APR or K&N Air FIlter

[Finance_Analyst]

Looking at upgrading my airfilter - is the K&N or APR product better? My mate reckons it is the most cost effective upgrade as you get more HP and technically never need to replace the actual filter ever again.

What do most of you guys do? My GTI is currently stock as a rock....

[stickshift3000]

Personally I wouldn't bother with an aftermarket filter, negligible power gain and won't be as effective as the standard paper element in filtering particles.

An ecu tune is the most cost effective power increase in my opinion.

[brad]

OEM filter on mine is <$20 from the dealer.

I've gone the after market route in the past with Pipercross (Subaru Liberty with modified intake) & Finer Filter (U13 Bluebird, no other intake mods) & haven't noticed any horsepower difference. Aftermarket filters made a huge difference on my old Superbug, V8 Commodore and a few of the other old dungers I've owned.

Before making any changes to the intake system you should measure where the greatest pressure drops are & attend to them. I don't believe the OEM air filter is the biggest flow restriction in the intake.

If I was going aftermarket, it would have to be more than a drop-in panel filter. I'd want to go with an enclosed pod with a decent CAI - something like a Forge twintake.

Agree with Shiftstick - an ECU tune (almost any of the suppliers will give great results) should be the first power mod on your list. Fantastic BFB

[Corey_R]

I've moved this to the Tuning forum, where this topic has already been discussed 1324 times. The summary is, as others have already said, changing the stock panel filter with an aftermarket filter is largely pointless and a waste of money. And yes, I'm speaking from experience

Also, APR don't make a drop in filter that I'm aware of. So the topic here is a bit strange anyway, cause in my opinion you're really talking about two different things. Replacement filters vs aftermarket cold air intakes...

In that case, an aftermarket air intake, specifically the Carbonio TSI Intake, does make an appreciable difference. But it's more useful once you've already got the ECU tune...


So in summary... what Brad said

[markwid]

Looking at upgrading my airfilter

I am using this Rocket Industries - PANEL FILTER - VW/AUDI/SKODA/S EAT 1.4-2.0 PET/DSL 03-07 K&N - 33-2865.

Some here will tell you that it is largely pointless and a waste of money. Probably, but it is your money...personally I don't think there is any power gain but to me it feels like it is breathing better, smoother.

[T Go]

I agree with the opinions that a panel filter won't increase power.
I thought about the Carbonio, but wanted to keep the engine bay looking stock, so I recently took delivery of a Pipercross Stage 2 Intake Pipe. It looks pretty OEM. I've got an AFE panel filter on the way also, so will drop both those in soon.

I just wanted abit more intake noise, and wasn't too fussed with whether it will/wont give me more power.

[SamS3]

Contrary to what's being said above. Myself, along with many others, have had good gains from going from OEM to Jetex. Some as much as 7hp (back to back on same rollers, car). This was combined with a 3" TIP.

My cars now at 218g/s which is around 275bhp/205kw. I gained around 15bhp from memory with the 3" TIP + Jetex setup.

Of course though, its better if you have a good heat shield setup for once it gets warmer.

[brad]

So how much of the 15bhp/11kw was the 3" Tip (so you mean it was still stock rear muffler/cat etc?) and how much was the panel filter? Would the gains been as good if you didn't do both?
What car was that?

You mean a heat shield between the engine & the stock airbox?

[T Go]

I think Corey_R tried to clear it up before, and we all might be getting our wire's crossed and talking about the wrong things.
There are the full intake kits and then just the drop in Panel Filters (which keep the factory airbox).
I assume from the talk of heat shields that the Jetex is a cone filter that replaces the airbox, and also replaces the intake pipe to the turbo.
So that would/could see some gains?
Unlike the panel filter which I was talking about (perhaps incorrectly) which doesn't do much at all....

[gavs]

Contrary to what's being said above. Myself, along with many others, have had good gains from going from OEM to Jetex. Some as much as 7hp (back to back on same rollers, car). This was combined with a 3" TIP.

My cars now at 218g/s which is around 275bhp/205kw. I gained around 15bhp from memory with the 3" TIP + Jetex setup.

Of course though, its better if you have a good heat shield setup for once it gets warmer.

Followed by....

So how much of the 15bhp/11kw was the 3" Tip (so you mean it was still stock rear muffler/cat etc?) and how much was the panel filter? Would the gains been as good if you didn't do both?
What car was that?

You mean a heat shield between the engine & the stock airbox?

Brad makes a very good point. A change in fuel quality can lead to a few kW, as can a drop in atmospheric pressure with the air being more dense, cooler ambient conditions perhaps, even by a few degrees.

Look, i'm not having a go at anyone but after seeing a very exhaustive test done on air filters, stock vs aftermarket and aftermarket OE replacement, there is nothing better for the engine of your vehicle than what the motor company has spent millions of dollars and many years of research figuring out. The best gain you will get is using a piece of stocking with a rubber band over the intake but is anyone stupid enough to do this? No, because they know that there is no filtration of the air.

Everyone is free to make their own decisions but as Corey and brad have said, you will not get any true, 100% acurately measurable increase in power. You will get more induction noise, but at what cost.......