Hello people
I have a 2005 accent and I was looking for air filter. I wanted to change stock for a K&N filter when I read about a guy that just took off the black box that connects to the stock air filter. He wrote that it helped the performance of the car and the sound, but I wanted to ask you guys how this affects the car, does it really helps or does it actually damage the car
I wouldn't modify the air intake system or use a K&N filter unless you plan to race the car and don't care much about engine life. K&N filters will flow more air which may help performance, but they also flow more dirt than stock filters. You are trading shorter engine life for at most a very slight performance increase, probably not even noticeable in normal driving.
Cutting up the airbox may affect the operation of sensors such as the mass airflow sensor and others in and around the fuel injection/intake system. This may well hurt your performance rather than help it. Unfortunately, modern cars don't lend themselves well to piecemeal performance improvements. You really have to treat the engine as a system and each part you add must be designed to fit into that system. Sure, a lot more performance can be add with aftermarket accessories, but they must be designed and installed together typically to get the benefit. Casually adding bits and pieces often doesn't yield much and runs the risk of destroying driveability.
Matt
I agree with Matt. I know a bit about filtration and many of the claims that K&N makes are bogus or at least seriously misleading. Every comparison test I've seen of filters has shown that K&Ns are less effective at removing dirt than other brands. Also, you have to be very careful when re-oiling them as excess oil can contaminate the MAF sensor and damage it. It's not cheap to replace.
As for the sound, who are you trying to kid? It's a compact economy car with a small, low-horsepower engine. It's never gonna' be a race car. What good is making it noisy going to be?
On the Elantra, disconnecting/removing the resonator that's in the front fender does improve air flow and reduce intake air temperatures without creating excessive noise or any problems with the operation of the engine. In fact, it can improve fuel economy slightly. I don't know if disconnecting the resonator after the airbox on the Accent would have the same effect. I would not remove the resonator that's attached between the MAF and the throttle body, as it may cause a severe hum in the intake. That resonator is there strictly to reduce intake noise and has no adverse effect on performance.
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