Zen 2002 MPFI - K&N Replacement Filter Review

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 11:36

Hi Guys -

I finally went and got this done! I was planning to get this installed for the past 6-8 months but for some reason or the other never got the time / made the effort! But i'm glad i did. There is a distinct imrovement in pick up across all bands (Low, Mid and High End torque). Details below.

Date of installation - 05th August 2008
Price - INR 3000
Source - Xenex, Gayatri Hills, Hyderabad (They are listed on the K&N Website as a dealer)
Time taken - 3 Minutes (Thats too short a time to get something fixed for which i paid 3K! but its the performance improvement which matters so i'm not complaining.)

History - It all started on Friday (August 01, 2008) when one of my friends got the K&N replacement filter on his automatic santro. There was a noticable change in pick up (he doesnt measure his mileage) even at full load (4 Pax) and A/C on an uphill climb towards Gayatri hills from Madhapur area. We were suprised how his car went from a 'moped' to a 'semi-ferrari'! And that too at a cost of INR 3200 (Same dealer). This was enough motivation for us to take the plunge!

Deployment - There were 4 of us who were interested (Zen, Getz, Swift and Ikon Flair). So we started calling up various dealers/contacts to get the best price. We managed to talk to one guy who offered the K&N replacement filters @ INR 2600 for all the models listed above which we found very surprising. But we anyways went ahead and placed the order. The delivery was promised on Monday (4th August 2008). Now the funny part happens! That guys calls up and claims that the prices have increased as of 1st August and then goes ahead to give us the new prices (which range from 40%-50% more). So we are again back to square one

. But then since we had already made up our mind to get it fixed we again started calling the other dealers to get prices. Then we finally narrowed it down to the dealer that i mentioned above and we went ahead and placed the order. We all got it installed by evening (the dealer had to procure it from his godown which took about 2-3 hours). Surprisingly the final price was still cheaper than what was being offered by the 1st guy!

Observations -
1st - Distinct roar emanating from the Filter on racing the engine (Love that sound!)
2nd - Smoother running of engine. Feels like new!
3rd - Faster Acceleration. Not like Fast and Furious but i'm a step closer now! DEFINITE increase in acceleration across all bands (Low, Mid and High). I can feel the car pulling much faster than before. Cant wait for the FFE kit to add onto the power!

Havent yet checked the mileage but as per the reviews its supposed to increase marginally. I will post the information shortly as and when i measure it.

All in all a great experience! I would definitely recommend a replacement to all the car owners. Consider it an investment which you would recover in 40K Kms since you dont need to replace this baby!

btirthankar · 5th August 2008, 11:59

Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper english in posts, for the benefit of other forum users.

Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further.

vnabhi · 5th August 2008, 11:59

Nice of you to share, Theodore. Where exactly is xenex in Gayatri Hills? I might go in for one for my WagonR, but I will avoid it on the Fiesta as it is under extended warranty.
Further, I recall Zappo mentioning that K&N filter works best in dust-free environments, so how do you plan to avoid dust on your daily route?

n_aditya · 5th August 2008, 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Further, I recall Zappo mentioning that K&N filter works best in dust-free environments, so how do you plan to avoid dust on your daily route?

Well its a replacement type filter so its going to be placed in the air filter box where it is less prone to dust compared to a universal filter.

Theo - congrats on the filter job. Keep a light foot in case you are expecting the FE to increase. At the most it will deliver 1-2 kmpl more if you drive sedately.

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Nice of you to share, Theodore. Where exactly is xenex in Gayatri Hills? I might go in for one for my WagonR, but I will avoid it on the Fiesta as it is under extended warranty.
Further, I recall Zappo mentioning that K&N filter works best in dust-free environments, so how do you plan to avoid dust on your daily route?

@vnabhi - Its @ the corner of Kaveri Hills (When you are going from Madhapur to Banjari Hills it falls on the left) diagonally opposite Pride Honda.

By the way this replacement does not void any warranties as there is no modification required. Its total plug and play (I paid 3K for 3 minutes of work to the mechanic! That's 1K per minute.)

Regarding the dust free environment - Cant help that....but as it is an Air Filter and its primary job is to supply clean air, it is bound to get clogged. Only option is to clean it more frequently (Xenex also offers to clean it for INR300).

FYI there is a special oil that needs to be added during the cleaning process.

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

you drive sedately.

Thanks mate.....You need to be sedated to drive in Cyberabad! There is no scope for increasing FE in this city with all the traffic snarls, hilly terrain and sudden braking due to the 2 wheelers cutting in front but i will attempt! In most likelyhood i will do what my signature says!

nishantgandhi · 5th August 2008, 12:21

Is this the replacement K&N air filter? I am surprised to hear that performing so well as you have described!

How much does it cost for Getz 1.3?

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

Is this the replacement K&N air filter? I am surprised to hear that performing so well as you have described!

How much does it cost for Getz 1.3?

Replacement INR 4600.
Conical depends on the model. You can get the contact details on the K&N website.

mobike008 · 5th August 2008, 13:01

Amit, congratulations, i have been contemplating of getting a filter from past month and you beat me to it. My turn to get the filter is around the corner.

Glad to know your enjoying the subtle changes. Keep Revving!!!

suren181 · 5th August 2008, 13:10

Good on ya mate. Nice to note that you are experiencing a change.

You could get the charging kit for the K&N and do the cleaning yourself. Its a DIY, good to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with beer at hand. IIRC, I paid around 900/- bucks for my kit and have used it twice now and good for 2 ~ 3 more sessions.

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by suren181

Good on ya mate. Nice to note that you are experiencing a change.

You could get the charging kit for the K&N and do the cleaning yourself. Its a DIY, good to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with beer at hand. IIRC, I paid around 900/- bucks for my kit and have used it twice now and good for 2 ~ 3 more sessions.

Sounds doable to me...but how often do you clean it? I was recommended between 5-10K. I would want to drop in once and check out the kit. May end up buying it myself (Beer @ Sunday afternoon is the motivator here, not the cleaning!)

alstonvaz · 5th August 2008, 13:28

Hi,
The K&N site does not mention that they have a replacement filter for the Zen.
Can i have the K&N part number.
Thanks

theodore_ftw · 5th August 2008, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by alstonvaz

Hi,
The K&N site does not mention that they have a replacement filter for the Zen.
Can i have the K&N part number.
Thanks

That's right. But the box has the sticker which says its for the Zen MPFI .I'll let you know in a while as the box is in the car.

ravi@64bhp · 5th August 2008, 14:06

Congrats Amit. Interesting and encouraging. Now I am thinking of fitting it in my Wagon-R. I will do it only if it is plug-and-play.

khan_sultan · 5th August 2008, 14:10

Amit, it is universal or the OE replacement one? If it is OE replacement, then you need NOT worry about the mod/fitting etc.

If it is universal, then I hope you have got it installed ion a way that it is NOT sucking in hot air.

Saw that you mentioned that it was a 3 minute install. Difficult to do a CAI in 3 minutes with a universal K&N.

5th August 2008, 11:36	#1
theodore_ftw BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 122 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Zen 2002 MPFI - K&N Replacement Filter Review Hi Guys - I finally went and got this done! I was planning to get this installed for the past 6-8 months but for some reason or the other never got the time / made the effort! But i'm glad i did. There is a distinct imrovement in pick up across all bands (Low, Mid and High End torque). Details below. Date of installation - 05th August 2008 Price - INR 3000 Source - Xenex, Gayatri Hills, Hyderabad (They are listed on the K&N Website as a dealer) Time taken - 3 Minutes (Thats too short a time to get something fixed for which i paid 3K! but its the performance improvement which matters so i'm not complaining.) History - It all started on Friday (August 01, 2008) when one of my friends got the K&N replacement filter on his automatic santro. There was a noticable change in pick up (he doesnt measure his mileage) even at full load (4 Pax) and A/C on an uphill climb towards Gayatri hills from Madhapur area. We were suprised how his car went from a 'moped' to a 'semi-ferrari'! And that too at a cost of INR 3200 (Same dealer). This was enough motivation for us to take the plunge! Deployment - There were 4 of us who were interested (Zen, Getz, Swift and Ikon Flair). So we started calling up various dealers/contacts to get the best price. We managed to talk to one guy who offered the K&N replacement filters @ INR 2600 for all the models listed above which we found very surprising. But we anyways went ahead and placed the order. The delivery was promised on Monday (4th August 2008). Now the funny part happens! That guys calls up and claims that the prices have increased as of 1st August and then goes ahead to give us the new prices (which range from 40%-50% more). So we are again back to square one . But then since we had already made up our mind to get it fixed we again started calling the other dealers to get prices. Then we finally narrowed it down to the dealer that i mentioned above and we went ahead and placed the order. We all got it installed by evening (the dealer had to procure it from his godown which took about 2-3 hours). Surprisingly the final price was still cheaper than what was being offered by the 1st guy! Observations - 1st - Distinct roar emanating from the Filter on racing the engine (Love that sound!) 2nd - Smoother running of engine. Feels like new! 3rd - Faster Acceleration. Not like Fast and Furious but i'm a step closer now! DEFINITE increase in acceleration across all bands (Low, Mid and High). I can feel the car pulling much faster than before. Cant wait for the FFE kit to add onto the power! Havent yet checked the mileage but as per the reviews its supposed to increase marginally. I will post the information shortly as and when i measure it. All in all a great experience! I would definitely recommend a replacement to all the car owners. Consider it an investment which you would recover in 40K Kms since you dont need to replace this baby!
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 11:59	#2
btirthankar BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Some Moving Vehicle Posts: 816 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper english in posts, for the benefit of other forum users. Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 6th August 2008 at 11:45.
	() Thanks $Received Infraction$

5th August 2008, 11:59	#3
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,958 Thanked: 2,393 Times View My Garage	Nice of you to share, Theodore. Where exactly is xenex in Gayatri Hills? I might go in for one for my WagonR, but I will avoid it on the Fiesta as it is under extended warranty. Further, I recall Zappo mentioning that K&N filter works best in dust-free environments, so how do you plan to avoid dust on your daily route?
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 12:21	#7
nishantgandhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,220 Thanked: 156 Times	Is this the replacement K&N air filter? I am surprised to hear that performing so well as you have described! How much does it cost for Getz 1.3?
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 13:01	#9
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,695 Thanked: 14,801 Times View My Garage	Amit, congratulations, i have been contemplating of getting a filter from past month and you beat me to it. My turn to get the filter is around the corner. Glad to know your enjoying the subtle changes. Keep Revving!!!
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 13:10	#10
suren181 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 850 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	Good on ya mate. Nice to note that you are experiencing a change. You could get the charging kit for the K&N and do the cleaning yourself. Its a DIY, good to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with beer at hand. IIRC, I paid around 900/- bucks for my kit and have used it twice now and good for 2 ~ 3 more sessions.
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 13:28	#12
alstonvaz BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: MH12/GA06 Posts: 57 Thanked: Once	Hi, The K&N site does not mention that they have a replacement filter for the Zen. Can i have the K&N part number. Thanks
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 14:06	#14
ravi@64bhp BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 602 Thanked: 10 Times	Congrats Amit. Interesting and encouraging. Now I am thinking of fitting it in my Wagon-R. I will do it only if it is plug-and-play.
	() Thanks

5th August 2008, 14:10	#15
khan_sultan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Noida/Bangalore Posts: 4,925 Thanked: 5,853 Times View My Garage	Amit, it is universal or the OE replacement one? If it is OE replacement, then you need NOT worry about the mod/fitting etc. If it is universal, then I hope you have got it installed ion a way that it is NOT sucking in hot air. Saw that you mentioned that it was a 3 minute install. Difficult to do a CAI in 3 minutes with a universal K&N.
	() Thanks