Stock Replacement Air Filters
The K&N Filtercharger

 

K&N Frequently Asked Questions How much of an increase in miles per gallon should I see from using a K&N air filter or intake kit (Fuel Injection Performance Kit – FIPK, Typhoon, or Aircharger)?  What increase in horsepower should I see from a K&N replacement filter?  What increase in horsepower should I see from a K&N intake kit (Fuel Injection Performance Kit – FIPK, Typhoon, or Aircharger)?  Are K&N filters emissions legal?  Are K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kits – FIPK’s street legal and will I have a problem passing state vehicle inspections due to the altering of my air box?  Will a K&N filter cause my vehicle’s mass air sensor to fail?  Can an engine get too much airflow?  Should I install the largest K&N filter that will fit in my race vehicle?  Will I need to make adjustments to my vehicle after I install a K&N filter or intake kit? What is the micron rating and filtering efficiency of the K&N filter?  How much does an air filter cost? Call Toll Free 1-888-2012066 How much does an intake kit cost? Can a K&N filter be made at the factory for any application? How important is the sealing grease? Will the use of a K&N filter void my factory warranty? Do the filters come pre-oiled or must they be oiled before using? Can the cotton gauze shrink from engine heat? Is it OK to rotate round filter to get more longevity? How do I know when to clean the filter? Can I use anything other than K&N cleaner and oil? Can I use compressed air to dry the filter faster? Should I brush the wire screen with a toothbrush to get all the “crud” off? How do K&N filters differ from other brands of filters? 1. How much of an increase in miles per gallon should I see from using a K&N air filter or intake kit (Fuel Injection Performance Kit – FIPK, Typhoon, or Aircharger)?  Results will vary depending on your vehicle, driving habits, load on the engine (towing for example), existing air system restriction, and other factors.  Many K&N users report an increase in miles per gallon.  K&N air filters and intake kits provide less restriction on your engine’s air intake than typical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) filters and air box systems. Less restriction provides for a more efficient (increased power and/or higher MPG) engine. Our tests primarily measure power gain.  Our testing is performed using employee and customer vehicles. We usually have the cars for a short period of time that will only allow for fit checks and dyno (power curve) testing. If you take advantage of added power by driving harder, you will not see much of a gain, if any, in MPG. Also if you add a K&N filter and the primary source of air restriction in the OEM system is the air box, you won’t see much of a difference in power or MPG unless you add a K&N intake kit to reduce the restriction. 2. What increase in horsepower should I see from a K&N replacement filter? We perform dyno (power curve) testing on our products. Our replacement filters typically provide a 2 to 4 percent horsepower increase. Your results will vary depending on your vehicle, driving habits, load on the engine (towing for example), existing air system restriction, and other factors.  3. What increase in horsepower should I see from a K&N intake kit (Fuel Injection Performance Kit – FIPK, Typhoon, or Aircharger)? K&N intake kits (Fuel Injection Performance Kit – FIPK, Typhoon, or Aircharger) typically provide a 5 to 8 % increase in power. For instance, our tests on a Jeep Grand Cherokee had repeated gains of 26.3 horsepower. We also have dyno test results showing increases through the towing range of no less than 23 ft. lbs. Your results will vary depending on your vehicle, driving habits, load on the engine (towing for example), existing air system restriction, and other factors.  4. Are K&N filters emissions legal? All K&N direct replacement filters are emission legal. They do not require any modifications and go directly in the stock air filter housing. Universal clamp-on filters may not be legal in states where under the hood modifications are not allowed. Since they can be used on just about anything, it would be impossible to have all the different filters tested for all possible applications. Check your local laws if you are unsure. 5. Are K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kits – FIPK’s street legal and will I have a problem passing state vehicle inspections due to the altering of my air box?  K&N FIPK’s are legal in all 50 states. Each FIPK and Typhoon intake kit has been submitted and approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Since California has the toughest emission laws in the country, they have been accepted as legal by other states. Each of these kits comes with a high temperature sticker with the CARB approved “EO” number. This sticker differentiates approved devices from non-approved devices. As long as you have the approved sticker you shouldn’t have any problems with vehicle inspections. Our Aircharger intake kits may not be legal in states where under the hood modifications are not allowed. Check your local laws if you are unsure. 6. Will a K&N filter cause my vehicle’s mass air sensor to fail? No. A properly oiled K&N filter will not contaminate a mass air sensor. However, if you over oil your filter it is possible for oil to drip off the filter and contaminate the sensor. In the last few years certain vehicles have had design problems with the mass air sensors. Some local dealers have attempted to blame the problem on a K&N filter, however, of all the sensors we have sent off to be tested we have yet to find one that failed due to oil contamination. The defect in all cases was within the mass air sensor unit. If oil were to contaminate the sensor’s “hot wire”, the wire itself could be cleaned, however if there were a problem with internal circuitry the sensor would have to be replaced.  7. Can an engine get too much airflow? No, an engine can only take in a fixed volume of air depending on the engine’s size. The more restriction that an air intake system (filter, air box, and tubing) causes, the greater the potential is for power and mileage degradation.  8. Should I install the largest K&N filter that will fit in my race vehicle?  If an existing K&N filter is large enough to provide negligible restriction, a larger than required filter will not affect the amount of air an engine can take in, however, it will lengthen the filter’s service interval. A longer service interval, however, can be an important factor when racing in dusty, dirty environments. 9. Will I need to make adjustments to my vehicle after I install a K&N filter or intake kit?  On fuel injected vehicles the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) computer and emission control system will adjust for the increase in air. The OEM computer will adjust immediately if it is reset. Removing the battery cable from the battery for 15 minutes or more should reset it. On some carbureted models you may have to richen the mixture when switching from a paper filter to a K&N air filter or intake kit. 10. What is the micron rating and filtering efficiency of the K&N filter? K&N air filter designs are tested both in house and by independent testing laboratories for air flow, filtering efficiency and dust retention. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) establishes testing standards for automotive air filters. Independent testing of panel and round K&N air filters has confirmed an overall efficiency rating of over 99% when tested using the SAE J726 air filter test code. The test results provide scientific details including particle size, size distribution, testing methodology and results. The overall results establish the superiority of our filters against the “competition”. The OEM minimum specification is 96% with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) test dust which consists of a majority of 0 to 5 micron particles but some up to 20 microns in size. Test results showed that a paper filter has a 99.29% cumulative efficiency and a 96.47% initial pass. A K&N filter, with far less restriction than paper, has a 99.05% cumulative efficiency and a 97.11% initial pass. 11. How much does a filter cost? Call Toll Free 1-888-2012066 It depends upon the application. They can range anywhere from $35.00 up to $80.00. Size, shape, and materials used to manufacture the filter affect the price.  12. How much does an intake kit cost? It depends upon the application. The average price range is from $150.00 to $400.00. The main factor that affects the price is the cost of the materials to make the kit. The more parts changed, the greater the price.  13. Can a K&N filter be made at the factory for any application? Yes, we can make just about anything, but the cost can be prohibitive on panel types. Generally, we only change the height of existing round filters. This includes cylindrical, conical and oval filters clamp-on or not. 14. How important is the sealing grease? It is rather important. It helps to maintain a seal on an uneven surface as well as it helps to keep the air box lids from catching and tearing the seal. If sealing grease is unavailable, a white lithium or a synthetic grease will work just fine. Do not use petroleum-based products, as they will damage the seal. 15. Will the use of a K&N filter void my factory warranty? It is against the law for a manufacturer to require the use of a specific brand of air filter unless they are providing it free of charge under the terms of the warranty. This is stated in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the general principles of the Federal Trade Commission. The customer may use any brand of filter they like if the dealership is not providing filters free of charge as part of the warranty. This does not hold true for fleets or government agencies. 16. Do the filters come pre-oiled or must they be oiled before using? K&N filters come pre-oiled and ready to use. The filter media is made from layers of white cotton gauze. The oil has a red dye added to show how much is being applied. If the filter looks pinkish-red, it is oiled. It is important that K&N air filters are never used unoiled. This would greatly degrade their filtering ability.  17. Can the cotton gauze shrink from engine heat? No. You will not have a problem with the material shrinking as long as the proper cleaning solutions and oil are used. K&N filters come with a limited 10-year million-mile warranty. 18. Is it OK to rotate round filter to get more longevity? This is perfectly OK and even recommended. Most vehicles have a “favorite” spot to draw air in from and rotating the filter will keep it clean longer. 19. How do I know when to clean the filter? The general rule of thumb is that the filter needs to be cleaned when the dirt build up gets as thick as the wire mesh. The usual interval is 30,000 - 50,000 miles depending on driving conditions. We recommend that you check your filter about once a year in normal usage. 20. Can I use anything other than K&N cleaner and oil? We recommend that you only use K&N oil and cleaner. K&N air filter oil is a compound of mineral oil blended with special polymers to form a very efficient tack barrier. We have performed tests on numerous oil combinations and our blend has the required properties for maximum flow and filtration. Petroleum products such as transmission fluid and motor oil will soften and destroy the rubber sealing edges. Our cleaner is a non-detergent degreaser. Solvents and gasoline will harden the rubber seals causing the filter to distort (shrink). A mild detergent can be used in a pinch, but care should be taken to fully rinse it out. Rinsing detergent out of a filter is similar to getting soap out of a sponge; it’s not that easy to do. Always make sure the filter is completely dry before re-oiling. 21. Can I use compressed air to dry the filter faster? No, this can blow the filter material right out of the wire mesh and ruin the filter. Pick a nice day to clean the filter and let it dry naturally.  22. Should I brush the wire screen with a toothbrush to get all the “crud” off? No, this could tear up the cotton gauze. A soft bristle paintbrush is a better idea and is recommended on the cleaning instructions. 23. How do K&N filters differ from other brands of filters? Most of our competitors use synthetic fiber, foam, or paper as opposed to our 4-ply cotton gauze material. These materials do not have the very small fibers that natural cotton does. Only our reusable filters provide the high airflow capability while also providing a high filtering efficiency.