Quite simply it is an air filter that cleans the air that goes into the engine. All cars have air filters usually sited in the engine bay hidden in an air box. They are generally constructed of paper which filters out the particles from the air and prevents these from getting into the engine.
The filter housing or airboxe is designed to reduce the noise of the engine, as people prefer quiter engines they do apparently but not our readers so the airbox will have various vanes and angles cut to maximize this noise reduction by introducing sound cancelling turbulence.
Because the air is not flowing freely it will be slower so there is potentially a loss of power caused by all that sound deadening. To make up for this loss of power the air filter surface area is a lot larger than the intake tubes so manufactures have effectively closed the gap between, noise reduction and performance by slowing up the air but allowing a wider area for it flow through seems to balance out nicely.
When it comes to car tuning noise reduction is generally the last thing on peoples mind and many people actually like the induction roar sound on an engine. Swapping out the restrictive air box with an open filter helps to improve the flow of air into the engine and fully releases the induction roar, a noise associated with tuners cars the world over.
However there are some downsides. As the filter is sited in the warm engine bay it will suck in warm air which carries less oxygen - not great for power!
Thankfully after a mile or so the air temperature in the engine bay is much reduced and closer to ambient temperatures. Fitting a cold air feed pipe taking air from outside the engine bay will help to counter this problem.
Engines with induction kits fitted typically see the power gains quite high up the RPM range if at all. So the figures quoted on the box are generally for very high power turbo vehicles, so a claim of 20bhp will in reality be just 1bhp on smaller engines and then only at the top end of your rev range. By fitting an induction kit you will often find that your low end power is compromised. In small engines the effect of an induction kit is often a noticeable loss of low end power.
This is fine if you want to use the top end of the RPM range all the time, like you would in a race environment, but on the street this is just not viable. Fuel usage would be much higher and you will be causing a noise nuisance to your neighbours as if that bothered you anyway!
Induction kits are still efficient filters but they are never going to be as effective as an OEM paper filter. But you can get performance panel filters which are a good mid way compromise. Do induction kits always add power?
NO - typically power gains are toward the top end of the RPM range with many engines suffering a power loss, especially low down the rev range. Do induction kits add fuel economy? By sucking in warm engine bay air the engine will use less fuel, so round town you might notice a slight improvement in MPG but the induction roar promotes a heavier driving style which negates this. Engines can be a little more efficient with induction kits so pull in more air but again this should not be considered a fuel economy mod.
This generally means you get more power from your fuel but if you adjusted your driving style, to use less throttle and settled for your previous power figures, you can get improved mpg with induction kits. Are all induction kits the same? No, quality varies considerably. We recommend filters that are using a cotton gauze filtration medium. Some kits come with high flow air boxes and air intakes designed specifically for a car and these will usually out perform basic filter only kits especially if they have a cold air feed pipe to channel cold air towards them rather than the hot engine bay air.
Are induction kits hard to fit? Induction kits are extremely easy to fit. You may need to cut a pipe or two but most kits can be fitted in a matter of minutes with just a screwdriver. They sound great, so there is a massive placebo effect of perceived power increase, and they are one of the cheapest most easy to fit mods around.
Sadly though most setups in average cars see little to no power gain by fitting one unless there is a big restriction in your OEM airbox supply of air. That said if you are modifying your car an induction kit can have a useful place in your parts list. I fitted an induction kit and I have flat spots? Wait for a while to allow your ECU to adjust to the new air flow characteristics it can take miles or so for this to kick in. An ECU will auto trim the fuelling based on lambda readings and past performance history.
If after a tank of fuel you still get flat spots then you should check your fuel delivery and the exhaust flow rates. Running lean can be a problem and some have noted that fitting a sports exhaust will further improve things balancing the flow through the engine. What is the main benefit of an induction kit? If you want the induction roar noise then the induction kits are good value. Each month we quiz a specialist with 10 quickfire questions about a product to give you the knowledge you need to not only make the right decisions when it comes time to upgrade, but also to have the ammunition to impress your mates at your next meet.
This month we speak to Pipercross to get the lowdown on the humble induction kit. An induction kit usually refers to the components used to replace the standard air box and cold air feed to the engine.
Pipercross specialises in performance intakes of which the main function is to improve a vehicles performance, by improving its ability to feed cold fresh air to where the car needs it most. There are many different types of aftermarket performance air intake systems available. Whilst the aim of all the intake systems should be the same to increase the air flow the engine , the designs and final results can be very different. The two main components of an induction system are the airbox and air filter.
The airbox provides a housing for the air filter and is used to channel cool air from outside the engine bay directly to the filter. It also has the added function of isolating the air from the effects of heat generated by the engine.
An air filter is essential to ensure that air drawn into the engine is clean and free from any contaminants that would potentially be harmful to an engine. There are many different shapes and sizes of filters used, dependant on the application road car, desert rally car etc. It is common for most OEM manufacturers to use pleated paper panel filters in the induction system while aftermarket performance products tend to feature a cone or cylindrical shaped filter to increase the available surface area.
The shape, size and material of the filter has an impact on the amount of air that is able to pass through it. Pipercross manufactures reticulated foam filters which are each hand made. Usually they are larger and capable of flowing more air. Production cars are made up of a series of compromises, so they are able to deal with harsh environments and bad fuel.
The downside is that a lot of these filters come in a cone shape and require you to remove the factory air box. Because of this, they then suck air in directly from the engine bay, which is hot. As you will no doubt remember from your physics lessons, air expands as it heats up, which means hot air contains less oxygen than cold air. Less oxygen is not what you want from your air, as this means that the air is less combustible.
Cold, high-oxygen air is what your engine craves and is the reason that turbocharged engines use intercoolers; you need to get that air cold before your engine gulps it down if you want to extract maximum power from it.
If you have an unshielded cone filter, then you will only be getting good cold air flow to the filter when you are going very fast, so there is a lot of air flowing into the engine. You should hear it roar now I've fitted the induction kit. What this can mean is that until the air is flowing into your engine quickly enough to negate the heat soak from the engine, then you'll actually lose performance with a performance air filter. This will happen at low speeds and especially from a standing start.
If you've been idling at traffic lights for 20 seconds, the air under the bonnet is very warm. You pull away and your car is down on power until enough air has flowed in to replace the hot air.
Not really what you want from a performance upgrade. A drop-in type that replaces your paper air filter directly in the air box won't suffer from this problem, but a cone will. Pretty much the opposite effect you're looking for when you buy one of these is less power, but if it's unshielded, that's what you'll get.
If you want to do it properly then you'll need a fully shielded induction kit. These aren't going to be perfect at stopping heatflow, but are much better than an unshielded cone. If you have the filter unshielded in the engine bay like this, it sounds great but won't give optimum performance. Although there is a lot of good marketing bumph out there, a lot of it is just that. Or both! My advice is just to keep your paper filter regularly changed and not worry about a high-flow filter.
If you want to fit one for the noise and you're after performance then make sure you don't leave the cone air filter exposed and instead fit a fully shielded induction kit to ensure that the air that goes in is as cold as possible. If you don't shield it, you will get more airflow at high speed, but off the line, it can actually be a bit slower down to heat soak, the engine heating up the air under the bonnet, which is then sucked in by the filter when you start moving.
That is not cleared until you've been driving for a few seconds, so initially, your car will actually make a bit less power if your intake is not shielded correctly. You don't want this! Remapping is definitely a solution that will get you more power than just replacing the air filter for an induction kit.
That is something for another article though. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Living full time in an RV sounds like fun. Let's see. When life spins out of control and you are overwhelmed with debt and bills, bailing out and reducing your living costs may be the only chance you have.
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