K&N Panels filters, your thoughts?

[parkie]

I'm using one in my 1994 E30 Touring 316i and I'm wondering if this is affecting my MPG at all. Could someone explain what happens when the engine receives more air than normal? I do notice the car is more lively and seems to pull slightly better, is this costing me fuel economy?

cheers

parkie

[Simon13]

they just make a bit of an induction noise really thats all. It won't be flowing alot more air than a standard filter either.

[daveyw]

fitted one to my old porsche 944 and it made 5 bhp less on the rollers! was better on fuel though cos it made the car run too lean. had to turn the mixture up to get the power back to what it was.

[harkie]

My experience with perfomance panel filters is mixed really.

I had a 57i kit on my 320i and while on the move especially on a cold day the car went like the clappers but if you leave it idling for 10mins or get stuck in traffic then the exposed filter would suffer from heat absorbtion so when you pull away its really sluggish till the cold air gets round it again

So i replaced it with the standard airbox and a perfomance panel filter and while i really missed the grunty noise, my performance was unaffected on hot days but to be honest mpg was bout the same