Pontiac G6 Forum banner

K&N Drop In Underrated

13K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  thakid22 
#1 ·
Hey guys, though id let everyone know.

iv been around cold air kits, and on cars with big to small engines. Some people swear by them, and some people say their just okay.

My friend put one (K&N cold air) on his grand prix gt. It added some power, and gas mileage, but it noticably made it louder.

I just bought a K&N Drop In, and i though id say that it provided the same results. I didnt think it would make such a big difference as id did, but it certainly did. Now as far as gas mileage i have yet to check, but revvs faster and kicks you harder in the butt. (only thing is that its not as loud as the cold air, but louder than stock for sure)

Im lovin it. Thought i would share everyone
 
#5 ·
I have one and noticed the difference when you first put it in, but it does decrease over time. I just cleaned it a few weeks ago and put it back in and it actually got a little worse, must not have put enough oil in it.
 
#7 ·
I know. I have the "recharger kit" that you use to clean/oil it up. But I didn't want to over oil it because some people have messed up their MAF sensor using too much. But think I didn't use enough. How many ounces do you guys use when you "recharge" them? I only used a little less than 1 ounce.
 
#8 ·
I had a drop in K&N for my Taurus, since a CAI wasn't available and it showed slightly better mileage at lower speeds (50-55mph) but highway was negligible. After 20K or a year, I decided to clean it. Its not my first K&N by any means, but this thing wouldn't come clean and it wasn't even as dirty as some previous filters. After a lot of time washing it out it was noticeably better but still not as clean as stock of course. I reoiled it as per the recommendations and it ran fine, but I just couldn't stand the 'oil' smell that came into the cabin.

I shopped around and decided on either a Fram Air Hog drop in, or an Amsoil high flow unit. I went with the Amsoil EAA filter due to lower cost and I get similar mileage to when the K&N was at it's most efficient! Now, I just don't have to worry about cleaning it and re oiling. $22 every couple years is a good investment. I also don't have to worry about under-oiling it which will allow dirt to get into the engine.
 
#9 ·
I think the problem is not with the filter, but rather the sensors having a slight bit of oil deposits on them. I'd make sure your sensors are clean (i.e. map, maf)
 
#12 ·
I tried both drop in K&N and the cone without box. I noticed a louder intake growl with the pannel drop in on a moddified air box, where I cut an extra hole in bottom of box and removed air silencer, also using cold air piping from stock air box to throttle body. The 3.5L has a nice deep growl to it.
 
#21 ·
#20 ·
I just installed a CAI. I notice a big difference all around....

As for oiling the filter. Just spray each pleat in a quick up or down motion, all around. For example start at the top and spray down quick 1 second on each pleat. Wait 20 minutes or so and repeat once or twice until the filter is a dark pink. It's best to do 2-3 light coats rather than 1 heavy spray. You don't want any oil dripping from the filter. If there's oil dripping, you gotta clean it again and re-oil!
 
#22 ·
After I installed my K&N FIPK in my Durango I removed the heat sheild, the rubber refused to stay on the edge and thus rattled against other parts under the hood from time to time. Besides, it weighed a good 1.5lbs anyway so I took it off. The filter's going to draw warm air no matter what you do, unless of course it's a direct ram air scoop from under the vehicle.
 
#23 ·
I guess I'll be the black sheep here;
IMO and research, K&N is not the filter for me. Although I would like to get better performance and better MPGs I feel the loss of protection isn't worth it. High performance filters do not filter out the finer particles of dust. Since I use my G6 (and Pinto) as daily drivers I want the best filtration as possible. To me, the gain of 2 MPG or .5 sec in a quarter run (build up in the intake system) does not justify the potential problems I could have do to trash in the air/fuel system.
I might run a poll to see who has or had intake/fuel problems and what type of air filter they use. K&N is a good filter if your looking for high performance but I'm not.
 
#27 ·
I let my K&N filter go on my Durango, and have replaced it with (as it was beyond cleaning it) an Amsoil EAA cone, no oil, all paper gauze. No oil smell!!

I run an Amsoil air filter in my G6 (drop in) as well with no complaints. The tech is out there that allows you to get a better breathing filter, without the worry of sucking in dirt! Cheers.
 
#29 ·
Your forgetting the advantages of the oiled filter.

I have 120k miles on mine and it has had an oiled filter from (almost) day 1.
Zero issues.

I think the key here is understanding and proper maintenance.
 
#30 ·
I agree, the oil filter does have advantages. BUT. Most people when they clean it don't add enough oil, leaving 'gaps', if you will, in the filter where smaller dirt particles can get through.

I had one in my Taurus for the first three years after I bought it new (K&N drop in) and I cleaned it every 6 months. It cost me $14 a year for a new oil kit on top of the $45 filter (Canada prices here). It was on par for the Motomaster paper drop in filters that cost me $6 every six months. As it was my daily driver at the time, I couldn't afford to wash the K&N and let it dry for 1-2 days before re-oiling. I found myself putting the old dry filter back in that I kept in the K&N box in my basement. For $28 I got an Amsoil EAA filter that's supposively good for 60K, or 100,000kms ..we'll see. If I get even 40,000kms out of it, I'll have saved 50% already over a comparable K&N drop in.

I also don't live in The Alamo. Winter salt dust is terrible here each year which can wreak havoc on oiled filters turning them near black after a couple months.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top