K&N air filter fitted on mk1 Clio. Initial impressions.

[GabrielKnight]

I was expecting the K&N to let more air through and thus make the mix cooler, car run more smoothly etc.

In reality the opposite seems to be the effect. I noticeably have to put the peddle down a little more to get the same power! :S Has anyone ever heard of this?! There is also now a 'dead spot' when I put my foot down. For about half a second after I put my foot down there is a distinct lack of power. Then its as though the air catches up and it accelerates well. Its like driving a low powered car (well it is an old 1.2 mk1) when the 'turbo' kicks in!

There are some improvements though. When the air catches up (or whatever's going on) the drive is good and smooth, and seems to tick less at the traffic lights. There is definately a very pleasing low purr / growl that wasn't there before. This surprised me at first because I only expected it to sound different if an induction kit is used.

With a little consideration though, there may be much more practical reason for an apparent increase in performance and sound of engine. As it is taking more pedal push to get the same initial performance as with the paper filter, its not surprising that it feels a little faster when it gets there and sounds louder in the meantime.

I'm not a car maintanence expert in any sense, but I do know my car,and I honestly believe that its requiring a good bit more power than before. This is the opposite of what I expected. I now have car which I think will be a little harder on the engine and will require a good bit more petrol than before :S . I now need to decide whether the perceived increase in overall performance and the tasty new sound that comes with it is worth it.

 

[Russ_16v]

panel filter all the way

 

[GabrielKnight]

panel filter all the way

This is one of those round (oval actually) ones. This is what I took out. I've never changed an air filter before, don't know the service history of the vehicle. Does this look as though it was ready for a change or could it have gone on for longer?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Edited after seeing your pic .Haven;t got a clue , lol .

 

[Russ_16v]

its not the worst iv seen mate but yea id change that

 

[GabrielKnight]

Lots of questions, sorry! When I bought the car 6 months ago, I noticed a hole in one of the vents (see pic). Because of the position and the tidyness of the hole, I always assumed it had been deliberately drilled for a good reason. But maybe its affecting performance negatively instead?

 

[GabrielKnight]

Closeup of hole!

 

[Russ_16v]

lol that pipe is for sending a certain amount of cold air into the engine when its cold,helps with cold running until the engine reaches temp

it does nothing for performance matey

 

[AliasOmega]

that pipe puts warm air into the airbox from the exhaust. no idea why..

 

[GabrielKnight]

Cool, thanks. So, has anyone ever heard of K&N filters requiring an increase in power /increasing fuel consumption?

 

[Russ_16v]

im not quite understanding matey,do you mean now your filters fitted ithe car requires more throttle to perform the same as it did before the K+n?

 

[GabrielKnight]

That sums it up perfectly. Couldn't think how to put it!

 

[len_beach]

that pipe puts warm air into the airbox from the exhaust. no idea why..

Carb freezing.

Is it a carb or injection engine? If it is a carb, it may need re-jetting to adjust fuel flow.

I'd lose that feed from the manifold and fit a nice feed from the front of the car.

 

[Michael172]

i presume thats the energy engine renault made lol ?

 

[Russ_16v]

That sums it up perfectly. Couldn't think how to put it!

is it just a panel filter or a bolt on/induction kit type?

 

[Josh@Renparts]

just buy a new stock element lol...

 

[jabba the]

maybe its a faulty filter??

 

[mcsp_olif]

i put mine in yesterday too and got the exact same response. i noticed though that it does go better once the air hits. i like it. jus gotta change the way i usually start off in forst gear. my mates r convinced its got a better acceleration!

 

[GabrielKnight]

A month on, here are my conclusions.

Disadvantages:

There is no noticeable increase in power.
There is a definate dead spot, particularly in 1st and 2nd gears. Feels like the engine needs retuning, especially when cold.
There is probably a lot more dirt getting into the engine (based on online tests).

Advantages:

Does sound more throaty / racy at higher revs.
Will never need replacing.

Overall:

On a 1.2L with standard exhaust, I need all the sporty noises I can get. Over the remaining life of the car the filter might just about pay for itself. But this is counteracted by the fact I now fear I should change the oil more often.

I'll be keeping it, not because I think it improves anything other than noise (taking it out completely would also improve the sound!) but because I've spent £40 on it and I'm still naive enough to believe that having a more expensive filter = better car!

 

[Lunner]

You need a decent air feed to it, or fit a valver bonnet whihc will increase the air flow past the filter.

if the filter was 2nd hand did you clean it?

You are noticing a lack in power cus its sat on the top of the engine and sucking all the hot air in, you'd have been better off with a replacement filter.

Also don't expect huge gains, its only a 60bhp 1.2, you'll be lucky if you gain 1 bhp.

Best way to make it fast is ti make it as light as possible

 

[tommyboy]

k&n's are shyte