catflap

Was all set to buy a new K&N induction kit on my MY99, after hearing all the fears about MAF trouble, and no one having trouble with the K&N I decided ill go for it.

Reasons were, I wanted to here the car more alive, and of course the increase n performance.

But after speaking to a Scooby owner at halfords, he said it was the worst mog he ever bought, and after 1 week of using it, he removed if fro a panel filter.

He claimed it made the engine lumpy and irregular through the revs.

This as you can imagine gave me food for thought, as he said many of his Scooby friends have felt the same.

Please, what’s the senses of opinion on the K&N on a MY99?

Will it improve performance?
Does it sound nice?
Does it make the engine rev lumpy
Any other side affects I should consider

Finally will the ITG (I think the one Scooby sport offer) give any good gains vs induction kit)

Yeh I know this has been covered before, and I have read all the threads on it, just want some fresh opinions on the matter.

john banks

>Will it improve performance?

Yes - when I took it off at the request of her indoors it was slower.

>Does it sound nice?

I think so. The wife not.

>Does it make the engine rev lumpy

No. Silky smooth throughout the range pulls towards the red line like a nutter's car.

>Any other side affects I should consider

Risk of MAF failure. But mine and many others have been fine.

>Finally will the ITG (I think the one Scooby sport offer) give any good gains vs induction kit)

About 1bhp from ITG. Some reckon 8bhp for an induction kit. I think it's less but more than 1bhp. But it certainly sounds a lot quicker.

If you like the slight performance increase and like the noise do it definitely. Note that it is louder than my exhaust (with downpipe) in the low-midrange!

catflap

Now this is what i had initialy thought, i wonder if the person from halfods had a bad un.

Nigel Bowles

A few extra thoughts ....
What year is your car, this depends on how the airbox is vented. If it does not have a pipe feeding from the inner wing to the bonnet shut, the airbox has to drag air out of an enclosed area behind the bumper. If it does have this there is also a resenator box in there that can reduce airflow.
If you want to go the ITG route, get as much airflow to the airbox as possible with extra pipework. I ran a panel filter for a long time and was quite happy except for at really high revs.
The main reason I didnt go for a cone for a long time was the driving I was doing, If you are on the move then cold air is easy to come by, if you are stuck in traffic, the under bonnet temp rises and it just sucks hot air. I have since added a bonnet scoop from Stuart Knight to assist with this. Extra mods to block off the area with carbon fibre are under way ... mmm, that would be an airbox then
It's all personal choice on the info you have at the time, I didn't need the MAF as I have a LINK so a cone gave the largest flow rate. Pic below.

pob on the job

Catflap.

I had an HKS induction kit fitted from new on my MY99 type RA. If your car is a UK, it doesn't make any difference, same MAF. Now with the HKS I had 2 MAF failures in 7k miles...a bit costly. Whether this was a direct result of the HKS induction kit, the fitting of it or whatever, there has been a huge debate with many theories. I then purchased a K&N cone with STi trumpet and fitted that. I haven't had any problems since. Why? I don't know, but at the end of the day it is bolted straight on in the same way as the HKS. To add further confusion, I ran the HKS previously on a UK MY97 with no problems at all, but then it was a different type MAF sensor.

All in all, I have absolutely no complaints with the set up I have but it is not "just" a K&N to a certain extent.

Just to note, I am interested on how this thread goes, particularly concentrating on the issue of the later version MAF sensor.

Hope this is of some value,

Alan

john banks

I know "someone" (warranty implications) with a MY99 who had 2 or 3 MAF failures in about as many weeks by fitting an HKS induction kit. He laughs about it now... but I can't remember what he is using now.

catflap

Ill be fitting some magnex downpipes this week, and geting the prodrive geom set up.

Still holding out on the induction kit, i have a MY99 uk spec (from belgum or holand i think)

I am interested in your thoughts, did it make your car lumpy through the revs ???

P.s just gto in form giving it a clean. There is no dbout my next car WILL NOT BE A SCOOBY. Bloody thing 2 years old, 30k on the clock, and its now pebble dashed with stone chips.

Squizz

I took the plunge and fitted a K&N 57i on my own MY99, thanks to the excellent fitting guide by Chiark which supplemented the K&N instructions.

You'll be surprised at the amount of noise - Not induction, but turbo whistle and blow-off ( ).

I haven't got a boost gauge, but can now IMPROVE my fuel consumption by listening to the boost and just keeping under it if I need to.

I'd say it's well worth it. I recommend the Intercooler Splitter by Bladerunner too. Only a few quid, and I noticed a difference!

The Zohan

I have an induction kit on my my99 i had a Mongoose B/box fitted at the same time so difficult to tell just how much of a difference the ind kit made on its own.

The chap you met may have fitted it incorrectly, maybe a loose joint letting in air or such like.

davecoombs

I have a HKS on my RA and in 8k miles no problems.
I think the MAF failure is more to do with fitting or MAF's simply failing.
If you fit the kit badly vibrations will destroy the MAF fairly quickly. I reckon they are all the same.

Adam M

The later maf is definitely more fragile and a theory of vibration is entirely possible.

The thing to remember is, the airfilter can only give gains by allowing better airflow. Iarflow normally will increase at the expense of filtration. Remember the filter is there for a reason.

I would rather seek gains somewhere else and fit a filter that I know is reputable for its filtration. This is why I am on my second K&N filter. This one is part of NAM's APS cold air induction kit.

catflap

Very intersting.

SO no pone here so far has had anything bad to say about the K&N?? maybe im just trying to convince myself that its ok.

davecoombs

Im sure if you looked hard enough you could find 'horror stories' for every manufacturer of induction kit..

catflap

very true mate.

fast bloke

Catflap - had a 57i on mine - , all flat spots disappeared and was deffo happier above 5500 RPM. Sounds superb. Easy to fit, and comes pre oiled for 45000 miles, so little chance of overoiling and killing the MAF. Mate had a green, which needed oiled every 22 minutes. He eventually killed the MAF, and had to use a bracket from a 57i to stop it rattling about the place. If I get another scoob I will get another 57i

catflap

oo nice review fast bloke :0 thnx.

OO my plan is slowly falling into place, prodive4 geom done, down pipes tomorw, might order the induction soon then THE THE WORLD WILL BE MINE

Just a thought, would i need to remap it? its a MY99 (induction kit, downpipes)

pob on the job

The standard ECU cannot be remapped. I take it you have the standard ECU, if you had the link or suchlike you wouldn't be bothered about the MAF.
I see there's a K&N for sale in Private...go for it you'll have no regrets.

catflap

oo it all starts to get expensive from this point on LOL. but link is an option i will consider
KNow nothing about it, so ill pester yall with millions of questions when im ready to do it

Thnx fro the help