Two days ago I purchased a K & N Apollo induction Kit (forced) without much thought or research. Fabia was due a service, booked in for a re-map so I thought this would be ideal choice. The part was listed suitable for my car, the description too sounds effective.

Anyway, the negatives, my dad being a mechanic told me off for buying it saying it will mess up my air meter and wasn't suitable and I should of stuck with the panel filter. Is he right or is he just being an old man.

He sure was right when immediately after, an engine management light is up my dash? Does anyone know any FACTS about if it will damage my car? And how the hell I can bypass this engine light?

Should I just burn it, and stick the old filter back on?

Please do not comment with un-constructive opinions, only facts.

Here's the pros:

Much more responsive

Much smoother acceleration

Slight better reaction and somewhat improved performance I believe.

Interesting sounds to begin with.

Turbo sounds more prominent (neg ? Forced wear/strain)

Here's the cons:

Overly noisey and does become annoying

Engine management light

Pipe too short to direct cold air feed or really suitable position to fit.

If you have VDCS/Vagcom it would be good to check the EML light to give you better idea whats going on. I would be interested to see if it is actually the induction kit or something else.

Please do not comment with un-constructive opinions, only facts.

Hmm.. not many can give you facts im afraid, most of us not wealthy enough to have a dyno to hand to see the difference.

On that basis the following I say may mean alot or may mean nothing at all, so you can decide yourself -

The smoother acc you experience maybe the fact your having less power on the low end of the rev range (or throughout the whole rev range, power loss). Induction kits are supposed to help with upper rev range traditionally. Some can argue its a good thing for the clutch, drives more like a petrol etc. Some say you get heat soak when stationary (even if it is forced I assume surface area is smaller than the original box so heat transfer is greater?). Many others say (including some tuners) the standard box is fine up to 200+bhp, why spend £100-200 on an item which an OEM £10 filter can achieve?

But hey, people happy to spend £100+ on mufflerectomy, some say it has gains, some doesn't. Most just do it for the noise when you boot it. Your car, do what you like, but (any) induction kits wouldn't give significant gains.

If you want significant gains you need to look at remap, turbo, injectors, decat (ideally with complimentary mods which keep you from wrapping it round a tree).

A few pointers.

Supply and demand, the engine can only ingest a certain of air in a certain amount of time, but also comes to point where no more power can be yielded because there is no scope left nor is a factory system restrictive or can be improved upon in the current state of tune once these variables change it can be improved for example running a bigger turbo, as the power requirements go up so does the amount of air needed. Rely the stock air box have a well designed chamber.

Some of the basics, flow, pressure, velocity, forgot the wordi but a smooth air path not to disrupt the air typically the intake going to directly into an engine is smooth with very little bends.

I could probably write a massive post about many factors why imo you are wasting your money breaking down a cai. Basically it boils down to the above in easy terms.

The factory air filter flows sufficient air for 220+bhp.

It's made of paper so no chance of damaging the MAF, and filters better with less chance of chipping to the turbo blades.

Stick with standard, and change it regularly.

How dirty was your old one? Perhaps that's why it feels more responsive.

I have a K&N cone filter + it hasnt put the engine light on.

I agree it is too noisy tho :(..

Your dad is right u should have stuck with a panel filter

I changed mine because my original airbox lid was broken.. and the cone looks better !

Ill be keeping mine.. but wouldnt advise anyone to get one.. as said on here quite abit.. the standard panel filter will take over 200bhp without any issues

You retained your MAF still yeah? thats the first thing that springs to mind if its not connected etc causing the EML

Im running a k+n cone on my pd150

Rolling road stated 198.6bhp so very very healthy for a remap! So doubt it loses bhp

Thanks for the comments. Bit of a waste of money then.

The filter was pretty clean as I service my car every 4k.

MFA is still there, plugged in. Ill double check it to make sure. Ill get my old man to check the engine light via a diagnostic tonight see if its a different problem.

I may whip it out and see what happens with the standard filter in.

Found the standard one not very good but this was on a hybrid. Maybe ok on a remapped car. Would not trust to use on a hybrid though.

Jabbasport cone in a box is a good alternative.

Edited 25 April, 201313 yr by trebormint

I put a pipercross induction kit on mine and it sounded horribly loud but pulled like a train, so much easier revving up the top of the rev range but the engine management light came on and it had a splutter at low revs. This is because I'd left the vac pipe to atmosphere anyway went back to standard after a day. Had a k&n 57i laying about so fitted it and made sure I connected the vac pipe, doesn't really sound any louder and not really made a difference. My advice is check the vac pipe has been put into it. As for recommending a induction kit I wouldn't bother, spend the money elsewhere

The vac pipe was pluged in. Everything was connected as the standard. The meter is within the connector pipe with cable I would presume. Which triggers an engine light? I may be wrong.

Reverted back to the standard tonight. The noise gets frustrating on the motorway. There definintley is a difference in response having tried and tested. Brought something I didn't really think about or need.

I sold my K+N panel filter and went back to standard paper ones, I asked a while back about induction kits but a couple of members who were running big power Fabia's at the time said stick to the standard air box+filter.

I've seen back to back dirty oem paper and brand new K&N and the difference was 0.x bhp. If the intake was restrictive then you'd see gains, in your application it isn't so yes, your dad was right.