Are Expensive Air Filters Worth It for Your Car?

High-quality, expensive air filters not only provide clean air to the engine but also remove mold spores, dust allergens, and other air pollutants from the car's interior. Learn more about how these filters can improve your car's performance.

Are Expensive Air Filters Worth It for Your Car?

High-quality, expensive air filters not only provide clean air to the engine, but also remove mold spores, dust allergens, and other air pollutants from the air that everyone in the car breathes. This, in turn, will improve the health of your vehicle's air conditioning system. The new filters also save you money in the long run by allowing air to pass through them with the minimum required airflow. I conducted a test on an old paper filter with air filter (compressor) & and an old oil filter of the same brand.

The results showed that if you want to increase power, fuel efficiency, or just reduce the hassle of regularly changing your air filter, a high flow filter can be a great option. However, it was necessary to spray the air filter with oil and getting to it was a big problem (it was placed on the right front fender). With an OBD-II scanner it is possible to track the MAF sensor in an open acceleration stroke and see any difference in engine breathing with different filters or without a filter. An air filter will only have an effect on horsepower when operating with the throttle fully open, as is done on the racetrack or in street racing.

On the other hand, I installed a K&N air filter on my Kawasaki Concours and noticed a smoother idle and a small increase in top speed performance above 7,000 rpm. It's important to note that high-performance air filters are considered a modification and can void your warranty if you have a new vehicle that is still within the warranty period. High-performance air filters cost more because they are made of more expensive filter material that can be washed and reused rather than thrown away every 15,000 miles. In fact, a high flow air filter can increase your horsepower by about 3 to 5 HP and also increase your torque.

One of the benefits of a high flow air filter is that unlike normal filters, it doesn't need to be changed every year. If a filter works for too long without replacing it, the resulting effects on airflow prevent fresh air from entering. A filter must be replaced constantly or there may be problems with air flow and filter efficiency. It is installed to extract air from outside of the car instead of using hot air from inside the engine compartment.

Leah Christenson
Leah Christenson

Evil coffee scholar. Lifelong coffee advocate. Wannabe beer guru. Professional web scholar. Hardcore gamer. Extreme travel junkie.

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