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Terrible MPG after K&N intake

Wow... I just ordered a K&N 77 Series for my 2016 EXP Platinum and I'm reading about these horror stories. I'm getting it installed this Monday. I'm thinking about not doing it and maybe going with a Livernois CAI? Damn...
 



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Wow... I just ordered a K&N 77 Series for my 2016 EXP Platinum and I'm reading about these horror stories. I'm getting it installed this Monday. I'm thinking about not doing it and maybe going with a Livernois CAI? Damn...
I wonder if there is a difference between K@N and Livernois CAI?
 






I wonder if there is a difference between K@N and Livernois CAI?

Actually installed the K&N CAI for my 3.5L Eco. Driving around locally and out in 70 miles so far. Averaging 16.8 MPG. True test will be in two weeks. I'm in sales and I travel almost 800+ miles per week at times. Will post more about MPG later.
 


















I was just thinking about something else. A few months ago, I was looking at a show called "Junkyard Empire" on the Velocity channel. Andy managed to get a really expensive high performance car for really cheap because and angry girlfriend took a knife to the interior. After getting the interior fixed through bartering, he took the car to a tuning place to figure out how to get more horsepower. One of the things they figured out was that the aftermarket intakes were causing the car to lose horsepower. I think he said the intakes were not getting fresh air because they are in the engine compartment taking in hot air. The original intake took in fresh air from the vents in the back of the car, and putting it back on resulted in increased horsepower. I am thinking the whole "replacement intake" thing is just a scam to make people spend money.
 






I was just thinking about something else. A few months ago, I was looking at a show called "Junkyard Empire" on the Velocity channel. Andy managed to get a really expensive high performance car for really cheap because and angry girlfriend took a knife to the interior. After getting the interior fixed through bartering, he took the car to a tuning place to figure out how to get more horsepower. One of the things they figured out was that the aftermarket intakes were causing the car to lose horsepower. I think he said the intakes were not getting fresh air because they are in the engine compartment taking in hot air. The original intake took in fresh air from the vents in the back of the car, and putting it back on resulted in increased horsepower. I am thinking the whole "replacement intake" thing is just a scam to make people spend money.


A lot of what you say about aftermarket CAIs is true. Especially for the Ex as the air filter is stuck inside the engine compartment exposed to the hot air. It was the first thing I noticed after installing the K&N on my Ex. This didn't bother me as I didn't put it on for the performance. I put it on to clean up that side of the bay and it did that very well. However, as I have explained in previous posts, I built a cold air box which makes the CAI function as it is supposed to. I even went to the extent of mounting temp gauges to read temps inside and outside the cold air box. The cold air box works. A reasonable difference in temps on the average of 25 degrees. I think I mentioned that I wrote a letter to K&N about their design of which I told them I thought it was flawed for the various reasons I and others have mentioned. They thanked me for my 'input' and have done nothing to improve what they are selling to this date. So, if you are looking for performance from what they have to offer, you are not going to get it in spite of what they say. I can't even say that adding a cold air box will get you anything but, it will turn the system into what they advertise...a CAI.:thumbsup:
 






...... I am thinking the whole "replacement intake" thing is just a scam to make people spend money.
Funny you should say that. I saw an article a month or so ago that mentioned a CAI is an item that people waste the most money on.

Peter
 






Wow... I just ordered a K&N 77 Series for my 2016 EXP Platinum and I'm reading about these horror stories. I'm getting it installed this Monday. I'm thinking about not doing it and maybe going with a Livernois CAI? Damn...

Don't be too worried, I honestly think it was more of an issue with me recording MPG's like an idiot than the actual car..
 






I always wondered about these replacement intakes, it seems to me that by definition your mileage will be worse. Think about it, isn't the whole idea to increase airflow? If that is the case, doesn't that mean the computer will in turn mix more fuel in with this increased air? After all, when you step on the gas, you are really not adding gas, you're adding air.

I pulled mine on my old car and I got a few additional MPG's.

Hey, I am no expert, please straighten me out if I am wrong.

I've had my K&N CAI for about 3 weeks now. The first two weeks were spent driving around my town and I averaged about 16.2 MPG. Today was the first true test of the CAI (in sales and drive for a living). If you see the pics below, I finished at about 610 miles at an average of about 18.9 MPG.

If you look at the bottom picture, I put my cruise control at about 75 MPH and was averaging about 19 MPG. Where I notice the huge difference is when I punch it to pass other cars on the highway. There's a nice kick going from 75 MPH to 90 MPH. I did that a few times on HW 94 from Chicago, IL to Fargo, ND.

I'm going to install a tune by Livernois soon and I'm sure I'll see a huge difference. We'll see.
IMG_0848.JPG


IMG_0846.JPG
 






I've had my K&N CAI for about 3 weeks now. The first two weeks were spent driving around my town and I averaged about 16.2 MPG. Today was the first true test of the CAI (in sales and drive for a living). If you see the pics below, I finished at about 610 miles at an average of about 18.9 MPG.

If you look at the bottom picture, I put my cruise control at about 75 MPH and was averaging about 19 MPG. Where I notice the huge difference is when I punch it to pass other cars on the highway. There's a nice kick going from 75 MPH to 90 MPH. I did that a few times on HW 94 from Chicago, IL to Fargo, ND.

I'm going to install a tune by Livernois soon and I'm sure I'll see a huge difference. We'll see.
View attachment 95192

View attachment 95193

The gauges on the Platinum model look nice.
 






I've had my K&N CAI for about 3 weeks now. The first two weeks were spent driving around my town and I averaged about 16.2 MPG. Today was the first true test of the CAI (in sales and drive for a living). If you see the pics below, I finished at about 610 miles at an average of about 18.9 MPG.

If you look at the bottom picture, I put my cruise control at about 75 MPH and was averaging about 19 MPG. Where I notice the huge difference is when I punch it to pass other cars on the highway. There's a nice kick going from 75 MPH to 90 MPH. I did that a few times on HW 94 from Chicago, IL to Fargo, ND.

I'm going to install a tune by Livernois soon and I'm sure I'll see a huge difference. We'll see.
View attachment 95192

View attachment 95193

Yeah, I guess its almost the same as my stock intake Sport 16 with an average of 19.4 MPG driving from NY to NJ, back and forth. I did go 65-75 MPH on a highway. Maybe if you drive faster you get less MPG. Ford lists highway MPG as 22.
 






The gauges on the Platinum model look nice.

Yeah, I wanted to buy them for $ 700 or so bucks but I got worried when Peter said that the miles wont reflect the actual miles in the Gage cluster. I need an engineer to set me the exact amount of miles that my car has.
 






Yeah, I wanted to buy them for $ 700 or so bucks but I got worried when Peter said that the miles wont reflect the actual miles in the Gage cluster. I need an engineer to set me the exact amount of miles that my car has.
If you do go the route of changing clusters, there is a slight difference between the 2016 and 2017 clusters. If you want to set the speedometer to a digital readout it appears in the right information display. When displayed the Adaptive Cruise and Lane Keeping features (pictures) can't be displayed. It seems it is either one or the other. With the 2017 cluster the digital speedometer is shown in the center display and the other features are not affected.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/digital-speedomater.437322/page-2#post-3599101

Peter
 






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