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What does a air intake kit do to your car? What's the improvement or effect?? I don't know much about car....that's why I am asking.

I happen to be going to school in Riverside, CA where the company is. If I have the time and it sounds tempting enough...I might go give it a try.
 

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bubble709 said:
What does a air intake kit do to your car? What's the improvement or effect?? I don't know much about car....that's why I am asking.

I happen to be going to school in Riverside, CA where the company is. If I have the time and it sounds tempting enough...I might go give it a try.
If the stock Honda filter overly restricts the airflow, then a air intake kit with a filter having greater surface area (usually lots more folds in the paper element) will give you more airflow and better performance.

The only problem with this is that if it is such an easy installation and brings such great results, why would Honda not insist that it be incorporated in its super high tech V-tech engines as shipped? I do not know this for a fact, but would bet that an aftermarket filter kit would produce no discriminable performance improvement. Such has been proven to be the case for BMW's, Mercedes, etc. Same story for the same reasons, incidentally, for low restriction mufflers and resonators in most cases although they do add that special "boy racer" exhaust note that we love in our neighbohood at 3:30 in the morning from time to time.

Best bet for aftermarket performance improvement would be a performance chip. I am sure one will be available soon, although watch out for voiding the warranty.

yelapa
Eternal Blue Pearl EX
Ex SCCA Club Racer (and shadetree race mechanic)
 

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The K&N filter will give you maybe 2-4 hp, if that. It all adds up though. Say you did get a performance chip. What the performance chip will do is keep the intake valves open a little longer to deliver more fuel. When you increase the fuel you need more air as well. That 2-4 hp will increase to 5-7 hp if and when you do add a performance chip. It is an exponential increase, not a linear one.
You would be better served to get a cold air intake (CAI) instead of the K&N filter. The CAI puts the air filter further away from the engine to get colder air coming into the engine. Colder air = denser air which the engine's computer senses and adds more fuel which translates to more power. A CAI costs about $200 and gives you about 6-8 hp.
As far as the bigger exhaust goes, that will give you around 8-10 hp if you get a CAT-back system. The CAT-back exhaust is a larger diameter pipe from the catalytic converter back to the tail pipe, including a muffler. These normally cost around $500. There are systems that are not so loud.
If you were to add the CAI and Cat-back exhaust, you can add from 12-15 hp. If and when you add a performance device to your engine's computer, it will take advantage of those modifications even more.
The reason Honda does not put a high flow air filter, Cold Air Intake, or bigger exhaust is because they want their vehicles to appeal to a wide range of people. Grandma doesn't want a car that is sporty.
 

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voodoo said:
Contacted K&N filters about intakes for the E.

They are currently looking for Es to use for R&D testing.
You need to reside in Southern CA.

If anybody is interested the link is:
www.knfilters.com/vehicles/needuus.htm

Hope somebody makes out on this.
I already did that, I just got my car back today. They are going to send me a free intake kit now. They just fitted a whole bunch of different intakes on. When I get it installed, I will post pics. Looking at a month or two.
 

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Please keep us posted when K&N will introduce the E's cold air induction to the marketplace. That and the E's custom JL subwoofer are on my short list.
 

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Just installed a K&N filter and love it, removed the extra "horn" on the stock air system (near the battery), seemed like another bend for no good reason... sounds great, better throttle response, all GOOD.
 

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What's the best (read: cheapest) place to get a K&N air filter for my new Element?



I got one for my old Focus and could defintely feel the difference.... not much, but it was there.
 
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