk tanks my car suddenly began to run just fine on any brand of gasoline.

Now that is genuinely funny.

Tom in SoCal

[T and C]

Folks,

Thank you all for your insightful comments and sharing your experience.

HarveyRV,

I will go a step farther and add 2 comments to Bill's. If the K&N system had any value and was so well protected with patents that the manufacturers could not use that technology, one of the manufacturers would simply buy the company.

Well...since that is exactly how I have always answered the claims that "they" invented a carburator that will give us 200 mpg but "the oil companies" won't allow it to be sold, I guess I will have to place my K&N filter in he same mental filing cabinet drawer as that carburator. It is labeled, "Too Good to be True".

Tom in SoCal