K&N Air Filters

This question comes up quite frequently in all auto newsgroups. DAGS and you will find a lot of both opinion and experience on the matter of K&N. I think you will find it sums in favor of staying with your vehicle's OEM type filter. K&N gets the good in its reputation from the openness of the filter media - and the bad in its reputation.

Yeah, there's two camps on this debate. One says the performance increase is worth it. The increases airflow lets in more garbage so you're either maintaining the filter more frequently or you're getting more but dirtier air in your intake. Stick with the kind you've got, it's cheaper over the long term.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

If this would be an oiled filter, there's also speculation that the oil can get on the air flow sensor and damage it. If you had an oiled filter on the car and needed an air flow sensor, you might see the manufacturer refuse warranty service. You may also have a potential problem with the engine warranty, depending on the type of engine failure. A valve sealing issue or cylinder abrasion issue may be able to be blamed on the filter.

I'm in the keep it factory camp myself.

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Thanks for your expert advice. Now I know what to do - or, actually, what not to do.

Ed,

If you have a fire breathing 400hp engine and push it hard, you may notice a difference in power and gas mileage using a K&N. Anything you would notice with a mild family SUV driving normally is probably placebo effect.

Conversely, the stock filter on your Santa Fe would probably handle a

300hp engine with no measurable reduction in mileage or performance until it gets very dirty.

The above is my humble opinion. I may be wrong, but I bet I'm very close. -

Bob

K&N filters work in racing, but consider that race engines have to last a couple hundred miles at best, and then the air filter is thrown away and the entire engine is usually torn down and rebuilt. Any damage from the air filter not filtering is negated.

Compare to a typical family car, where the filter stays put for a year or worse and is expected to last tens of thousands of miles.

The same can be said of other parts used for rac> I've been thinking about installing one of these in my 07 Santa Fe 3.3L.

Yes, try racing slicks in a heavy rain... :-)

Matt

Reply to message from Edgar MacArthur (Sun, 09 Sep

2007 20:57:54) about "K&N Air Filters":

EM> I've been thinking about installing one of these in my 07 Santa Fe 3. EM> 3L. Are they worth the extra cost?

Depends on how long you keep the Santa Fe. If you keep it for the million miles of the filter warranty it should be cheaper than the cost of all the paper frlters you did not have to buy. AAMOF I think that the payoff would come even before 1 million.

EM> I've read EM> that there is a noticeable increase in performance, and maybe gas EM> mileage. Any problem with the Hyundai warranty?

There is a slight bit of a performance improvement and no change in gas mileage.

I have had K&N filters in my 2002 Elantra GT, 2005 Tiburon GT (which now has a cold air intake), 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8l, and a K&N Typhoon SRI in my 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer and all have had the results in the previous paragraph.

Regards Wayne Moses Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:42:26 -0500

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Reply to message from "hyundaitech" (Mon, 10 Sep

2007 11:36:15) about "Re: K&N Air Filters":

h> If this would be an oiled filter, there's also speculation that the oil h> can get on the air flow sensor and damage it.

I have followed the instructions for oiling my filters and found the instructions sensible in that they appropriately caution against overdoing it. If properly done there is no likelihood for oil to leave the filter material and blow into the air stream in a naturally aspirated engine. Personally, I have never seen evidence of oil or oily dust downstream from the filter.

Just my experiences.

Regards Wayne Moses Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:00:13 -0500

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A lot of engineering has gone into the designing the stock filter that comes with the vehicle. It works great, a compromise between unrestricted airflow and filtering ability. I doubt a K&N filter will give any noticeable difference in performance and it just may be detrimental (MAF sensor etc..) If it's less restrictive, it filters less efficiently. You save gas, your engine wears out quicker.

Save your money for some Amsoil (just kidding).

And yes, Hyundai could very well deny warranty coverage.

You got me! I was just about to jump in with both feet until I read the "just kidding" part. :D

It never ceases to astonish me that very smart people fall for snake oil.

-

Bob

I kinda wondered if that's what they made it out of ; >)

I'm currently using Amsoil Transmission fluid and am much more satisfied with it than the OEM.

What is different or what makes it "better" than the OEM? What do you notice being different while cruising down the highway?

You'll just have to read the web site as most folks that use it parrot the site. It'll be something like "quieter, smoother shifting, lower operating temperature and gets 10% better fuel mileage."

Am I close? :-)

Matt

Why? Are you going faster, further or something else? It's your money so you have every right to be satisfied with anything you want, but OEM fluids lack nothing that Amsoil provides, except cost.

Well, if it says it on the web site, it must be true. After all, there's all those testimonials... Ya gotta take your hat off to Amsoil though - they've been suckering people in for a long time.

While I don't use Amsoil anything, I did switch my transmission over to synthetic oil (Redline MT-90). While there is a small difference in shifting smoothness overall, the most obvious difference is that it doesn't thicken up in cold temps the way natural oils do, so the winter shifting performance is dramatically better. With any luck, it will provide increased transmission/sychro life as well. I would expect similar benefits from Amsoil, since it's also a synthetic.

BTW, the reason for choosing Redline MT-90 is that it's a GL-4 oil, which is what the Hyundai tranny requires.

Placebo effect? :D -

Bob