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I finally did the K and N air filter

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Max Taiwan, Mar 16, 2020.

  1. Max Taiwan

    Max Taiwan Active Member

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    Hi Guys! Life has really gotten busy!
    I am here to share a new upgrade, this one has been on my list of things to do for a while since I got the Prius C roughly a year ago.

    I installed this K & N filter on all my vehicles including motorcycles(was a lot of work... had to re-jet the Honda Magna), the reminder always comes when the stealership tries to rip me off for suggesting to change one way before the due date.
    Took only 2 min to install, it was a absolute drop-in! If you thought the Red Bullet was easy to install... this is like putting on trousers.

    Thoughts so far... I can hear and feel the difference; car pulling a bit harder and less hesitation but as of yet I did not have the opportunity to test it out against a factory filter. Plus my old factory does have 20k km on it and who knows how many years of use before I took possession. The all honest truth... There is not that big of a WOW compared to installing other performance parts but it is for sure nice to have.

    So far so good. Looking towards to that worry free of 50k km driving.
    Here are some pictures!
    20200226_132853.jpg 20200226_133116.jpg 20200226_133252.jpg

    Soon after the installation we took a road trip down to south Taiwan to attend my cousin's wedding. My wife drove, most of it was highway which hypnotizes me. The following was the screen shot when we were stopped at a rest area.
    20200306_212652.jpg
    Highway driving with 27+ average, I sleep with a smile!
    My wife is light footed so I would guess the average speed including traffic was around 74km/h. There were some parts that were around 40km/h she said when we got there... so I guess she went over the speed limit on some parts. Waiting for the speeding ticket.

    Hope you all are well! Drive safe!
     
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I googled "convert km/l to mpg us" and found a google conversion function. The above 27.2 km/l translates to 64 mpg US.

    I'm guessing the object with the K&N filter is it's freer flowing? Not sure this equates to better mpg. More power maybe, as it's sort like a turbo: putting (slightly) more air through.
     
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  3. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Here we go again.............

    There are plenty of third party test results showing OEM vs many aftermarket filters, including K&N.

    Manufacturers literature rarely helps make an informed, unbiased decision.
     
    #3 TMR-JWAP, Mar 16, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2020
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  4. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    I had a K&N on my Nissan Sentra, and then on my Ford Fiesta that I traded for my '12 Prius C. So I wasted $55 on a K&N for a car I only ran for 8 months. I don't think I'm going to get one for my Prius C. The car has quite good acceleration with its stock air filter.
     
  5. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    I've been very happy with my HPS intake with a K&N filter. I like the elimination with all of those passages and places where rats and mice can make their nests. HPS on Prius v completed install.jpg HPS on Prius v custom aluminum support bracket 2.jpg
     
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  6. Max Taiwan

    Max Taiwan Active Member

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    I am convinced freer flow, I had to install larger pilot jets and put shims on the needle for the bike to run properly with the K&N on the Magna. As for vehicles with injected fuel system I believe the ECU compensates for the air fuel mixture by giving more fuel.
    Knowing that I will not need to worry about getting another filter for the next few years is nice. Really happy about getting a Hybrid, the fuel economy is awesome when things are running smoothly.
     
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  7. Max Taiwan

    Max Taiwan Active Member

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    Looking good there! love those chrome pipes!
     
  8. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

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    I've got that K&N filter on my C. But there was no noticeable difference in anything. mpg & acceleration was and remains the same as it was with a stock filter. But it does last longer so I'm good with that.
     
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm still on OEM filter at 86K kms, looks pretty much like new. West coast air likely less dusty though.
     
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  10. Max Taiwan

    Max Taiwan Active Member

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    I remembered paper element filters had a life span regardless of use. I got a show room bike roughly 10 years ago which had only 125km on her. It was sitting in the showroom for nearly 3 years before i picked her up. After 200km of ownership the bike kept on fouling plugs, at the time just over 400km on the clock. We troubleshoot everything... after a week i purchased a new air filter and swapped out the old one looking brand new.
    Bike ran clean like it just rolled out of the factory.
    I did not believe it myself until that day. We were close to getting new rings for the pistons.
     
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  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Huh, never thought of that. Googling a bit lends some credence to that. I wish mine didn't look so good though. Ok, maybe this fall, will be 10 years, lol.
     
  12. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Big difference between a set of Mikuni carbs and modern EFI with mass air flow. When you're injecting fuel based on the actual mass of air going into the engine and feedback loops, any normal filter restriction, clean or not clean, almost becomes meaningless. Up until the point where the filter cannot support enough airflow for the engine.
     
  13. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Not my issue. I wanted to get rid of all those nooks, crannies and passages where rats and mice could make nests and free up the engine compartment. The freed area allows me an ideal place to put the oil catch can. occ installed Prius V 001.jpg
     
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  14. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    I definitely noticed a wee bit better acceleration with K&Ns on my Sentra and Fiesta. Plus I would alternate back and forth to the stock AF and K&N just to really compare the difference. Plus the K&N gave it a more powerful sound. The effect wasn't dramatic but it was there. I may possibly get a K&N for the Prius but not a cold air intake.
     
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  15. TNToy

    TNToy Member

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    Just go easy on the oil, friends.

    K&Ns are notorious at dealerships for driveability issues. Every time I had a Toyota come in with a lean code, saw excessive fuel trims, a MAF code, or had an idle concern on a vehicle with a K&N?

    The MAF would invariably be gummed up.

    It’s a little heated wire out there in the intake are with a thermistor beside it. When the oily air sucked through an overly-saturated K&N coats those elements... any trace of debris would build up a layer of insulation inside the MAF. It’d look like a tiny sweater was knitted in there.

    A quick shot of electrical contact cleaner and it would run good as new, but that one can be tricky to figure out if you haven’t seen it before.
     
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  16. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    I'd use MAF sensor cleaner instead.

     
  17. Max Taiwan

    Max Taiwan Active Member

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    The K&N difference is there like you described, but not everyone is sensitive enough to notice the change, especially if one is not use to stepping on it!
    OMG Gas is cheap. Could not get my free car wash this fill up. Did not hit the $ amount with this this small tank. I did the math... even if i run bone dry... still not enough capacity to get a free car wash at the pumps. The attendant was laughing that I had to pay for the car wash...
     
  18. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    Yeah, I think I'll pass on the K&N filter for my Prius C. I don't want to foul some part of it up and not realize it and then have it fail and have to have expensive work done to it. I put a new air filter in it when I got it, I'll run that and be satisfied.
     
  19. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    By MAF code do you mean Modified Air Filter by any chance?

    I guess I'll pass on the K&N, though in other cars I've ran them in I've never had a problem with one yet.
     
    #19 Lukey51, Mar 16, 2021
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2021
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    MAF equals Mass Air Flow (sensor). It’s in the air intake, between air filter and throttle body.
     
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