K&N Filter question...

tristardc10 · Apr 18, 2005

Just purchased a replacement K&N Air Filter (p/n 33-2298) for my '05 4.0. Never used one of these on any car I've had before but obviously heard lots of good things for many years.

I'd like to get some opinions from those of you who have used them in your new 4.0s as to what to expect from it...in the real world. Gas mileage, acceleration, etc. Does it make much of a difference in any category with a bone-stock 5-speed Mustang V6 or am I buying a never-needs-to-be-replaced air filter with no additional benefits?

I'm not looking for "you should've bought a GT" or "go with the cold-air intake" answers. I'd like to take this one small step at a time with a car I truly can't get enough of.

Thanks in advance!

echo7 · Apr 18, 2005

Since its just a replacement, and more or less high flow, its just mainly a air filter you never have to buy again and might get 1-3 or more horse power maybe. I too almost bought one, but i think i'll save up for a cai. I wouldnt expect alot out of them, but it would help in all areas, just wouldn't be noticeable in my opnion.

afixer · Apr 18, 2005

i got mine last week and i drove to san jose this weekend and averaged 26.5 mps with the air on both ways

bleedingvayneAD · Apr 18, 2005

Just for sh!its and grins, I got one for my GT and I think it was a waste of $50.

Gameon · Apr 19, 2005

I put one on my V6 and am lovin it. Noticed that the stang can breathe much easier, a little more growl, feels a lil different when driving. It's really good for that minor performance increase.

slowjoe24 · Apr 21, 2005

I got a drop in K&N and I think it made a difference in the seat-of-the-pants meter!! The lag or decrease in power (RPM's) at approx. 4,000-4,500rpm is gone now that I replaced the filter. My 5spd. pulls hard all the way to redline now. I think it was worth the money. 1-2 hp if we are lucky. Yes, I also noticed a slight deeper muffler tone.....not much though. Buy it!!

My $0.02

martimus · Apr 22, 2005

Mines on order... I figure its still an improvement over paper filters and I'm not gonna risk my warranty by installing a CAI and re-tune.

echo7 · Apr 22, 2005

Yeah, if you guys are noticing a difference, then i may get one, mainly for my dusty roads, better to clean a k&n than buy a new paper often.

BradC · Apr 22, 2005

I've been on the fence about a K&N as well. I've had people telling me that it's actually worse for your engine than a paper filter, but I don't know who to believe.

Also, do you have to clean it yourself (when the time comes to celan & re-oil) or do the service places do that for you (Jiffy-Lube, or the dealership for example)?

bleedingvayneAD · Apr 22, 2005

Clean & Re-Oil

duner · Apr 22, 2005

Be careful when you re-oil. Applying too much oil can cause problems with the MAF. A contaminated MAF element can cause problems.

ZenGirl35 · Apr 22, 2005

Ditto

Ditto on the above comments about K&N filter mods. I've had a K&N in my 04 GT since the first oil change and MAN, I noticed a difference in the way she performs with this one versus the stock filter. I have my new K&N ready to go for my 05 GT girlie when she arrives in mid-May. Definitely worth the price, fuel economy, increased performance, etc...

PS - my brother SWEARS by K&N and runs their filters in his 04 Cobra and also ran them in his 99 GT and other models.

-Shannon

ZenGirl35 · Apr 22, 2005

Ps

The filter itself is easy to clean; just remove and rinse with water and let dry overnight (or use a hair dryer if you're as obsessed as my brother is!). Re-oil carefully (so as not to overfill) and insert back into your car.

jt14894 · Apr 22, 2005

ZenGirl35 said:
The filter itself is easy to clean; just remove and rinse with water and let dry overnight (or use a hair dryer if you're as obsessed as my brother is!). Re-oil carefully (so as not to overfill) and insert back into your car.

I've put K&N filters in every vehicle I've owned and noticed performance increases every time, especially with MPG.
The filters are very easy to clean. Just follow the instructions and its a snap. And because they are oil based, you only have to clean it every 50,000 to 100,000 miles or about 3 to 6 years depending driving frequency. But if you constantly drive in dusty or smoggy conditions, then you must clean it often. However, for every day driving all you have to do is pop it in and don't worry about it for a while.
One thing that K&N recommends is not to install it in a brand new vehicle because the engine and CPU has not yet fully conditioned itself to the stock filter. If you put in a K&N as soon as you get your new car then the engine will condition the K&N as a stock filter and therefor no gain at all.
With my latest car (2003 Nissan 350Z), I waited until it had about 10,000 miles on it and then I added the K&N. Before the K&N, it was averaging about 21 City/Hwy, but after I added the K&N the MPG improved approximately 1.5 to 2 MPG and started averaging about 23 City/Hwy. The car now has 26,000 miles on it and it still gets excellent MPG. On my last road trip, the car averaged 27.5 MPG while crusing between 75 - 80 MPH.
With my new Mustang, I'll be doing the same thing.

BradC · Apr 23, 2005

I'm at just over 2300 miles right now, so I guess I'll wait until closer to 5/10K.

Thanks.

echo7 · Apr 23, 2005

Hey, quick dummy question, its just a replacement filter so no warranty issues right?

jt14894 · Apr 23, 2005

echo7 said:
Hey, quick dummy question, its just a replacement filter so no warranty issues right?

Correct! K&N will warranty the filter for 1,000,000 miles. Thats if the car will make it that high.
Just remember to put the "DO NOT DISCARD" sticker on the airbox or somewhere that its visible so that whomever is servicing it doesn't throw it away.
I happened to me one time and I had to track down the service tech to get it back. Luckly I did.

echo7 · Apr 23, 2005

I meant warranty issues with Ford, they won't care right?

bleedingvayneAD · Apr 24, 2005

If you over-oil the filter when you are cleaning it and some oil gets on ANYTHING, then the delaership could void the warranty. So be very careful when you are re-oiling and be sure to not get it on anything except for the filter itself.

jt14894 · Apr 24, 2005

bleedingvayneAD said:
If you over-oil the filter when you are cleaning it and some oil gets on ANYTHING, then the delaership could void the warranty. So be very careful when you are re-oiling and be sure to not get it on anything except for the filter itself.

Ford will not void the warranty. The filter is already pre-oiled and doesn't have an excessive amout of oil so don't worry about it. All you have to do is put it in and thats it.
If you are driving in normal everyday conditions, you won't have to clean it for another 3+ years or 50,000 - 100,000 miles. By then, the 3yr/36000 mile bumper-to-bumer warranty will have already been done.
When its time to clean it, the cleaning instructions are very detailed, just follow them and you'll be ok.
One thing I usually do is allow it to dry at least two days just to be sure that the cotton is dry so always keep your stock filter because you may want to use it temporarily.
You can't go wrong with reapplying the oil because you don't have to use a excessive amount of it. The oil is red so all you have to do is make sure the cotton is red on both sides.
You may miss a few spots, but all you have to do is dab a little here and there.

K&N Filter question...

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