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ComradeGrumbles

ComradeGrumbles

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Ello everyone, I have a question for anyone who's more knowledgeable about cars than I am. My knowledge stops at the paint. :xyxthumbs:

As some of you may have seen on one of my other recent posts, I just purchased a 2011 Mazda 3. (I'm still working on finding time to detail it, don't you worry)

I was looking for a while to find a 2.5L in particular because it seemed to be a good option for me. I've test driven the skyactive mazdas and found them to be a bit lacking in performance. As for the Speed3, my insurance rate wouldn't have liked that very much. That left me with the 2.5L that doesn't jack up my insurance rates, but it's still a cut above most compact cars.


My question is, what do you know about K&N performance air filters? (Or other brands) Are the claims of 1-5% HP increase true? How about the claims of better MPGs? They sound too good to be true.

At some point in the future I'm going to have one of my mechanic friends help me with a cold air intake, but that's a while out. For now I'm thinking about just dropping by autozone for a better air filter.

Thanks!
 
I don't think you'll see much of a difference from just the drop in filter.

I saw slight performance gains from the full intake in my car but honestly not enough to make it worth it. As far as MPGs I did not notice an increase then again it may be different for your car.
 
Well you see the whole "filters gain you power" argument is very controversial. On one hand you have the guys that say you can't gain anything from just swapping filters; and they are correct to a degree.

On the other you have guys argue to get the best out of an intake and filter system you need to do some computer stuff.

Now personally IMO,if you are going to change the filters, and walk away, then no. You will experience nothing. Best results come from typically resetting the ECU (unplug the car for 10-15 mins). This will give the car time to remap and set up for the new air filter

Only major problem in doing this mod is, you will not feel it. When something says "gives 15hp" on the box. That is complete poop! When dynoing a car there are so many variables that numbers can be bent. It all comes down to the dyno tune really. For example, on the wrong tune my car pulls 357whp, on the correct one and on 94 octane, it's 447whp. Big difference but no actual change in the car!

For this reason tuners and mechanics have the rule of thumb, if its less than a 10-15% power gain, you won't notice it.

So to end all, save the money and get an ECU tune (new program) and mod the air box. It will save you money.
 
Andr3wilson said:
Well you see the whole "filters gain you power" argument is very controversial. On one hand you have the guys that say you can't gain anything from just swapping filters; and they are correct to a degree.

On the other you have guys argue to get the best out of an intake and filter system you need to do some computer stuff.

Now personally IMO,if you are going to change the filters, and walk away, then no. You will experience nothing. Best results come from typically resetting the ECU (unplug the car for 10-15 mins). This will give the car time to remap and set up for the new air filter

Only major problem in doing this mod is, you will not feel it. When something says "gives 15hp" on the box. That is complete poop! When dynoing a car there are so many variables that numbers can be bent. It all comes down to the dyno tune really. For example, on the wrong tune my car pulls 357whp, on the correct one and on 94 octane, it's 447whp. Big difference but no actual change in the car!

For this reason tuners and mechanics have the rule of thumb, if its less than a 10-15% power gain, you won't notice it.

So to end all, save the money and get an ECU tune (new program) and mod the air box. It will save you money.
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Great post Andrew.
 
Great advice above. But.

Don't let that totally dissuade you from the K&N. Just buy it for the long-term savings, not for any perceived performance gains. If you keep your cars for a long time and do your own maintenance, you'll likely be pleased with the K&N. The biggest mistake people make with this - and honestly, with any aftermarket filter or CAI that utilizes a reusable filter - is over-oiling. You need to be careful with this process so you don't foul up the MAF sensor. (Not a showstopper, but cleaning it takes time, and you'll encounter various issues - poor fuel economy, rough idle, etc. - before you diagnose and resolve.)

Enjoy the new car. FWIW, I think you made the right choice, assuming your motivation was based on reliable and economical transportation. Should you start playing around with performance mods, keep in mind that the transmission is your weak link, and you can expect to encounter significant torque-steer. Lurking underneath, of course, are warranty concerns. I mention that since you mentioned insurance expense...also worth considering out-of-pocket repair expenses as well.
 
Thank you guys for the informative responses. You just saved me some $$. :xyxthumbs:

I'll just wait until I can pull together a Cold air and I'll look into the ECU mods.

Thanks again!
 
ComradeGrumbles said:
Thank you guys for the informative responses. You just saved me some $$. :xyxthumbs:

I'll just wait until I can pull together a Cold air and I'll look into the ECU mods.

Thanks again!
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Just be sure you understand tuning the ECU in any way you can consider a good portion of your powertrain warranty void. I've had vehicles tuned and never had a problem with it but so you're as informed as can be and accept the risk.
 
Doesn't some of these mods required sensor swaps, chips, etc?

I read a post not long ago here that stated removing your muffler on a turbo car makes for better sound? That baffled me.
 
Mazda.Mark said:
Doesn't some of these mods required sensor swaps, chips, etc?

I read a post not long ago here that stated removing your muffler on a turbo car makes for better sound? That baffled me.
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Basic mods such as intakes, cat-back don't require tunes, but will be enhanced by them. Headers and more advanced mods do require them because the fuel/air tables need to be adjusted. Tunes allow the car's performance to be tailored to what specific mods are installed and improve performance and efficiency.

Removing your muffler can improve the sound on some cars but can also make other cars sound horrible as they need the baffling or it can sound very raspy.
 
An air filter will not gain you power...I run K&N's in all my cars for the simple fact you can clean them and in the long run it will save you money...As far as performance a CAI, RAI or filter on a small CI naturally aspirated car will add little performance if any...Its hype
 
You won't 'gain' any power from just an air filter change on a stock engine.

A free flowing aftermarket intake or exhaust system will help your engine utilize the power it already generates to turn the wheels instead of taking some of that power to move air through the restrictive stock system.

You may see a little bump at the crank due to availability of air and alterations of the AF mixture by the computer, but claims of whp increase are more due to a higher percentage of the engine's output going to move the vehicle instead of air.

And again, that's all relative to the type of engine you have. I can slap a full intake and exhaust on my 2007 Corolla 1ZZ-FE engine and it won't do much. install a tuned system on a fire-breathing 6.1 hemi (or LS or ford V8, etc) and there is a greater ROI.
 
I have a K&N typhoon intake on my CR-Z and not only did the performance increase but my mpg's are higher also. The kit is flawlessly engineered, so fitment is perfect, looks OEM IMO. The throttle response is improved and it sounds great when you open it up, so I say go for it, you'll not regret it, trust me!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
ComradeGrumbles said:
Thank you guys for the informative responses. You just saved me some $$. :xyxthumbs:

I'll just wait until I can pull together a Cold air and I'll look into the ECU mods.

Thanks again!
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Real CAI's are close to the ground/or splash guard, thus meaning a chance of hydro lock, just play it safe and get the K&N typhoon intake system. You'll save money because you don't need to replace the filter, just clean and oil when its real dirty and it will give you a nice sound, doesn't hurt having something that sounds good IMO.

Btw when I say the performance is "increased" I'm not saying its like I've got a Civic Si engine under the hood but when you don't have a lot of perf to begin with, well, a little is a lot to me, LOL!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
I really appreciate all the replies.

I had another question about intakes that my one friend brought up. When putting on an aftermarket intake, will it mess with the mass airflow sensor at all? I'm trying to figure out wether or not this would cause any minor issues that the dealership might claim "voided my warranty."

Despite the fact that aftermarket parts shouldn't void my warranty, I want to make sure that I don't leave any slack for my dealership to cut away. :eek:
 
ComradeGrumbles said:
I really appreciate all the replies.

I had another question about intakes that my one friend brought up. When putting on an aftermarket intake, will it mess with the mass airflow sensor at all? I'm trying to figure out wether or not this would cause any minor issues that the dealership might claim "voided my warranty."

Despite the fact that aftermarket parts shouldn't void my warranty, I want to make sure that I don't leave any slack for my dealership to cut away. :eek:
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Not usually, most people worry about the oil from the filter getting on the MAF sensor. Just dont over oil the filter when you clean it...AEM makes a dryflow filter that is pretty dang good no oil to worry about. Some vehicles are sensitive to the placement of the MAF sensor as well basically the distance from the throttle body to the sensor. Most kits designed for your car should be good to go especially from a reputable company like K&N.
 
BlkHemiLTD said:
Not usually, most people worry about the oil from the filter getting on the MAF sensor. Just dont over oil the filter when you clean it...AEM makes a dryflow filter that is pretty dang good no oil to worry about. Some vehicles are sensitive to the placement of the MAF sensor as well basically the distance from the throttle body to the sensor. Most kits designed for your car should be good to go especially from a reputable company like K&N.
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That's definitely good to know. So it's mainly just the oil that some people worry about?

Also, what do you think about a Short Ram Intake vs a Cold Air intake? This is really my first foray into these things so I have no idea.
 
I've had my K&N typhoon on for over 25k w/o an issue, 2 proper cleanings and oilings too, like the above statement, don't over oil or just get a dryflow. My kit came with the one you oil and you clean it real good when its dirty, let dry and/or use a hair dryer, real good and then quick swipes with the filter oil and your all set, it doesn't need a lot to be properly oiled. Then let it dry for a good while (preferrably overnight) and re-install. I generally clean mine coming out of winter and again going into winter. I also had this on my previous car, 2010 Honda Fit sport w/o a problem. Because its an "open filter" with the typhoon it needs more cleanings than a drop-in. My fiance has a K&N drop-in and we went 35k w/o a cleaning and it wasn't too bad, cleaned it on St. Patrick's Day so we'd remember down the road when it was cleaned last.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
Yeah thats usually most peoples gripe with them is the oil thing getting on the MAF but honestly even if it did happen its not a big deal to clean you can get a spray cleaner like CRC or other brands to get it clean again just DONT touch the MAF wire in the sensor.

Short ram vs cold air really is preference because as previously stated you wont really feel much of a difference performance wise and the cold air can subject your filter to water, not all do however.

The short ram style usually is mounted in a stock location and shielded from underhood heat but will obviously not be getting as cool of an air charge, BUT... the less turns the air has to make is also a benefit.

In the end on a mostly stock car, small displacement, without forced induction its purpose is seriously more to save you money on filter replacements and you may get a performance increase but it wont be anything special.
 
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