k&n drop in filter vs oem

[pathfinder_se_black]

well i decided to swap my k&n drop in filter out to nissan brand and i found that i get twice as much miles to the tank with the oem nissan filter. well yea its pretty crazy,i thought that the k&n would save fuel better i guess the k&n drop in isnt worth it

[nissandoms47]

Twice as many miles? Thats hard to believe.

[pathfinder_se_black]

Twice as many miles? Thats hard to believe.

thats what i said but the car was running not so fancy with the k&n

[SnowSurfLax]

I'd think you had a defective filter. I replaced my infiniti factory filter with a K&N drop in and got about 1.5 mpg.

Maybe your K&N gunked up your MAF? How soon did you notice the change? What kind of mileage were you getting before you changed filters? MORE INFO!

[KoukiS14]

Werd. . I too gained a bit . . but I still get craptastic mileage

[pathfinder_se_black]

alright this is what i got for each filter

k&n- 240 mi.

OEM- 291 mi.

i noticed the change after the second gas tank i filled up and it actualy runs way smoother. by the way when you clean the MAF do you just disconect the battery and take out the maf and spray it with electrical contact cleaner?? i dont want to risk anything haha

[88pathoffroad]

Has the K&N ever been cleaned, or is it brand new still? Ever cleaned your MAF sensor?

[pathfinder_se_black]

the k&n filter was 12,000 miles old never cleaned. i havent cleaned the MAF either, im thinking about doing that.

[SayNoToPistons]

How do you clean the MAF sensor?

[SVTCOBRA]

I also got worse mileage with a drop-in K&N in my G.

I called K&N to say

They told me that they advertise increased HP not mileage.

I did get better mileage with a drop-in in my 01 Pathy(& took the baffle off) and my 98 Exploder(& mod the airbox) .

My daughter also gets better mpg in her 99 G20 w/a drop-in, but I also modified the airbox with the wifie's dremel tool.

[RockSClone]

You K&N will definitely let your engine breather better, reportedly giving more hp. Remember, your car's computer will make adjustments and control fuel and air. Use a Venom 400 ecu upgrade to trick your car so it runs faster. I use a Dragon Cold Air Intake and get considerable hp. If you want to save gas, stick with stock, and get better rolling tires. Goodyear Fortera Triple Treads?

[RockSClone]

Btw, check your plugs and wires for that loss of power. It may be time for a tune up.

[2.240s]

What about a fram vs. oem nissan filter ? same thing or is the oem better.

[pathfinder_se_black]

fram vs oem= same thing i just happend to be by a nissan dealership. yea i am definatly past due for some new spark plugs.. haha better get those asap.

[RockSClone]

If you really want to maximize your truck, try my idea. I had the entire filter and box ripped out, and dropped in a Dragon cold air intake. Here's my break down:1) Dragon Cold Air Intake2)Venom 400 ECU Upgrade (will allow your rpm's to rev to near redline when you're at full throttle).3)Nology wires(each wire is grounded) and plugs(silver tipped)4)Ground EFX kit(basically everything is grounded..there are a few companies you can go with)5)Monroe Reflex(Rancho Reflex wasn't available at time of purchase)6)Goodyear Fortera Tripletred(snow flake rated/all season tire for all weather use)7)Powerslot Cryogenic Rotors8)Hawk Racing Pads/Street Legal9)Gibson Hi_performance exhaust(Hi_flow, but not as loud as my last Aero Turbine Exhaust Muffler and Resonator)10)Mobil One and Lucas in engine AND Mobile One in transmission with Lucas additive and Royal Purple in Radiator.11)PIAA Extreme White Plus in headlights and foglightsMy truck is a '97 Pathfinder and I'm having a blast. I'm thinking about putting in larger cams and a supercharger. I want to research more so I don't screw this project up. Has anyone heard of anyone doing this? The cam, lifters, and supercharger are available on the market.

Modified by RockSClone at 12:49 AM 8/31/2007
Modified by RockSClone at 12:50 AM 8/31/2007

[RockSClone]

K&N is great, but you'll need a recharge kit(cleaner and oil). Off roading is NOT recommended for hi-flow filters(too much dirt will clog). In that case, stick with Nissan. Check my set-up below.

[SVTCOBRA]

I had read on this site that FRAM was one of the worst air filters......Also read that Nissan uses Wix.Have always heard that Wix was a great filter.

[88pathoffroad]

K&N is great, but you'll need a recharge kit(cleaner and oil). Off roading is NOT recommended for hi-flow filters(too much dirt will clog). In that case, stick with Nissan. Check my set-up below.

Where in the hell did you hear that? I've been offroading for years with a K&N with *0* problems and only a couple of cleanings.

[RockSClone]

Are you using a cold air intake K & N or a stock box? The stock has a longer pathway for air to enter and protects the filter better. A cold air intake will be exposed unless you encase it with a heat shield. Direct air will give you more power, but not recommended for off roading(unless you clean it much more frequently). Mine gets dusty pretty fast from driving on city streets. No longer b.s, right?

[AlabamaDan]

A buddy of mine said that on his I30 the K&N filter was teh cause of the MAF to fail. At least that's what the dealership said.

[pathfinder_se_black]

i have an oem filter right now. i plan on putting my custom intake back on with an aem dry flow.

[GoodOmens]

I have a 97 Qx4 and get much better mileage with my k&n

I've got a fairly new (2.5k miles) k&n air filter with new plugs, wires and fuel filter and I get around 18MPG combined / 21MPG highway only (cruise control). This ends up being around 280 / 330 miles per fill-up ...

Seems something with your setup is wrong? It can't be the k&n ....

[dan96max]

does a drop in knn filter make a difference in power anyway? I planned on buying one untill this thread but usually the gain from an actual aftermarket intake system is pretty minimal, do you guys even notice anything with the drop in filter (aside from the milage problems)?

[RockSClone]

Hey Buddy. I'll be your best friend on this one. YES. The filter will last the life of the car, and you just get a cleaning kit (spray cleaner and spray oil) and clean it in your kitchen sink every 7,000 miles or so. You will feel a difference. Want more power? Use a Weapon R intake and you'll be even happier. Good Luck and happy roading. Try looking into a Venom 400 ecu upgrade for more horsepower, better shocks and tires. Read my earlier post on everything I did to my Pathfinder for ideas. The question still remains, off-roading or street driving? I'm going to be trying out a new spark plug called "PULSTAR". It's the latest of it's kind, so I'll be playing guinea pig on this one. I'll keep everyone updated.

[KoukiS14]

Venon 400. . . lookin' up info on it. I can't find a HP gain or torque gain or a modified power curve posted anywhere. What sort of gains would one see with a VG33E with this thing?

[dan96max]

this is my daily driver so im doing my best not to mod it aside from a small SQ system set up. Its hard for me to not mod after moding the last car so much lol

You should really research the venom before you use it though to see what it actually does and not just what the ad says. IMO its on par with jet chips or any of those other companies that make crazy claims. They dont make it for an 04 so i guess I wont be trying it out but just be easy with those things. They can be very vague tunings done on paper and not in an actual pathfinder. Also its a general tuning for all pathfinders, not your pathfinder in your climate. Using an AFC or somthing along those lines may do the same thing with out the risk of runing to lean (depending on what the venom actually does).

anyway, on topic

I think im going to monitor my mileage for the next couple weeks and try a drop in knn and see what the difference is and post up the results. Its worth a shot for the 40 bucks plus im just curious if a drop in filter would even make a difference.

[SnowSurfLax]

I've gotten about a 1.5 mpg difference. I've a bit of a lead foot and was getting about 13 mpg overall. Nowadays, I get around 14.8 mpg. I've slowed down a little and use the cruise control whenever possible.

I pretty much track my mileage with every tank so those are pretty consistent. If I slowed down and did the speed limit (HA! Not in SoCal!) I know I can average about 17 mpg.

From my research though, with intake, exhaust and cams, you can pull another 40-50 ponies and if you can keep your foot out of it pull 19/22mpg city/hwy.

[Chris92SE]

I put a K&N drop in filter in my 2000 QX4 (VG33E) and it got slightly better mpg, maybe 1-2 mpg better on average and I keep pretty good records of my mpg, plus, I tend to take several long (450+ mile) road trips a year.

I sold that rig and bought a 2001 (VQ35DE) and used the same filter. I kept up with cleaning it on both rigs. I have never run anything on the 2001 but the K&N, so I can't really tell you about the mpg.

The 2001 recently developed problems, I am assuming with the MAF (lean codes, seem to be common). I cleaned the MAF and it was better for a couple of days, then went back to the same problems.

I am not sure if the K&N messed it up, or it just went bad. Just to be safe, I went back to the OEM filter and I am going to buy another MAF soon.

I still have a K&N on my Maxima and it has the original 15 year old MAF sensor, so I can't really rag on K&N too much.

[RockSClone]

Well, Like I posted above. The Venom 400 tricks your ecu by changing your shift points. Check your R.P.M. tachometer. Under normal driving and spirited driving, you may notice your shift points are around 3000-3500 rpm. With the Venom, normal driving will remain the same, but spirited driving will allow your shift points to change near redline, without ever going into the red. Your 0-60 times, and better yet, 20-60 times will increase dramatically. Because a harder acceleration is just plain harder on your engine and trans, start using synthetic in your engine and transmission, and use additives. I also listed the additives I used above.

[RockSClone]

I've had my Venom 400 almost 2 years now and no problem what so ever. I thought about the jet superchip, but they don't recommend it until ALL modifications are done. I'm still debationg larger cams that fit in the same slot, and a supercharger. A turbo sounds good too, but they both come with their own unique advantantages and pitfalls. I have loads of literature on both issues. Just use really great sysnthetic oils and lubricants. I promise, your truck will last so long. Look into Royal Purple products to keep everything cooler.