K&N now has air filter for Edge!!!!

[flyerjmr33]

You can buy 1 K+N filter and cleaner or 7 bottom line stock type filters. Depending on your driving conditions the stock filters can last from 70,000 (dirty conditions) miles to 210,000 (perfect conditions) miles if all 7 were used. The K+N will still outlast the stock filters.

 

My math is $8.49 for a cheap stock filter and $50.99 for a K+N and the cleaning kit was $13.00 however the cleaning kit will clean approx 20 filters in my experience.

 

30,000 miles is stock filter replacement if perfect driving conditions are met!

So $50.99 + $13.00 = $63.99 K+N 1,000,000 miles or 4 cleanings for 200,000 miles of driving.

So $8.49 X 7 = $59.43. 210,000 miles and 7 filters if you are lucky and get the 30,000 miles of driving per filter change.

 

So in the end you are up approx $4.00 by not buying a K+N but you do have to go out and buy and replace filters every 10,000 to 30,000 miles and with the economy I bet you spend well over the price of 1 K+N filter and cleaner by the time you hit the 200,000 mile mark with stock type filters! With the K+N the future investment is done and you will have to clean it 4 times in 200,000 miles.

 

P.S. I bought my first K+N filtercharger cleaning kit in 1995 and still have some left to do at least 1 more filter cleaning.

 

Oh and the cleaning thing is not a pain. Keep the OEM filter and put it back in while you clean the K+N if you need to drive.

 

P.S. When you got over 100k on your Edge I would like to see if your hands dont get dirty changing a stock filter or doing anything under the hood. On any vehicle with high mileage and use you will get your hands dirty. My hands barely get oily changing a K+N they still get dirty changing a stock filter (ever try changing a stock filter on a 1998 3.8 Windstar?), I guess getting my hands dirty doing some work under the hood doesnt bother some of us Men who work on cars!

 

I rarely keep a car much past 100k--- The most I ever drove one was 137K--- and, if your hands get dirty changing an air filter then perhaps you should do as I do and wash that underhood area at least once a year. I do my cars twice a year and rarely ever get my hands dirty working under the hood.

Your investment in air filters is all up front. Mine is on the installment plan--- I can't see the reasoning behind using a filter that allows more dirt to enter the engine than a stock paper filter, but as I said, whatever floats your boat!

[nextime]

You must have the cleanest engine on the planet cause my car only has 5500 miles on it and my hands will get dirty. I would not change my air filter and then go eat with my hands.

[ThinLine]

I picked up a solid 1mpg after installing a K&N filter and removing air snorkle. I now get 20mpg. Let's say the tank holds 20 gallons. With the additional 1mpg.......that is 20 more miles I can travel befor fueling up. Say I fill up 4 times a month....that is an additional 80 miles of travel per month after installing the K&N. Gas is $4 a gallon so that is $4 less per fill up so that equates to $16 savings a month ! Running the K&N...!So in 4 months I would have saved $64 worth of gas !!! So to conclude, the K&N has paid for itself in 4 months, doesn't have to be cleaned until 50,000 miles and will last the life of the car ! I will save $192 a year using a K&N filter ...!!!!! To me, this mod is an utter and absolute no brainer. I hope you all can follow my math.....it was never my strong suit. BTW, when I say a solid 1 mpg it is actually 1.3 mpg but using 1 made the math much simpler. Do yourself a favor and buy a K&N ! Aside from the money I save, the car runs smoother and has more torque that you can feel on the SOTP meter !

[ThinLine]

Also, paper filters here are $12 and you should replace them twice a year. The environmental impact of not throwing out 2 paper filters a year by using a K&N would be epic if say 1,000 people switched to K&N. That's 2000 less filters in a landfill per year !!! I am not a "green peace hippie" but we all need to do our part to save the earth and air for our children.

[ThinLine]

.I love cinnamon toast crunch !

Edited May 19, 2011 by ThinLine

[fathead]

I still have a hard time believing there would are ANY gas mileage gains with a K&N filter. You can read about power and mileage gains online all day, but it sure seems like anecdotal evidence to me. It seems that if these claims were indeed possible for a mere $50 that car manufacturers would include them from the factory. Why would ford not want to improve vehicle efficiency and help meet CAFE requirements for a minimal investment? Of course this is just my opinion, and I certainly have no problems with anyone who thinks otherwise.

[akirby]

I still have a hard time believing there would are ANY gas mileage gains with a K&N filter. You can read about power and mileage gains online all day, but it sure seems like anecdotal evidence to me. It seems that if these claims were indeed possible for a mere $50 that car manufacturers would include them from the factory. Why would ford not want to improve vehicle efficiency and help meet CAFE requirements for a minimal investment? Of course this is just my opinion, and I certainly have no problems with anyone who thinks otherwise.

 

Better yet - if there were any verifiable mpg gains then K&N would have that plastered all over their website. But they don't. Nuff said.

[flyerjmr33]

You must have the cleanest engine on the planet cause my car only has 5500 miles on it and my hands will get dirty. I would not change my air filter and then go eat with my hands.

 

I was trained to use a knife, fork, and spoon ---------------------------

[nextime]

My Edge is a 2011 and has 5500 miles on it. Just for shits and giggles I went out and completely removed the filter and put it back in and my hands were filthy. I bought it new in Oct 2010 so I have owned it 7 months so I dont see how your hands would remain clean after 1 year?

 

I was trained to use a knife, fork, and spoon ---------------------------

[nextime]

Taken off the K+N site under the FAQ page. I can see why they wont claim any increase in MPG because of way too many variables however they do say it is "theoretically possible for a consumer to experience a mileage increase after installing a K&N air filter or intake system."

 

Directly off K+N FAQ.

 

1.How will a K&N filter affect my vehicle's fuel economy?

 

There is a relationship between air filter restriction and mileage. The theory behind this is simple, the harder an engine has to work to suck air through the intake tubes and air filter, the more gas gets wasted in the process. Many K&N users report an increase in their fuel economy after beginning to use our air filters, as noted on our testimonial page. However, these experiences do not mean you will also experience a change in your mileage. We certainly understand why it is theoretically possible for a consumer to experience a mileage increase after installing a K&N air filter or intake system, however, we do not go so far as to make a general claim that our air filters and intake systems will provide an increase in mileage.

 

It is virtually impossible to make sweeping and general claims about mileage. Even the EPA fuel rating numbers for new cars are often not representative of the mileage you actually experience. There are many variables that affect mileage such as: tire inflation, the type of fuel, weather, elevation, the speed at which you drive, the gear in which you drive, the speed with which you accelerate, engine maintenance, excessive idling, cruise control, the grade of motor oil you use, and of course, the condition of your air filter. In short, mileage is complicated.

 

K&N filters are less restrictive than disposable paper or synthetic air filters and K&N Intake Systems are less restrictive than the factory installed air path. So K&N filter technology could be an important tool, when combined with other elements, to help keep mileage as high as possible.

 

Oh yeah, there's one more limitation imposed by science. If you take advantage of added power by driving more aggressively, you will reduce mileage. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

[nextime]

I like the part about Baja racers, we all know they race in severe dusty areas and all run K+N type filters.

 

Also this was taken off a Blog from a K+N rep.

http://cars.about.com/b/2006/05/18/can-a-better-air-filter-improve-fuel-economy-well-find-out.htm

 

 

"David Vespremi(28)

 

I’d like to make myself available for questions and comments on this article. I am the Brand Marketing Director at K&N Engineering, Inc. I am also an automotive enthusiast and published automotive author (”Car Hacks and Mods for Dummies, Yahoo!, and TechTV included)

 

As such, I can help address some of these questions and concerns as both a knowledgeable enthusiast who has used K&N on various project cars well before I worked for the company, and now most recently, as a representative of K&N.

 

I am pleased to have been asked to contribute to this dialogue and appreciate the interest in K&N’s products. I am further grateful to Aaron for taking the opportunity to provide his readers with objective feedback – be it good or bad – about our products. At K&N, we are proud of the fact that we make the World’s Best air filters and intake systems – manufactured in Riverside, California for over 37 years by enthusiasts. To date, over 15 million K&N air filter are in active use worldwide and K&N is one of the few, if not only, companies with a full ISO/SAE filtration lab on site that allows us to continually benchmark our products in every step of the development process. This includes the “three legged stool” of criteria by which we measure our filters’ performance: (1) filtration – the ability to prevent harmful contaminants and particulate matter from getting into the engine (2) flow – the ability to get air to the engine and (3) dirt retention – the ability to perform these over the longest service life possible without a degradation in performance. It is in achieving the “sweet spot” between these three that makes a K&N a K&N.

 

While it is true that there are filters that stop more particulates than K&N, and that there are those that flow more air, as there those that retain more dirt before degrading in performance, it is K&N’s mission to excel not in any one category – but as a compromise of all three – and to do this with a filter that has a service life for the entire life of your car.

 

I should further point out that K&N makes no claims that our products improve fuel efficiency. Even the EPAs mandated numbers for OEMs are just estimates, so any estimated improvements on what is itself an estimate is a bit of reach. What we can conclusively say is that under a Department of Energy Report, a clogged air filter can negatively impact fuel economy by up to 10% and that there is a relatively high number of vehicles on the road using paper filters past a point in which fuel mileage is likely being impacted. By using a K&N (or any new filter) that fuel mileage can be restored. The critical difference and primary point of appeal for a K&N Lifetime filter over the disposable variety is that unlike a paper filter, a K&N Lifetime filter never needs to be replaced. As such, the money and hassle you save with K&N as compared to continually buying and replacing paper filters can be avoided. Further, because over 100 million disposable air filters and their associated packaging end up in landfills in the U.S. alone each year, K&N helps reduce the waste associated with the manufacture, transport, and use of these disposable products.

 

To address the question of why an OEM manufacturer would not be inclined to equip cars with K&N from the factory, one has to look at the business model behind building, selling, and servicing cars. Why do many car manufacturers now offer 10 year 100k warranties? The reason is simple. The cars are well built enough to last that long, but by keeping customers coming back to dealerships for consumables, which includes everything from brake pads and rotors, to spark plugs, to oil changes – and yes – filter changes, the manufacture can build into the target price of every car sold a profit center to subsidize the price of the car.

 

It is no different from how before the days of bagless vacuum cleaners, a vacuum cleaner would be sold with very little profit margin since the bags themselves would need to be continually repurchased, or why coffee machines were once sold with paper filters specific to the shape and size of that machine before the standard switched to lifetime metal filters. It is a form of planned obsolescence, and one that is against the core philosophy of how K&N engineers its products.

 

It is clear that paper automotive filters work are a profit center pure and simple. As it is now, K&N is a large global company selling millions of filters a year. Think of how many more a company like ours could sell if we sold more than one per vehicle. However, our value proposition to the consumer is very different and consumers know that while our filters cost a bit more up front, they have the peace of mind from knowing that they are getting the very best for their cars.

 

To support this, K&N has, of course, been use in Motorsports for many years. This includes Indy Car – every car that crosses the finish line at next week’s Indy 500 will be using a K&N – Champ Car, NHRA, WRC, NASCAR, Baja 500 and 1000, all the way down to the most obscure grassroots forms of motorsports. For those inclined to think that a K&N does not stop dirt, ask a Baja racer some time why they don’t simply elect to use paper filters? Obviously, they must be concerned about the fine silt and dirt getting into their engines in the 1,000 mile desert race.

 

However, I am not here to extol the performance benefits of a factory replacement filter. Yes, it flows more air than a paper filter – those who have seen K&N’s air flow demonstrators (the ones that use the ping pong ball) in retail environments know this to be true. But because it flows more air, or because light is visible through the pleats, doesn’t mean that a K&N doesn’t excel under SAE/ISO tests under our three-legged stool criteria.

 

The reason for this is simple, K&N works on an entirely different physics principle than a paper filter. You see, a paper filter stops dirt by presenting a barrier full of pores that fill up with dirt as it accumulates on the filter’s surface. The fewer unclogged pores remain available, the less air the filter is able to pass through to the engine. This is called surface loading. A K&N filter depth loads, meaning that the particulates are held in suspension by a tacking agent. Since the contaminant particles essentially becomes a magnet for other particles, the particles build up on each other into bigger clumps and the air continues to flow around them through the grid matrix weave of the cotton fibers. This is called depth loading.

 

For those that want performance – a guaranteed increase in horsepower that you can actually feel – K&N offers our performance intake systems. These are significantly more expensive than the Lifetime replacement filters, but their quality and performance are second to none. While our Lifetime filters do outflow paper filters, it is only after eliminating the maze of factory baffles, chambers and plumbing that our Intake Systems provide that an uncompromised increase in performance can be released.

 

I’ll cut this short for now, but I am happy to answer questions here so please feel free to fire away.

 

Thanks,

David Vespremi

K&N Brand Marketing Directo"

[akirby]

The MPG increase is brilliant marketing BS. It's called "how to imply there is a mpg improvement without actually saying there is a mpg improvement."

 

All those variables are true and applicable to real world mpg claims. However, it's easy to control all of those variables in a laboratory testing environment. You run

the same vehicle on the same day in the same weather on the same route and you switch back and forth between the paper filter and the K&N filter. Then you publish the results

with the appropriate disclaimers.

 

They publish estimated horsepower gains using the same process. The fact that they do not do the same for fuel mileage combined with that BS FAQ answer says it all.

[ThinLine]

I picked up a solid 1mpg after installing a K&N filter and removing air snorkle. I now get 20mpg. Let's say the tank holds 20 gallons. With the additional 1mpg.......that is 20 more miles I can travel befor fueling up. Say I fill up 4 times a month....that is an additional 80 miles of travel per month after installing the K&N. Gas is $4 a gallon so that is $4 less per fill up so that equates to $16 savings a month ! Running the K&N...!So in 4 months I would have saved $64 worth of gas !!! So to conclude, the K&N has paid for itself in 4 months, doesn't have to be cleaned until 50,000 miles and will last the life of the car ! I will save $192 a year using a K&N filter ...!!!!! To me, this mod is an utter and absolute no brainer. I hope you all can follow my math.....it was never my strong suit. BTW, when I say a solid 1 mpg it is actually 1.3 mpg but using 1 made the math much simpler. Do yourself a favor and buy a K&N ! Aside from the money I save, the car runs smoother and has more torque that you can feel on the SOTP meter !

1.3 mpg increase with the addition of K&N and removal of air box snorkle. If I could "verify" this for you Akirby, I would. This is real world results from a skeptical SOB and I expected to have no mpg increase whatsoever......I just bought the K&N to save $ on paper filters. Same travel route, same driving style and same gas station. All I can say is buy one and you will see. Peace.

[akirby]

1.3 mpg increase with the addition of K&N and removal of air box snorkle. If I could "verify" this for you Akirby, I would. This is real world results from a skeptical SOB and I expected to have no mpg increase whatsoever......I just bought the K&N to save $ on paper filters. Same travel route, same driving style and same gas station. All I can say is buy one and you will see. Peace.

 

But did you try going back to a new paper filter then back to the K&N? That would at least rule out most other outside variations (but not all). How do you know they didn't change the fuel at the same time (winter blend back to summer blend, E-10 back to straight gas, etc.)? Did you drive exactly the same way over exactly the same route? Was the weather different? Tire pressure?

 

I've owned K&N filters and have nothing against them. I just don't believe they can increase your mpg all else being equal. All you have to do is find a controlled test to prove otherwise. I did find a test from a guy that actually put a diaper in the air intake box on his car. He had virtually no power but his mileage actually went UP by 1 or 2 mpg.

[pxb006]

I did find a test from a guy that actually put a diaper in the air intake box on his car. He had virtually no power but his mileage actually went UP by 1 or 2 mpg.

 

Was this in a controlled test?

[ThinLine]

All I know is that I was between 18.7 and 18.9 rarely hitting the 19 mark. After install of K&N I am hitting 19.8 to 20.1 consistently. This is why I stated a solid 1 mpg in my explanation. I can't rule out the gas thing and the weather was fairly consistent from high 30's to low 40's at night and around mid 50's daytime. I will never go back to a paper filter.

I don't think they switch from winter blend to summer in march but I could be wrong.

Edited May 20, 2011 by ThinLine

[akirby]

Was this in a controlled test?

 

No, it wasn't a controlled test but it's anecdotal evidence that is contrary to the other anecdotal evidence. However it should disprove the theory that the engine loses efficiency because it has to work harder to suck in air.

If that were the case you would expect to see a huge drop in mileage in that circumstance, controlled or not.

[akirby]

All I know is that I was between 18.7 and 18.9 rarely hitting the 19 mark. After install of K&N I am hitting 19.8 to 20.1 consistently. This is why I stated a solid 1 mpg in my explanation.

 

It's fine to say that YOU saw an increase, but it's not accurate to say that everyone would see an increase or that the increase was due strictly to the K&N filter without test results to back that up.

[ThinLine]

Engine works harde you gain more mpg's......engine breathing and efficiency are increased yet you get no gain in mpg's. I simply cannot follow your logic akirby. Maybe I can put it in a better prospective for you......try running a mile with normal breathing and then try running a mile breathing through a straw...which is going to yield more efficient results...? May I ask akirby why you are so deadset against using a K&N on your Edge ?

Edited May 20, 2011 by akirby
language

[flyerjmr33]

Engine works harde you gain more mpg's......engine breathing and efficiency are increased yet you get no gain in mpg's. I simply cannot follow your logic akirby. Maybe I can put it in a better prospective for you......try running a mile with normal breathing and then try running a mile breathing through a straw...which is going to yield more efficient results...? May I ask akirby why you are so deadset against using a K&N on your Edge ? Join the K&N club, and if you don't see a mileage improvement I will eat a dirty tampon on post it on youtube !

 

There's an obvious lack of system knowledge here--- The computer controls the fuel/air mixture. It remains the same no matter how easy or hard it is for the engine to breathe. The only change with increased air availability would be a small power gain, and that happens only at full throttle.

Most of us here are not running NASCAR and only require full throttle rarely--- Why waste money on unusable stuff? I personally find it better spent on creature comforts.

Your "straw" theory doesn't compute here because the engine has no muscles that tire from lack of air.

Even K & N doesn't make mileage increase claims in their advertising---

Edited May 20, 2011 by akirby
language

[akirby]

Engine works harde you gain more mpg's......engine breathing and efficiency are increased yet you get no gain in mpg's. I simply cannot follow your logic akirby. Maybe I can put it in a better prospective for you......try running a mile with normal breathing and then try running a mile breathing through a straw...which is going to yield more efficient results...? May I ask akirby why you are so deadset against using a K&N on your Edge ?

 

Have you ever seen a throttle body? It restricts the air flow into the engine. The engine simply pulls whatever air is allowed in by the throttle body and air filter. The computer simply adds enough fuel to match the incoming air volume.

 

Your theory that the engine has to "work harder" based on the air filter is rubbish. There is no difference between 50% throttle with a paper filter and 45% throttle with a K&N - it's the total amount of air entering the intake and it doesn't matter how it gets there.

 

You get 2 more warning points for that last sentence that I removed. Next occurence you get an automatic 2 week vacation.

[ThinLine]

I totally agree with your WOT theory.....you are absolutely corrct. Considering I just installed a CAI , 75mm TB ported intake elbow and TB spacer on my mustang, yes I have "seen" a TB. Bottom line: I improved my MPG's by 1.3 by installing a K&N filter. Some will see gains some will see losses. All I know is what I observed and I am more than happy with the results.

[ThinLine]

I picked up a solid 1mpg after installing a K&N filter and removing air snorkle. I now get 20mpg. Let's say the tank holds 20 gallons. With the additional 1mpg.......that is 20 more miles I can travel befor fueling up. Say I fill up 4 times a month....that is an additional 80 miles of travel per month after installing the K&N. Gas is $4 a gallon so that is $4 less per fill up so that equates to $16 savings a month ! Running the K&N...!So in 4 months I would have saved $64 worth of gas !!! So to conclude, the K&N has paid for itself in 4 months, doesn't have to be cleaned until 50,000 miles and will last the life of the car ! I will save $192 a year using a K&N filter ...!!!!! To me, this mod is an utter and absolute no brainer. I hope you all can follow my math.....it was never my strong suit. BTW, when I say a solid 1 mpg it is actually 1.3 mpg but using 1 made the math much simpler. Do yourself a favor and buy a K&N ! Aside from the money I save, the car runs smoother and has more torque that you can feel on the SOTP meter !

[flyerjmr33]

Looks to me that with results that you state, if really true, the manufacturers would jump on K&N like a duck on a june bug--- They don't for obvious reasons--- Changing an air filter alone, will not increase fuel economy. The computer and the sensors control the fuel economy.

What most folks see when they add something like a K&N filter is that their driving habits improve enough to get the increase. Once they see it, they believe that it's gonna just be there regardless of how they drive. So, dream on and spend the money as you wish. It's your bucks. If you really believe what you say, you should be selling the product for a profit.

[ThinLine]

That's just it......my driving habit if any has been more aggressive since the install of the K&N due to the intake sound and added power. And I still picked up 1.3mpg ! Why would it not be true ? Stop hatin' and get one.....you'll see.