does anyone use K&N air filters?

I've also noticed a large increase in noise when I added a cold air intake + oiled filter. I don't really like the noise. Is there any way to eliminate or minimize it?

PP

Reply to
Philip Procter
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So if you change your filter every 30,000 miles like the service intervals recommends. And you pay $48 for a K&N and another $15 for the cleaning kit.And lets not forget if you buy it online you will pay for shipping and if you buy it at Advance they sell the K&N for my car for $56 + tax. But i wont add in the shipping or the jacked up price at your local parts store or the tax to keep it simple So...You spent $63. Now you go buy an $8 puralotor filter and change it every 30,000 miles. Advance sells it for $7.97 but I'll round up. So that means you can change the filter 8 times with the puralator or 240,000 miles on your 8th change. and you save $1. So come your

9th change of the filter you would see a total savings of $9.I put 15,000 miles on my car a year. So i would see a $9 savings on air filters after 18 years. And by then my car has 270,000 miles on it. Who keeps a car that long ? I may even be dead by then .I aint the smartest guy in the world and no mathAmagician maybe my math is off ..but shit I'll just pay the $8 every 2 years and spend the 45 seconds to change it.

Reply to
Mike

Hi, Philip

The "smart aleck" answer is to go back to the stock setup.

But if we analyze that just a bit, we find that over the last 50 years or so, a tremendous amount of engineering has been done to "quiet" cars in many, many areas. The air intake is one area that illustrates the "compromise" function of so much engineering.

Sometimes it takes just a little change in the design of the intake horn, such as the tapered shape many went to back when the intake to the air filter housing was but a short metal tube. When I was in high school in the early '60s, it was popular to remove that tube, thinking there was restriction in the system that would be removed by allowing a larger "hole" for the air to enter. Whether more air really got in or not is arguable, but it was no secret that the noise level usually increased at least a little.

Over the years, we've seen a move to more "cold air" type intakes w/ hose/piping arrangements that bring the air from the front of the car, typically near an air intake for the radiator so it's not going to be pre-heated in the engine compartment, and may possibly enjoy a bit of "ram" effect at speed. One thing we see w/ many of these systems is some odd looking bends and/or "accordion pleats" along the intake. Some are obviously there to help the fit of the various bits, but at least some have some noise attenuating value.

Going back to an aftermarket cold air system like the K&N, I'd venture a guess they're developed w/ air flow as the primary goal, and noise is a "necessary evil" in the design. The only way I can think of to "quiet" the system w/o compromising the internal flow would be to wrap the outer surfaces in some kind of sound deadening material. The result would be almost certainly ugly from a visual standpoint, and it's hard to say w/o actually doing it whether any improvement in noise level would be noticed.

However, as my neighbor noticed, as did I the first time I rode in his car for an extended time, one quickly adjusts to "normal" background noises and tends to block them out. So I'd suggest your system will treat you the same: the time will come when you don't even "hear" it at all so you won't have to scrap it or do any modifications!

Good luck!

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

Put the original intake system back on, that's the only wasy to kill the noise. Did you notice some bulbous appendages on the OEM intake ductwork? That's part of the noise canceling system, as well as some intake performance tuning. Unless you are doing some serious racing, there's no gain from the cold air intake.

Reply to
nobody >

OBD2, more-so than previous systems,fine-tunes the engine as it goes to compensate for the restrictioon of a plugged air filter. Yes, some earlier EFI was as effective, or very close. Carbureted engines were a different story. OBD2 seamlessly blens the timing and mixture.

Oil bath is STILL the most effective method of air filtering - BAR NONE. Just too heavy, bulky, and service intensive for today's owners/drivers.

I buy cars with 100,000km on them and put another 150,000 or so. Or like my current van, bought with 275,000km on it.#62,000 on it now.

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

i am considering one for 2005 Forester ... are these air filters worth the money? ==========

I put a K&N on my STi and shortly thereafter read that the oil used on the filter can cause permanent damage the mass air flow sensor, which is inches "downwind" of the filter.  For me even partial malfunction of the MAF is unacceptable.  Fortunately a company called AEM has a new technology dry filter that requires no oil and is easier to clean than the K&N.  Plus you don't have to buy the K&N oil.

To me, the value is not having to find the right part at a parts store at every change (I change my air filter at each oil change, I live in a very dusty area) but the simplicity of keeping two washable air filters, one clean and ready to go, and the other on the car.

The performance gain of K&N is well documented.  The AEM filters claim to have the similar flow and filtration.

Good luck

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Reply to
Clamstrippe Fecadunker

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will stick with a oem. It's time consuming to get the charts up but read the test

Reply to
StephenW

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