[Markdesilva]

I have a 2003 element ex awd auto and I want to get more performance out of it

 

[DCM]

If a filter gave any noticeable performance gains, everyone here would be running it. Power gains cost money, there are no “cheap” hp tricks. Check out AWD’s thread on supercharging, also do a search there have been similar questions asked.

 

[wannahonda]

Also how much more performance? If it is a lot more then yes forced induction would be the way to go. Of course the other big question is how much time and money can you afford to throw at improved performance?

 

[Markdesilva]

Also how much more performance? If it is a lot more then yes forced induction would be the way to go. Of course the other big question is how much time and money can you afford to throw at improved performance?
[/QUO

 

[Markdesilva]

No no. Nothing too crazy like turbocharging or forced induction. Just looking for a bit more torque and H.P. around 5-10 hp and 5-10 ft kB of torque. Reason being is when I’m on the interstate and traffic is going 90-100 mph, I have my foot to the floor when I’m at 90 mph. It slowly creeps up in speed after 90 mph. I think a few more horses and torque could be useful. Question is how can I gain more power without going full blown crazy missing the element.

 

[Markdesilva]

No no. Nothing too crazy like turbocharging or forced induction. Just looking for a bit more torque and H.P. around 5-10 hp and 5-10 ft of torque. Reason being is when I’m on the interstate and traffic is going 90-100 mph, I have my foot to the floor when I’m at 90 mph. It slowly creeps up in speed after 90 mph. I think a few more horses and torque could be useful. Question is how can I gain more power without going full blown crazy missing the element. Also they claim the top speed is governed 110 mph? Find that hard to believe. It struggles at 90-95 mph! I hate that

 

[07lmnt]

ZERO gains. It will let more dirt pass through into the engine.

 

[SkipRobinson]

Hey Markdesilva- I also have an 03 AWD EX auto, that I bought last month. I have owned quite a few Honda’s in my life, and looked for low cost HP or torque gains for many years. I have tried a few different air intake systems and even drilled 2” holes in the air box of a 5 speed Accord. Nothing was ever tested on a Dyno, but I doubt that any “real” increase in HP came from a simple air intake. There IS a change in the sound of the engine, especially when you kick it hard, but I think that was really the only change. I had initially planned to do something to help my E breathe in cooler air, but after a lot of driving and some time under the hood, I don’t believe there are any HP gains to be found inexpensively. The K24 motor can definitely be tuned to deliver more HP but not for cheap.

I do think that improvements to the exhaust system are good, and my “inner gear head” likes the sound, but again no proof on a Dyno. I do think that you get what you pay for with exhaust systems, and have had good luck with Apexi and Gibson products myself on other cars. I have seen good threads in this community regarding Element exhaust upgrades including aftermarket exhausts as well as “take it to the local muffler shop” experiences. I plan to do something to the exhaust in my E in the future, but right now I need to replace the rear calipers and rotors first.

Great to meet another new Element owner!
Skip

 

[AWD]

I have a 2003 element ex awd auto and I want to get more performance out of it

Start looking at the performance threads. I have done many mods starting off with intake and dyno tune all documented on this forum throughout the years. You will not be able to notice a 5hp increase. HP gained from bolt on's will be minimal gains at very high RPMS without tune. The joy factor for me though was priceless. If you just want to have fun and mod your E then go for it. Injen exhaust is quality.

 

[wannahonda]

ok I can tell you from first hand experience I put a cone style genuine K and N air filter on a different car but that car was a v6 with twin turbochargers and dual exhaust system. It DID make a little more power and I know this because the top speed in second gear was always 101km/h right before the rev limiter kicked in. After adding the cone intake the top speed in second gear was consistently 110km/h right before the rev limiter kicked in.

In that car you could feel that increase a little bit but that car was already very fast, the intake did not make a huge difference in performance. The biggest change it made was it sucked water into the engine one day when I was caught in a rain storm facing a downhill road and the water was rising up so fast and water got into this stupidly designed K and N filter that was designed to be at the bottom of the floor pointing downward and no shield or box came with it to protect water from getting in.

You wouldnt have this problem on the Element as the air filter is placed at the top of the engine bay not the bottom

Decades ago when tuner style car magazines came out they actually did an objective test on a dyno testing several aftermarket air intake systems on I believe a 1990s Acura Integra. Bear in mind that normally tuner style car magazines up to that point NEVER did objective testing as they made their living almost completely off advertising from these aftermarket parts suppliers and constantly talked HYPE and quoted the manufacturers claimed Horsepower gains from bolt on mods without EVER dyno testing them

Well this one time they did dyno test and NONE of the air intakes showed any performance improvements. In fact most of them showed a REDUCTION in power and torque all the way across the rev range. It was a very slight loss but it was a loss of performance and a loss of money and time

I would probably only go with this cone style air intake ever again in a turbocharged car and if the location did not make the engine susceptible to hydro locking

I also tried test pipes and straight through mufflers on that same turbocharged car after doing the air intake and no change in the top speed of 110km/h in second gear was achieved. Without at least porting the exhaust manifold it doesnt seem like anything on the exhaust side would have made a difference on that car.

 

[Jason Mac]

The Element has a MAP sensor (manifold absolute pressure) to control the air-fuel mixture. It can't really tell that the airflow has been increased by a ram air intake with a K&N filter, the intake could alter the manifold pressure in weird ways which could throw off the MAP sensor and cause worse performance. Cars with a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) can sense the increase of airflow and automatically adjust the fuel ratio to eke out around 3 to 5 more hp.

 

[wannahonda]

The Element has a MAP sensor (manifold absolute pressure) to control the air-fuel mixture. It can't really tell that the airflow has been increased by a ram air intake with a K&N filter. Cars with a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) can sense the increase of airflow and automatically adjust the fuel ratio to eke out around 3 to 5 more hp.

Thank you that would explain why the twin turbocharged car I had made more power. It had a Mass Air Flow Sensor

 

[07lmnt]

The Element has a MAP sensor (manifold absolute pressure) to control the air-fuel mixture. It can't really tell that the airflow has been increased by a ram air intake with a K&N filter, the intake could alter the manifold pressure in weird ways which could throw off the MAP sensor and cause worse performance. Cars with a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) can sense the increase of airflow and automatically adjust the fuel ratio to eke out around 3 to 5 more hp.

FYI, the 07 does have a MAF.

For giggles, I measured the restriction of the stock air box with a well used factory filter. Have a gauge that measures vacuum in inches of water column. Full throttle at redline, it showed 4 inches, that's like .14 of pounds per square inch. So, in reality there could be no significant increase in air flow.

 

[Jason Mac]

FYI, the 07 does have a MAF.

For giggles, I measured the restriction of the stock air box with a well used factory filter. Have a gauge that measures vacuum in inches of water column. Full throttle at redline, it showed 4 inches, that's like .14 of pounds per square inch. So, in reality there could be no significant increase in air flow.

OP has a 2003.

 

[Godolkin]

There is no additional performance just through a "performance" filter.
It only brings sound.
If more air gets into the engine, the air has to get out again. Filter+Exhaust.
So that the engine does not run too hot, the engine must be tuned to it. Software and possibly other injectors.
The whole thing can bring more performance (if done well) but costs more than just a filter.
And as 07lmnt wrote about the K\N filter: "It will let more dirt pass through into the engine."

 

[EZ hauler]

A search for K & N of the forums reveals a couple hundred results.

 

[wannahonda]

I also found that I hated cleaning and re oiling the K and N filter at pretty much every oil change. However at least it helped to keep so many regular filters out of the land fill

 

[07lmnt]

I also found that I hated cleaning and re oiling the K and N filter at pretty much every oil change. However at least it helped to keep so many regular filters out of the land fill

I've kept filters out of the landfills too... Mine is the original factory filter 2007 with 93,000 miles. No plans to change until the filter minder trips a restriction.
Dirty filters actually filter better than a fresh new filter.
Here at the dealer we are forced to change filters during routine services. Most times with only 20K on them, it's hard to tell the new one from the old. It's really a shame the amount of waste generated here.

 

[wannahonda]

I've kept filters out of the landfills too... Mine is the original factory filter 2007 with 93,000 miles. No plans to change until the filter minder trips a restriction.
Dirty filters actually filter better than a fresh new filter.
Here at the dealer we are forced to change filters during routine services. Most times with only 20K on them, it's hard to tell the new one from the old. It's really a shame the amount of waste generated here.

Thank you for being straight up about that. I never believed that my engine air filter needed to be changed as often as was recommended especially if you could remove and blow out alot of the dirt that had accumulated in the filter. I have never noticed decreased performance or fuel economy on an old filter with 20k kms on it.

I put a new filter on the car when I first got it and then a couple of years later tried another brand new filter and could notice no difference.

Cleaning out the debris and blowing out the dirt in the filters of cars I have had in the past, made it look like a filter that only had a few thousand kilometers on it and with no rips in the filter, really why did it need to be changed? I mean other than to make money for service and parts.

 

[AWD]

I've kept filters out of the landfills too... Mine is the original factory filter 2007 with 93,000 miles. No plans to change until the filter minder trips a restriction.
Dirty filters actually filter better than a fresh new filter.
Here at the dealer we are forced to change filters during routine services. Most times with only 20K on them, it's hard to tell the new one from the old. It's really a shame the amount of waste generated here.

Can you please explain how dirty filters clean better than new?