Wrong MPG and Range after Cold Air Intake and Muffler Install

[DILLIGAF]

People still use K&N

1999 called they want their filter back...

Real men dont care about MPG on a truck.

 

[Regcabguy]

Solutions? Yeah. Dump that useless K&N and go back to the stock intake. The K&N is useless and offers zero benefit over the stock one. Not just my opinion. It has been proven over and over on dyno’s as well as this forum.

Look up at the sky and you can see holes. Project farm proved the K&N did not protect an engine.

 

[Siff]

The premise behind the K&N is that it is just a big sponge, and the oil is the actual filtering medium; it is covered in small holes, with the design such that a properly saturated filter will block all the holes with oil, which then catches any contaminants in the air as it passes by. I can't say if it works as well as a paper filter at blocking debris, but I do know from experience that this design does reduce the restriction of the air going through when properly maintained. The big issue is that they are actually pretty sensitive, and I found that they got dirty faster than a paper filter. Unfortunately, unlike a paper filter that just drops HP by blocking more air when dirty, it just stops capturing the contaminants, leaving you with the same low restriction and normal HP, but with much more crap going into your engine.

It technically does work, but the "cold air intake" kits are garbage and only the ones that fit in the existing stock filter air box do anything (albeit still minor and requiring a ton of more work to prevent damage from negligence in cleaning\maintaining).

Now, having said that, even if it is 5% less restrictive, that only matters when the existing paper filter isn't able to supply the maximum air that the engine is trying to pull in. Since the engines only detonate at a slower rate in low RPM situations, no cold air intake could help since the existing filter allows more air than the cylinders can suck in; only forced induction can help. You have to reach a high RPM, where the pistons need the most air, to gain any benefits and that is only if the paper filter is actually restricting it; you gain nothing if the paper filter can still allow the maximum amount of air the cylinders can pull in.

Also keep in mind that the ECU is factory tuned to minimize emissions, so even if it did get more air and can thus inject more fuel to take advantage of it, the ECU may decide not to in order to prevent emissions and rich\dirty exhaust. Now, instead of gaining more power, you jacked up your stoichiometric ratio and gained a lean condition, killing your MPG. You can retune the ECU to take advantage of the extra air and bypass the emissions software, but the cost of a tune for the 1-2% gains from the air filter can be spent on much better parts for improving performance, such as better tires (the #1 improvement to truck performance by far).

 

[Tahoebronco]

Hi all --

After installing a K&N 77 cold air intake and a Flowmaster Outlaw muffler, my 2021 RAM 1500 5.6l/V8 gives me wrong mpg and range readings:

- Before install: 19 mpg over the past 7,000 miles, 450 miles range (mostly highway and with the 33 gallon tank). I confirmed that these numbers are correct by counting miles when I gas up.
- After install: 13 mpg, 300 miles range

I had the battery disconnected before the install, assuming the computer would automatically reset and calibrate.

Any suggested solution?
Thanks!

To the Original Poster: Since my truck is a 6.7 CTD, I can't reply to performance of the K&N system; however, when I bought my truck, I did have to buy new tires. When I did, I increased my tire size to 33 inch tall tires and I had to use an AlfaOBD to reset my tire size for proper speedometer readings. Before getting the AlfaOBD, I tried a another cheaper OBD plug in. That unit did allow an adjustment for setting the computer to be more accurate for MPG & fuel range readings. That said, I still manually calculate my MPG everytime I fuel up. And those manual calculations typically are 1-2 MGP's lower than the computer's reading. I've tried to adjust the computer more but haven't found the sweet spot yet.

BTW: How I calculate MPG; I keep a log of the DATE, ODOM, PRICE/GAL, NUMBER OF GAL's AT FUEL UP, TOTAL PRICE OF FUEL UP, & MPG. I enter the current ODOM MILEAGE in the log, then subtract the ODOM MILEAGE from last fuel up. Divide miles driven by the number of gallons purchased = equals MPG. Since I do this every time I fuel up, I can easily see how much the cost of fuel has gone up or down in any given period, but I can also see how my truck is performing by monitoring the MPG.
PS: I also use this log to document when I get my oil changes and rotate my tires, or have any other maintence issue performed.

 

[Dean2]

Now that I’ve seen these words of wisdom I’m convinced my cold air intake is just turrible View attachment 497386

If you are serious good for you for earning, if you are being sarcastic, I hope it all works out fine for you. I never wish bad stuff in anyone, just try to pass on stuff that will help to keep bad stuff from happening to others.

 

[Dan Topp]

Every car and truck I have has been on my friends mustang dyno for retuning after any mod,and although I don’t claim they make any gains all by themselves,they are a first step in any performance gains and when kept clean I have no doubt they do last 100 k I have a pair for each of the 3 vehicles that use a oiled k&n so mine travel with me in case of a dirt road incident.Never said anything was wrong with the stock filter,but to say a k&n is bad is funny to me.

 

[2020PW]

That’s where everyone messes up. You have to use slick 50 with the KN filter featuring the tornado air.

Tornado Air™ — More Power, More Mileage!

Drive 30-60 extra miles or your money back. Order online now!

www.tornadoair.com

 

[06 Dodge]

That’s where everyone messes up. You have to use slick 50 with the KN filter featuring the tornado air.

Tornado Air™ — More Power, More Mileage!

Drive 30-60 extra miles or your money back. Order online now!

www.tornadoair.com

Too Funny an thanks for a good laugh