K & N Filter

Has anyone...tried the search function?

This has been discussed...to death.

 

Well, I respect your question, and would like to know more.

 

Well, to be fair, if you put in K & N you get nothing. I remember a couple of threads but if you expand to include all posts you get a huge number of hits. Not all that helpful, but then again, your post wasn't either.

 

I can help with that. When you click search use the Google search box if the word is three or less characters. K & N pops right up in the list.

 

Yeah, the PC search function doesn't allow 3 letter words. Grr

Nice tip!

 

I wasn't even aware that they MADE a K&N for the Prius!
Seems kinda oxymoronic, since this filter is usually used for performance oriented vehicles...

In the motorcycle world, the benefits of this filter are as hotly debated as tire overinflation is on this forum. IMHO the performance gains are wildly overrated, unless you make corresponding changes in your exhaust system...and even then your max theoretical gain (either in performance or in fuel economy) is going to be on the order of about 5-percent.
Think of your engine as a runner breathing through a straw. Even if you were able to draw a LOT more air into your engine with this crazy expensive 'good' straw----you still have to breathe out through the same old straw that you did before.
There are some (theoretical) filtration advantages for the 'clean and oil' K&N unit if you maintain the filter, and there are some (debatable) environmental advantages to not using a disposable paper air filter, but even a marginally engineered car is going to get lunar miles if you change your fluids and filters according to the OEM specs, and for 90-percent of car owners out there, the "change owner" light will illuminate looooong before that happens.
If you think that plunking down $50 for a K&N filter is going to get you a 5 MPG fuel economy gain, or turn your Prius into a fire breathing, tire smoking monster, you're wrong.
I use an Amsoil Ea air filter on my V-Rod, since I made some exhaust and fuel metering mods---and my overall gains for all three mods are on the order of about 7-percent.

My opinion: (current value < $0.02)

You're not going to see any difference with the K&N. If you're a devotee of cleaning and reoiling air filters you might save a few dollars over the OEM filters in the long run....and you'll save the space that a couple of paper air filters will occupy in some landfill.

Good Luck!

 

Seriously, there is no need to be bitchy. Like another poster said. It isn't easy to find a discussion thread on K & N filter. My suggestion is, instead of being rude why don't you post a link to the discussion that you were saying had been discussed to death.

 

I had the same problem finding the thread. I just bought K&N filters for both the Prius and the Lexus in my garage. Too soon to know about any impact on mileage, but for the Prius cost was $44.19, the Lexus $38.37 with fast, free shipping from AutoAnything.com. Price was higher than one from the dealer for the Prius, but lower than the dealer price for the Lexus. Service intervals on K&N filters are 50K miles. Regardless of any mpg or power improvement, I figure to save on replacing the OEM filters. And yes, I know you can get deals online for regular type filters.

 

Hi.
I tried k&n on 4 different (2 prius, 2 auris) hybrid cars, it gives some power to the car, but in "normal" mode it is felt, in "eco" mode it is difficult to feel, I can not say anything about fuel consumption, maybe it helps a little, but in winter time, if you normally use "b" to stop your car, it makes your engine cold too quickly. also, it takes more time to worm up the engine in winter.

 

Thought experiment: if Toyota could advertise a higher MPG number for say $50, you know they would.

So why doesn't Toyota do this?

This is not an exhaustive list, Feel Free to add other ideas

1. Perhaps it doesn't improve MPG?

2. Perhaps it does not protect the engine long enough to meet warranty requirements

3. Perhaps it can't meet EPA emissions standards

4. Doubt any Prius fails noise standards, but perhaps it is too loud.

As I say, you can dream up other reasons, but if it offered any difference, Toyota would try it.

 

I found that when I used some cheap engine air filter, I lost about 3 mpg. I switched back to toyota oem and got it back. I have never used a toyota oil filter since I've owned it but will find out my next oil change... In the spring.

 

Been using it since 2018. Oil reports are perfect. Very low engine wear. Very low silicon (4-6ppm). I am not switching back to stock.

To me its not just the power, it's to SAVE my engine from overheating. The only way you can tell is to test it climbing a mountain or a steep hill stock vs. k&n. And if you want to be amazed some more. Add a can of Seafoam to the fuel and see how quiet the engine gets.

Like Zara said. It cools the engine down. A cooler engine last longer than an overheating one. I don't live in freezing temps so can't say what happens there.

And yes there is that power you do get at higher RPMs. That I call the "K&N Confidence".

 

What about oil dilution in crankcase causing quicker oil breakdown?

 

Oil reports show nothing to worry about.

 

Wow!
That is confidence!
Confidence in what?

So how do you, "tell the difference" of maybe having 1 or 2 more HP when "climbing a mountain".
Do you have numbers or just feelings.
Tell us how much fun it is cleaning that messy, oily thing in the kitchen sink!

This what happens when we revisit really old threads.....

 

When you can accelerate how you like and not worry. That is confidence.

I don't clean. They are good for 50k miles. But I buy new ones ever 20k because I keep getting cash back from Oreily.

 

So when you have a stock paper element "you can't accelerate how you like"???

I'm confident it would be really hard to measure the difference.

Sorry, I'm that myth buster guy...

 

It's not an issue of measurement. It's hearing your engine struggle and worrying that it will overheat. I have tested both stock and k&n (especially uphill climbs) and after that test made the decision to switch. The only issue after that switch was to monitor the oil reports to make sure it's not adding more particles to the engine. After 5 years so far so good.

Also part of my conclusion was to add Seafoam to my fuel per fill-up. Not a full can, just partial is good enough for me. A full can really quiets the engine on uphill climbs. (For me, not sure if anyone will get the same results).