K&N drop in filter 1500 mile review

[Rubiwoo]

The intent was to try and get extra mpg's.

We drove from Arroyo Grande, Ca to Mazatlan, Mexico. roughly 1400 miles and 3 days. 98% was freeway. We got 19.8mpg average while driving between 70-75mph. Set the cruise control and drove. I guess that isn't bad with the bed full of stuff under the tonneau cover, 12k winch, undercarriage skids.

I think we drove 500 something miles prior to the mountains and got roughly the same?

Anyways, long story short, was it worth 50 bucks? Probably not. I was hoping for 1 or 2 extra mpg's.

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[Jeeperjamie]

The intent was to try and get extra mpg's.

We drove from Arroyo Grande, Ca to Mazatlan, Mexico. roughly 1400 miles and 3 days. 98% was freeway. We got 19.8mpg average while driving between 70-75mph. Set the cruise control and drove. I guess that isn't bad with the bed full of stuff under the tonneau cover, 12k winch, undercarriage skids.

I think we drove 500 something miles prior to the mountains and got roughly the same?

Anyways, long story short, was it worth 50 bucks? Probably not. I was hoping for 1 or 2 extra mpg's.

Your not going to get any MPG gains from a drop in filter no matter what they claim. You might even lose a little depending on the type you put in, sucks you spent $50 to find out.

 

[Rubiwoo]

Your not going to get any MPG gains from a drop in filter no matter what they claim. You might even lose a little depending on the type you put in, sucks you spent $50 to find out.

Yeah. I think I'll purchase a stock filter for the drive home and see what I get. That won't be for a few months though.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Yeah. I think I'll purchase a stock filter for the drive home and see what I get. That won't be for a few months though.

I had thought about it, I guess it's a washable and reusable filter so if you can use it a few times you could make your money back on it. I haven't priced out the regular stock ones but I would imagine they are around $15 or less.

 

[Speedy_12139]

I had thought about it, I guess it's a washable and reusable filter so if you can use it a few times you could make your money back on it. I haven't priced out the regular stock ones but I would imagine they are around $15 or less.

Thats the only reason it's worth $50... yet you still need to purchase their refresh kit, which is another $15-25...

Definitely not worth it in my eyes.

 

[MrZappo]

Factor in the cost to replace your o2 sensor when the filter oil fouls it up.

K&N air filters are controversial but they shouldn't be.

They are a filter that does not filter well. And any gains are typically placebo at best.

Occasionally you will find a "true believer" but not often.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

I can't believe they even sell these for cars with electronic sensors.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Factor in the cost to replace your o2 sensor when the filter oil fouls it up.

K&N air filters are controversial but they shouldn't be.

They are a filter that does not filter well. And any gains are typically placebo at best.

Occasionally you will find a "true believer" but not often.

True, I'll stick to the stock one. I got almost 22,000 miles on mine and I just blew my out the other day, it still looks pretty darn clean. At that rate it would take forever to recoup the cost of a K/N. I ran the CAI K/N on my Jeep JKU and it did nothing for mine other than make the throttle body a lot dirtier when I cleaned it. After about 25,000 miles I switched back to the stock one, who knows how much damage it did in the 25,000 miles it was installed.

 

[CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail]

I'm pretty sure that auto manufacturers would use K&N filters as stock if they produced even a 1/4 MPG gain in fuel efficiency. Manufacturers have to spend a LOT more than $50 to squeeze any increase in MPG to help meet fleet federal efficiency standards. That's how we all got stuck with the annoying start-stop feature (ESS) - to squeeze a few tiny feet more per gallon. And the ESS systems are hated by many customers and cost a lot more than $50 to manufacture.

 

[brianinca]

I actually bought all the parts to return my 93 YJ to stock from the CAI, haven't bothered to put it back together.

OEM intake and exhaust now days are WAY better than they used to be!

Even at 2000 rpm, it wasn't the filter but the larger throttle body made the difference combined with the Banks header. I went back to an OEM exhaust and I can see the power drop even at 2000 RPM in 5th. After having the Banks split, welding it and having it split again, combined with CA visual inspection rules getting really picky, even with the EO stamped into it, I just quit caring about downshifiting.

True, I'll stick to the stock one. I got almost 22,000 miles on mine and I just blew my out the other day, it still looks pretty darn clean. At that rate it would take forever to recoup the cost of a K/N. I ran the CAI K/N on my Jeep JKU and it did nothing for mine other than make the throttle body a lot dirtier when I cleaned it. After about 25,000 miles I switched back to the stock one, who knows how much damage it did in the 25,000 miles it was installed.

 

[cecaa850]

I can't believe that anyone would ever buy a K&N and put it on anything that they cared about.

https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

 

[ATLalien]

Ah K&N filters aren't that bad! They give only a negligable improvement in performance, but results vary depending on the vehicle. I've used them in many cars over the years, most didn't change much, but some were a little quicker and got better mileage.

Can't prove it, but I do feel like the gladiator feels slightly more eager after K&N drop in.

 

[PyrPatriot]

For what it's worth, I put one in and needed a new throttle body after the TSB for the steering. Probably unrelated to the filter

 

[cecaa850]

Ah K&N filters aren't that bad! They give only a negligable improvement in performance, but results vary depending on the vehicle. I've used them in many cars over the years, most didn't change much, but some were a little quicker and got better mileage.

Can't prove it, but I do feel like the gladiator feels slightly more eager after K&N drop in.

Placebo effect. It's real. Take a few minutes and read the article I linked. I've seen other independant tests that echo those same results.

 

[KurtP]

The filter isnt the primary restriction on these motors stock. Its only worth about .5mpg...the tune and the airbox are the primary restrictions. At least, from what ive seen. There are cars, though, that you can swap in a filter and watch fuel trims change at first start up in real time while your hooked up watching lambda and trim

Id never use a thin cotton gauze filter in a dusty environment like SW Utah or Death Valley or Africa, but they are fine on a street driven truck.

Any “test” that says a uni foam cell filter allowed the most dust intrusion can be tossed right into the trashcan because it has zero credibility. The only way you could accomplish that is by stripping all the oil off of it first or intentionally tearing it. Foam cell filters do unbelievably well in dust. Thats why ADV motor bikes and Dakar bikes and trucks in Africa with snorkels without cyclonic stack caps all use them as dust pre filters.

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