[dsh72]

Hello,

Has anyone tried using an aftermarket filter for the 1.6L? This car has a ton of electronics and I would wonder if it would set off any air intake sensors.

 

[yticolev]

K&N foam oiled filter? Why would you do that? They are inferior to the OEM filter, and they won't make your car more efficient either.

 

[nogastoday]

I agree with Ytucolev: K&N Engine Air Filter not necessary. ( 13 x 9/16 X 10 1/8 filter difficult to clean & oil )
Engine Air Filter WIX P/N WA10770 $22.99 Climate Control Air Filter WIX P/N WP2064 $11.99
Many high quality Engine Oil filters available, WIX, Mobil 1, Royal Purple $10 to $15
Prices are USA Prescott AZ at O'Riely's Auto Parts. Wonder what the KIA dealer charges for OEM filters?? $$$$

 

[Griswald]

K&N filters are fantastic and will last the life of the vehicle for about $50.

No real performance gains to be had as the factories have figured out air intake systems...finally.

 

[beasz]

yes .. .i ordered it as soon as i found out it became available .. received it today .. does not add more power, however it "fixes" the lagging problem of "normal" mode .. i don't need to use the shift mode anymore .. it will hold the gear longer with the k&n, it does not go from 1st to 5th gear in normal mode anymore ... it will go 1 , 2 , 3 etc, like in Sport mode but with out staying "stuck" in 3rd .. it is like it fixes the normal mode .. AWESOME!! Makes normal mode more useful .. i am very pleased!

 

[charlesH]

yes .. .i ordered it as soon as i found out it became available .. received it today .. does not add more power, however it "fixes" the lagging problem of "normal" mode .. i don't need to use the shift mode anymore .. it will hold the gear longer with the k&n, it does not go from 1st to 5th gear in normal mode anymore ... it will go 1 , 2 , 3 etc, like in Sport mode but with out staying "stuck" in 3rd .. it is like it fixes the normal mode .. AWESOME!! Makes normal mode more useful .. i am very pleased!

link to a credible test?

 

[beasz]

More air is getting in and it is holding gears longer, when you put your foot down in normal mode. Sport mode is peppier too. That is my finding..

 

[yticolev]

Belief is a wondrous thing.

 

[cockedandglocked]

Ya I don't buy it... Sorry.

Also my PHEV does not experience any of the shifting or lag issues you're talking about. 1st to 5th? Mine cycles through all 6 gears just fine in normal mode.

Maybe it's "holding the gear longer" because the engine is suffocating more and can't get up to speed for the next gear as quickly.

 

[yticolev]

K&Ns should have good airflow - just open cell foam. They definitely allowed carburetor cars to get more power, air - and dirt. Not going to affect how the transmission works in any car.

If the OP wants to test his beliefs: warm up the car, put the OEM filter on, test, take the filter out (no filter at all), test again. Other than an increase in noise, you won't detect a difference. The K&N will be in the middle of those two, also undetectable except for noise level.

 

[beasz]

It is a fine product. God Bless you all and have a nice day 🙂

 

[beasz]

Hello,

Has anyone tried using an aftermarket filter for the 1.6L? This car has a ton of electronics and I would wonder if it would set off any air intake sensors.

No, not so far. I have it two days already and no check engine light came on. I have heard that sometimes the oils on the k&n have contaminated MAP sensors on certain cars.. so far , so good..

 

[S_Barnard]

One should purchase a K&N Air Filter if they wish not to purchase another filter for as long as they own the car. That is the only real "upside" to the purchase. Can the filter allow a greater volume of air pass through? Sure, absolutely. But, the vacuum on the piston down stroke will only allow so much air, that it may defeat the purpose.

One thing that people need to understand, is that no matter what aftermarket equipment one installs on their vehicle, the main role of the Engine Control Module is to correctly maintain a Stoichiometric value of 14:1 air/fuel mixture ratio. If you add more air, the MAF, MAP, and other intake sensors may pick up that extra "volume", then adjust the injector mapping to compensate, usually a bit richer, thus affecting your MPG. There is always a cause/effect.

I've had plenty of customers come in, with this, that and the other aftermarket "performance" enhancer installed, and wondering why their Check Engine light is on... Engineers design things for a reason, and those with standard ICE vehicles always seem to know more than the engineers...

In my experience, unless you're building a high performance vehicle, keep the replacement parts OEM... Sometimes it's just not worth the extra price...

I've got 30K miles on my '19, and outside of a couple of flakes, it still looks clean... I blew it out with compressed air, and reinstalled...

 

[Dovidan]

S_Barnard: It appears to me that you are a mechanic - correct. If so, do you work at a Kia dealership?

 

[91cavgt]

I have purchased several K&N air filters in the past so I do have first hand experience with them. With that said, here is what I see regarding a K&N air filter vs the stock air filter.

When you go into an auto parts store, look at the air filters that they have on the shelf. A VERY large number of factory air filters are actually smaller than the air filter that comes on our Niro. Taking into account that our 1.6L motor makes barely over 100 hp, the stock air filter flows PLENTY of air for our motor.

The way to properly test an air filter is to monitor intake manifold vacuum. If the vacuum increases while the rpm rises at full throttle then there is a restriction in the intake tract. While I have not personally tested this, it is my opinion that the stock air intake system(air filter included) does not pose a restriction to air flow.

Now here is a major downfall to the K&N air filters. They use a sticky oil to catch particulate matter that gets sucked into the air intake. Tests have shown that in order to provide better air flow, the K&N air filters do not filter the air as good as a stock air filter. This sticky oil can also end up on your mass air flow sensor if the air filter is over-oiled. This will cause the MAF sensor to give a false reading which will cause drive ability issues and a check engine light.


So is it worth it? For the small potential benefits, it is not worth the problems in my opinion.

 

[realto]

Belief is a wondrous thing.

I remember when those K&N cold intake filters started getting big, people were swearing it gave their Honda Civics 30 more HP, run 20 degrees cooler, 15 more MPG. All kinds of stuff..

 

[TheSilverFlash]

I remember when those K&N cold intake filters started getting big, people were swearing it gave their Honda Civics 30 more HP, run 20 degrees cooler, 15 more MPG. All kinds of stuff..

My first car was a 1990 Toyota Celica. In my youth I put in a K&N filter thinking I'd gain a bunch of HP and be all fast and furious.

All it did was drop my average mpg by 7 with no discernible improvement in engine performance. After a few months I sold it to a buddy of mine for half price. Blah, what a waste.

It is a hybrid folks, enjoy the leisurely ride and gas savings!

 

[Dovidan]

I just popped the cover on my Niro engine air filter. It is absolutely huge compared to most other air filters, surely should be sufficient for the relatively low powered 1.6 L four popper. :nerd:

 

[Neanderthall]

I had a K&N on a Chrysler Concorde 3.5, and when romped on it DID sound nice. But as far as performance, you will see dollars performing out of your wallet.

K&Ns filter less crud out, that's how more air gets in.

Bob is the Oil Guy did an extensive K&N test some time back. He came down on them pretty hard as far as filtering effectiveness. A filter's job is to CLEAN aka FILTER the air. Stock KIA filters do a pretty good job of that.