mark_c

The only way the K&N filter or an after market intake will increase power is if you have the engine tuned.

ooohhdave

Also you're not going to see or feel any improvements at normal driving rpms. There made to perform at high rpms like 4k or higher to get those increase in HP.

DunnyBunny

That's not correct. I've owned many tuner cars and they all had power increases after adding an intake and no tune. Same with my jeep.

Timmac24

I installed an AirRaid intake in my 2012 JKU and haven't noticed any power gains or MPG gains. All I got out of it was a nice throaty sound from under the hood at acceleration.

Liquid741

I installed one on my 2012. Seen 1.5 mile per gal. increase. Plus the savings of filters in the future. Had $20 or so eBay bucks and used them on this.

Jeepstin12

intake. Very different than just changing the element.

DunnyBunny

Hmm???????

spartan99

An element alone is not going to create noticeable gains.

I have a degree in automotive tech and mechanical physics. An engine's power band is extremely complex, based on myriad variables, and a $30 filter that claims to make a difference is absolutely bogus and nothing more than marketing and sales.

There is a point, however, when a better filter will make a noticeable difference and that's when it is part of a package that increases volumetric efficiency in the combustion chamber. Cam, intake, exhaust, etc. Basically, when it's a performance engine and it requires the added intake capacity.

Air filters account for a tiny percentage of power potential. On a performance motor with 300 horsepower, let's be liberal and say the K&N increases power by 5% in its peak power band. 5% increase equals 15 horsepower and only in the peak power band.

Let's take a stock 3.6 minivan motor that's totally plugged up. Stock cam. Stock exhaust ports, stock exhaust, stock intake ports, stock intake valve duration etc. Let's be liberal and say the K&N gives you an extra 2% power. That's about 6 horsepower, on a good day. Why? Because the stock motor doesn't suck enough air to require more flow from its filter. An engine is nothing more than an air pump and the stock motor just doesn't create enough of a vacuum to benefit from the K&N's potential.

Don't bother with a filter upgrade unless you make it part of a package. Do the exhaust, intake and filter and you will notice something. Remember: the engine must demand more air in order for the filter's flow capacity to make a difference.

Jeepstin12

see Spartan99's post. That explains it. I should also add, I owned and heavily modified a Volvo S60T5. I did just the filter, had it dyno tested. Nothing noticeable and that car already had a snorkel ( factory CAI) in the grill. I then did the exhaust, had about 14hp and 12 ft lbs torque increase. Then when I went all the way, heads, exhaust, different turbo, headers, down tube, inter cooler, chip, open air box and aqua mist system, my stock 247 hp and 250 ft lbs. climbed to 410 hp and 425 ft. Lbs.

Again, dyno ran before and after just the air filter then again after just the exhaust. Negligible. Hell, even Nissan published that the CAI they added on the 350z only produced 3 more hp as compared to a conventional intake, while sitting on a dyno with no air flow. Then they ran it with 60 mph air speed and it climbed a whopping 5 hp over the first test. When you get those puny number on a 3000 lbs car, you can't feel it and it does nothing on time performance.

DunnyBunny

I believe I posted about adding an intake meaning a cold air intake. Yes there are performance increases without tuning the vehicle. I never said how much of an increase. Could be 3 hp or 10 hp. That's still an increase. I also didn't reference just the filter as I pretty much agree with original statement that I quoted in the first place.