Daughter has a 2017 Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. I installed a AEM Dryflow air filter. Just in a brief comparison..only a few weeks driven by me before the switch from OEM. The AEM seemed a tad louder. A similar sound as OEM just a slight increase. Two weeks ago after changing oil/oil filter I looked at the AEM air filter and it was time for a cleaning. I installed the OEM filter and drove the car for a few days while the AEM filter dried and before we switched cars back. With the AEM the power seemed much more linear..less jumpy especially during accelerating from a stop...and it seemed to pull stronger. Change is night and day overall . Is this possible? TIA
Am I crazy a air cleaner can make a noticable difference?
- Thread starter tenderloin
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Not on a modern engine. Your butt-dyno is listening to the sound and louder=faster.
Originally Posted by LotI
Not on a modern engine. Your butt-dyno is listening to the sound and louder=faster.
Probably true, unless the OE filter was badly clogged. Is there a measurable difference in acceleration or hill-climbing capability?
Not on a modern engine. Your butt-dyno is listening to the sound and louder=faster.
Probably true, unless the OE filter was badly clogged. Is there a measurable difference in acceleration or hill-climbing capability?
No, placebo effect, unless the filters contrasted were clogged.
Here's what happened. You thought to yourself, "I'm going to floor it to see what it can do", when it is never floored, and low and behold, when it is floored, it has higher performance than when it's not.
Air filter restrictions were one of those low hanging fruit that was solved 20 (or 70?!) years ago. No air filter change will have any benefit over just putting the same, but clean/new filter in. Any improvement above that, will necessarily let more grime into the engine and/or foul sensors if it's an oiled filter.
I reserve the right to be wrong about terrible engineering on random vehicles, particularly very small ones.
Here's what happened. You thought to yourself, "I'm going to floor it to see what it can do", when it is never floored, and low and behold, when it is floored, it has higher performance than when it's not.
Air filter restrictions were one of those low hanging fruit that was solved 20 (or 70?!) years ago. No air filter change will have any benefit over just putting the same, but clean/new filter in. Any improvement above that, will necessarily let more grime into the engine and/or foul sensors if it's an oiled filter.
I reserve the right to be wrong about terrible engineering on random vehicles, particularly very small ones.
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Originally Posted by tenderloin
Daughter has a 2017 Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. I installed a AEM Dryflow air filter. Just in a brief comparison..only a few weeks driven by me before the switch from OEM. The AEM seemed a tad louder. A similar sound as OEM just a slight increase. Two weeks ago after changing oil/oil filter I looked at the AEM air filter and it was time for a cleaning. I installed the OEM filter and drove the car for a few days while the AEM filter dried and before we switched cars back. With the AEM the power seemed much more linear..less jumpy especially during accelerating from a stop...and it seemed to pull stronger. Change is night and day overall . Is this possible? TIA
Go to youtube - - - Engineering Explained - - - look for the air filter episode - - - this WILL answer your question.
No it is not a placebo effect..................
Daughter has a 2017 Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. I installed a AEM Dryflow air filter. Just in a brief comparison..only a few weeks driven by me before the switch from OEM. The AEM seemed a tad louder. A similar sound as OEM just a slight increase. Two weeks ago after changing oil/oil filter I looked at the AEM air filter and it was time for a cleaning. I installed the OEM filter and drove the car for a few days while the AEM filter dried and before we switched cars back. With the AEM the power seemed much more linear..less jumpy especially during accelerating from a stop...and it seemed to pull stronger. Change is night and day overall . Is this possible? TIA
Go to youtube - - - Engineering Explained - - - look for the air filter episode - - - this WILL answer your question.
No it is not a placebo effect..................
Unless the old one was really clogged it will make no difference that you can tell without instruments.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by Donald
Unless the old one was really clogged it will make no difference that you can tell without instruments.
This. Air filters are typically over-sized for an application with a generous margin to account for loading during use. So unless the OEM filter was contaminated past that point, it's your butt dyno playing tricks on you.
Unless the old one was really clogged it will make no difference that you can tell without instruments.
This. Air filters are typically over-sized for an application with a generous margin to account for loading during use. So unless the OEM filter was contaminated past that point, it's your butt dyno playing tricks on you.
Originally Posted by nicholas
Originally Posted by tenderloin
Daughter has a 2017 Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. I installed a AEM Dryflow air filter. Just in a brief comparison..only a few weeks driven by me before the switch from OEM. The AEM seemed a tad louder. A similar sound as OEM just a slight increase. Two weeks ago after changing oil/oil filter I looked at the AEM air filter and it was time for a cleaning. I installed the OEM filter and drove the car for a few days while the AEM filter dried and before we switched cars back. With the AEM the power seemed much more linear..less jumpy especially during accelerating from a stop...and it seemed to pull stronger. Change is night and day overall . Is this possible? TIA
Go to youtube - - - Engineering Explained - - - look for the air filter episode - - - this WILL answer your question.
No it is not a placebo effect..................
It is about a 5hp and 5ft lb gain with the K&N vs the regular filter according to EE's video.
I think you're just subconsciously driving the car a little harder.
Originally Posted by tenderloin
Daughter has a 2017 Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. I installed a AEM Dryflow air filter. Just in a brief comparison..only a few weeks driven by me before the switch from OEM. The AEM seemed a tad louder. A similar sound as OEM just a slight increase. Two weeks ago after changing oil/oil filter I looked at the AEM air filter and it was time for a cleaning. I installed the OEM filter and drove the car for a few days while the AEM filter dried and before we switched cars back. With the AEM the power seemed much more linear..less jumpy especially during accelerating from a stop...and it seemed to pull stronger. Change is night and day overall . Is this possible? TIA
Go to youtube - - - Engineering Explained - - - look for the air filter episode - - - this WILL answer your question.
No it is not a placebo effect..................
It is about a 5hp and 5ft lb gain with the K&N vs the regular filter according to EE's video.
I think you're just subconsciously driving the car a little harder.
dnewton3
Staff member
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Donald
Unless the old one was really clogged it will make no difference that you can tell without instruments.
This. Air filters are typically over-sized for an application with a generous margin to account for loading during use. So unless the OEM filter was contaminated past that point, it's your butt dyno playing tricks on you.
This ^
Originally Posted by Donald
Unless the old one was really clogged it will make no difference that you can tell without instruments.
This. Air filters are typically over-sized for an application with a generous margin to account for loading during use. So unless the OEM filter was contaminated past that point, it's your butt dyno playing tricks on you.
This ^
What dnewton3 said.
I moved away for a few years to Florida while my early 20-something daughter was in Ohio. I would send her maintenance items all the time through Amazon. I told her to check out YouTube or have her [censored] boyfriend change out whatever item I sent. Well, you know where this story is going, right. Moved back to Ohio and I was going over her 2016 Civic. I was changing out the transmission fluid which requires removing the airbox. Started taking that apart and to my surprise, I find an air filter with 70k on it. It was about 85% absolutely clogged with crap. Yelled at her and changed it out
She says car drives with "more pep and my gas mileage is so much better". You think!!!
She says car drives with "more pep and my gas mileage is so much better". You think!!!Maybe maybe not with just an air filter swap. I believe it really depends on how restrictive the factory tubing and resonator is.
On my 15 Accord V6 the resonator looks to be extremely restrictive with all the tight turns and I will tell you that eliminating that and going with an AEM dry flow made a difference. Not that it is a race car but it will now activate the traction control after the 1-2 shift at wide open throttle.
On my 15 Accord V6 the resonator looks to be extremely restrictive with all the tight turns and I will tell you that eliminating that and going with an AEM dry flow made a difference. Not that it is a race car but it will now activate the traction control after the 1-2 shift at wide open throttle.
Originally Posted by Kozman011
I moved away for a few years to Florida while my early 20-something daughter was in Ohio. I would send her maintenance items all the time through Amazon. I told her to check out YouTube or have her [censored] boyfriend change out whatever item I sent. Well, you know where this story is going, right. Moved back to Ohio and I was going over her 2016 Civic. I was changing out the transmission fluid which requires removing the airbox. Started taking that apart and to my surprise, I find an air filter with 70k on it. It was about 85% absolutely clogged with crap. Yelled at her and changed it out She says car drives with "more pep and my gas mileage is so much better". You think!!!
Just curious why would you leave Florida for Ohio? I'm a lifelong New Englander and I'm sick of the cold and the salt eating my vehicles. Want to go to Florida in the next 5 years.
I moved away for a few years to Florida while my early 20-something daughter was in Ohio. I would send her maintenance items all the time through Amazon. I told her to check out YouTube or have her [censored] boyfriend change out whatever item I sent. Well, you know where this story is going, right. Moved back to Ohio and I was going over her 2016 Civic. I was changing out the transmission fluid which requires removing the airbox. Started taking that apart and to my surprise, I find an air filter with 70k on it. It was about 85% absolutely clogged with crap. Yelled at her and changed it out
She says car drives with "more pep and my gas mileage is so much better". You think!!!Just curious why would you leave Florida for Ohio? I'm a lifelong New Englander and I'm sick of the cold and the salt eating my vehicles. Want to go to Florida in the next 5 years.
That's the first thing many people ask me about my move back to Ohio. I agree with the cold/salt, BUT many people don't understand the difference between living in "paradise", and visiting. If you are retired, I get moving, but if you still need to work, get used to getting slave wages in Florida. My wife was retired, so it was ok for her, but I needed to work. I made 40% of what I made in Ohio. The weather is great!!! Except most people hibernate during the summer months. They are brutal and the heat doesn't really bother me. I love to ride my motorcycle and boat/jetski/kayak. Really didn't do that too much during the summer months. NO state income tax, YEA!!!, BUT, BUT, Florida does get their pound of flesh out of you in many, many other ways. But, the main reason was that most of my wife's family moved back. My daughter is in Ohio as well. We missed friends/family. For the first year, everyone comes and visits you in FL. After that, not so much. We'll be back. Maybe pick up a cheap condo when the housing market craters, which it always eventually does. I really liked Florida, it just wasn't home and nothing feels permanent there and it's becoming more and more like a third-world country there as each day passes.
I think there isn't a simple yes or no answer. It truly depends on the vehicle in question. My Focus does indeed like a K&N air filter. It really likes the Focus RS airbox to go with it. Have switched back and forth a number of times and had a couple of my techs drive it as well to confirm. Now my Expedition on the other hand, feels the same no matter what I do. Its not your butt dyno fooling you, its just different cars react differently to different things.
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