K&N air filters for my 2015 Genesis 5.0

[carguy75]

Today I swapped my old OEM paper air filters for K&N air filters. I usually do not expect much performance gains from drop-in performance filters( about 5-8 hp gain). However, the K&N filters have a larger filter surface area (about 2in taller) than the stock air filters. The stock filters also look very restrictive since it is (1) paper(flow less by design) and (2) have a foam pre-filter on top of the paper.

I am sure that the stock filters clean the air better than the K&N filters, but I like a stronger running engine.

I will test how the engine feel over the next few hundred miles and then comment if I can feel a difference by switching filters. Some engine computers respond well to performance filters and some do not, time will tell if the 5.0 engine does or not. However, with the K&N filters I do have some high expectations for some decent power gains due to the increase filter surface size over the stock filters in addition to being high flow cotton.

The engine is rated to make 420 hp flywheel with stock filters, therefore I am speculating about a 15-20hp/10-15 ft/lb torque gain from swapping filters due to the large increase in filter size. So I am guessing about 435-440hp and 393-398 ft/lb flywheel with the K&N filters.

I forgot to add, the 5.0 V8 do not have a hot wire MAF sensor( uses a MAP sensor) for the oil in the K&N filter to mess up.

K&N filters compared to the stock filters.


Stock filters with the foam pre-filter layer.


K&N fitment is good.


K&N logo on air box, job done.

 

[Mark_888]

The engine is rated to make 420 hp flywheel with stock filters, therefore I am speculating about a 15-20hp/10-15 ft/lb torque gain from swapping filters due to the large increase in filter size.

I would say "maybe" 1.5-2.0 more HP, at least until the engine get dirtier.

K&N logo on air box, job done.

Good, idea. Let the dealer know right away to void your warranty without even having to open up the filter cover. Hyundai has issued several TSB's about those kind of filters that need to be oiled, and has banned them.

 

[dareckibmw]

I had K&N air filters in my '15 5.0 for little over two years, but I didn't notice any gain in hp/ft/lb. I'll say - waste of money, hence I won't be putting them in G80 sport.

 

[carguy75]

I would say "maybe" 1.5-2.0 more HP, at least until the engine get dirtier.


Good, idea. Let the dealer know right away to void your warranty without even having to open up the filter cover. Hyundai has issued several TSB's about those kind of filters that need to be oiled, and has banned them.

Good one!! However, the current TSB is about aftermarket oil filters, not air filters. The old TSB was for MAF sensors with the hot wire that could be damaged by the filter oil. The 5.0 V8 do not have a MAF sensor, hence no MAF that can fail under warranty.
The K&N air filter still filters the air so it will not get dirty enough to matter and if it did i use 5w-30 full synthetic oil that is changed every 4k miles. We are talking about extra microns of dust that may enter the engine through the intake which is probably mostly blown out the exhaust.

As far as power gains, who knows. I have seen some dyno runs with drop-in filters that show that most V8 engines pick-up about 8-10 hp on single air box equipped engines with K&N filters similar to stock filter sizes. The 5.0 has twin airboxes with actually significantly larger K&N filters, so I bet the gains are very noticeable.

I will give some feed back to see if I wasted my money or not.

 

[carguy75]

I had K&N air filters in my '15 5.0 for little over two years, but I didn't notice any gain in hp/ft/lb. I'll say - waste of money, hence I won't be putting them in G80 sport.

No offense , but I never just take a person opinion on the web about filter responses. Either the filters work or not depending on the driver's opinion. The same goes for octane, tires, etc. Too many opinions.

However, it would be hard to notice 10-20 hp gain on a 420hp engine anyway except for the most sensitive drivers. Plus, the engine would have to be run pretty hard in the upper rpm range to really get a feel if the performance air filter works or not. I have few local roads that I can open the car up a bit to really test how it responds in the upper limits. I will also run it at the local drag strip to see what my 1/4 miles times are compared to published number from Car and Driver magazine. Car and Driver says the 2015 5.0 Genesis can do the 1/4 mile in 13.6 seconds stock with just flooring the pedal without torque-braking. If I beat that time with a 13.4 or better, then the air filters most definitively help. Other than that, it just comes down to feel or maybe a dyno run to see if the filters really work.

 

[Gen127]

So I am guessing about 435-440hp and 393-398 ft/lb flywheel with the K&N filters

Someone should tell all the engineers at Hyundai about this 20hp gain just by switching filters! You’d think after the thousands of hours spent they’d have figured this little air intake equation out by now....

 

[carguy75]

Someone should tell all the engineers at Hyundai about this 20hp gain just by switching filters! You’d think after the thousands of hours spent they’d have figured this little air intake equation out by now....

The engineers probably already knows that the engine makes additional power with high flowing filters, but it is equipped with paper filters that restricts power for cost and better protection. Paper does filters out dust better than cotton performance filters.

I am not saying that performance filters make "magic" horsepower out of nowhere. Many engines run better with more air flow, however automakers use inexpensive paper filters which have a good balance of engine power and protection which may reduce the horsepower production in the engine.

Hence why in 2006 published horsepower numbers were made to reflect the actual engine power with the air box and engine accessories by SAE, because some automakers were flubbing numbers by stating the engine power before adding the air box and other accessories that reduced the power output of the engine.

 

[inmanlanier]

Other than several back to back dyno pulls with one vs. the other filter type, I too believe no appreciable gain will be noted. I'm sure Hyundai spent the moneg going to dual (paper) filters because that was a small, but measurable improvement. The production cost to do that was HUGE (parts, connection joints, labor, etc.). To then step up to different media would have been a much lower incremental cost. If it had any slight benefit my guess is they would have done that as well.

If the swap floats your boat - that's all that matters. Enjoy!

Normally I immediately swap the filter to K&N with every car acquisition (usually Used with low miles) - but on this car and my Jag F Type R - since there are 2 filters - I'm waiting unti the first maint interval since its double the price.

 

[carguy75]

I have just learned on this forum(Genesis coup and 4.6) that our engines may have some sort of flapper valve in the air box that opens at about 4k rpm that limits air flow and is normally closed under 4k rpm.

I will check my air box to see if the flapper exists on the 2015 5.0 engines. If so, that would explain the throttle lag this engine has. However, the lack of throttle response does make the engine more civilized in traffic without being jerky.

I will check today.

 

[carguy75]

Other than several back to back dyno pulls with one vs. the other filter type, I too believe no appreciable gain will be noted. I'm sure Hyundai spent the moneg going to dual (paper) filters because that was a small, but measurable improvement. The production cost to do that was HUGE (parts, connection joints, labor, etc.). To then step up to different media would have been a much lower incremental cost. If it had any slight benefit my guess is they would have done that as well.

If the swap floats your boat - that's all that matters. Enjoy!

Normally I immediately swap the filter to K&N with every car acquisition (usually Used with low miles) - but on this car and my Jag F Type R - since there are 2 filters - I'm waiting unti the first maint interval since its double the price.

I will see if the gains are noticeable in real world driving. I really do not care if a product is supposed to make 20hp on a dyno if I do not feel it myself when I drive the car or notice any better times at the drag strip.

I notice small changes in my cars because I do drive them hard very often. I will also report that i wasted money if for some reason the K&N filters do not feel they make the engine run any stronger. Some ECU do not adapt well to extra airflow, and may actually go into fail safe thinking the air box is damaged if too much air flows through.

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[carguy75]

I just checked the air boxes for any flapper covers and my 2015 5.0 do not have any. So I guess the reduced partial throttle lag is some by product of the throttle by wire programming or calibration for smoother acceleration.

I did notice that the throttle body is heated by engine coolant usually for emissions and to prevent the throttle plate from icing in the winter. Some cars/trucks have seen about a 5hp gain on dynos when the coolant is bypassed from the throttle body for cooler inlet air temperatures. I have done the the coolant bypass to my 6.0 V8 in my Escalade and it did help with the truck throttle response. I may do the same to this engine in the future.

The air box hole that is ducted to the front grill, same design for both air boxes so no restrictions in the air boxes beside the cheapo paper filters.



Throttle body with coolant hoses on the bottom.


The MAP sensor on top of the intake manifold above the throttle body.

 

[carguy75]

LOL. I just noticed that when it comes to performance air filters in any forum over the years the thread get filled with mostly members comments with negative opinons about if they work or not.

Well, I can not find a dyno test with my particuar engine with a drop-in K&N filter, but the more popular V8 engines does get dyno tested and do have some good results.

8 or 10 hp to the wheels is pretty good for only a $50 filter.

It will not make a rush like adding a supercharger or turbo, but it will make the engine just a bit more responsive.

Here is one example that has similar power to my engine.
https://www.lsxmag.com/tech-stories/engine/dyno-test-4-kn-vs-aem-5th-gen-camaro-intake-options/

 

[the.tru.albertan]

I put a K&N air filter in my '14 Ram 1500 but I have since removed it and went back to the normal filters. I was towing my holiday trailer last year down dusty roads in the mountains (logging roads and what not) but on the way home, my truck threw an error code. I got home and pulled the sensor that's downstream of the airbox and found it covered in air filter oil and dust. I cleaned it off and reset the ECU and it was all good again. My moms boyfriend is a heavy duty mechanic and said that driving thru the mountains with a trailer on the back would have caused the truck to be running at higher RPM and thus sucking in large amounts of air for sustained periods causing the filter oil and dust to be pulled thru. Suggested I change the filter back to the normal style for doing driving like that.

 

[carguy75]

I put a K&N air filter in my '14 Ram 1500 but I have since removed it and went back to the normal filters. I was towing my holiday trailer last year down dusty roads in the mountains (logging roads and what not) but on the way home, my truck threw an error code. I got home and pulled the sensor that's downstream of the airbox and found it covered in air filter oil and dust. I cleaned it off and reset the ECU and it was all good again. My moms boyfriend is a heavy duty mechanic and said that driving thru the mountains with a trailer on the back would have caused the truck to be running at higher RPM and thus sucking in large amounts of air for sustained periods causing the filter oil and dust to be pulled thru. Suggested I change the filter back to the normal style for doing driving like that.

So what is your point? K&N filters are bad? It will put oil on my MAF sensor? It allows dirt to pass through? This car does not have an MAF air flow sensor like in your RAM. Heck, I will not even tow on a dusty road with it.

I have used K&N filters on about a dozen cars and trucks over the years, and never had these oil problems. However, I never re-oil them because it is too tricky to get it right. I just buy a new filter after about two or three years.

Correction: I tried to re-oil one about a decade ago it was just drenched in oil so I just discarded it and bought a fresh one. Never tried to clean one ever again.

Note: I get your point about dirt. K&N filters would not be the best to use on a dirt roads with a lot of dust. It flow more air by design with a trade off in poor dirt filtration. Your mechanic is right that you use a better filter for driving on those dusty service roads.

My Genesis do not drive on dusty dirt service roads, nor does it has an MAF sensor wire to coat and mess up. This engine has MAP sensor that reads manifold air pressure.

 

[Gen127]

So what is your point? K&N filters are bad? It will put oil on my MAF sensor? It allows dirt to pass through? This car does not have an MAF air flow sensor like in your RAM. Heck, I will not even tow on a dusty road with it.

Generally speaking, threads in forums encourage participation by members on topics usually designated by the OP. Not all opinions will be in agreement. Members will share their own personal experiences with the subject (k&n filters here). Seems the point the.tru.albertan was making was this: for his type of driving (on dusty mountain roads, for example), the k&n are less than ideal for his situation. No real need to get defensive.

 

[the.tru.albertan]

So what is your point? K&N filters are bad? It will put oil on my MAF sensor? It allows dirt to pass through? This car does not have an MAF air flow sensor like in your RAM. Heck, I will not even tow on a dusty road with it.

I have used K&N filters on about a dozen cars and trucks over the years, and never had these oil problems. However, I never re-oil them because it is too tricky to get it right. I just buy a new filter after about two or three years.

Correction: I tried to re-oil one about a decade ago it was just drenched in oil so I just discarded it and bought a fresh one. Never tried to clean one ever again.

Note: I get your point about dirt. K&N filters would not be the best to use on a dirt roads with a lot of dust. It flow more air by design with a trade off in poor dirt filtration. Your mechanic is right that you use a better filter for driving on those dusty service roads.

My Genesis do not drive on dusty dirt service roads, nor does it has an MAF sensor wire to coat and mess up. This engine has MAP sensor that reads manifold air pressure.

I was just saying that was my experience with my most recent K&N air filter. I had one in my '03 RSX-S that I used to own and didn't have problems. However, my most recent experience has put me into 'OEM filters only.' I'm not saying that you're going to have issues, just telling you my recent experience and why I lean towards the normal filters. You're from Atlanta so I'm assuming you guys have clean roads, but here in Alberta, dirt is the name of the game. There's crap everywhere.

 

[carguy75]

Generally speaking, threads in forums encourage participation by members on topics usually designated by the OP. Not all opinions will be in agreement. Members will share their own personal experiences with the subject (k&n filters here). Seems the point the.tru.albertan was making was this: for his type of driving (on dusty mountain roads, for example), the k&n are less than ideal for his situation. No real need to get defensive.

So true. This is a forum. Not defensive, just the fact that I did not ask if anyone agrees that K&N filters are worth it. I am detailing my own personal experience with K&N on this engine.

However, like mentioned this a forum so members are free to add comments as desired.

 

[carguy75]

I was just saying that was my experience with my most recent K&N air filter. I had one in my '03 RSX-S that I used to own and didn't have problems. However, my most recent experience has put me into 'OEM filters only.' I'm not saying that you're going to have issues, just telling you my recent experience and why I lean towards the normal filters. You're from Atlanta so I'm assuming you guys have clean roads, but here in Alberta, dirt is the name of the game. There's crap everywhere.

Thanks for the information. I already made up my mind to test the filters performance on this engine. I have used K&N filters for over 20 years with no problems with engine codes or failure, but I never used it on this engine until now.

However, it seems that the topic of this filter brand always causes the same arguments and comments over the years on forums.

 

[Gen127]

However, it seems that the topic of this filter brand always causes the same arguments and comments over the years on forums.

So true!

Having just cleaned the OEM filters on my '15 5.0, I look forward with interest to reading the results you get with the K&N.

 

[carguy75]

I logged about 50 miles with the K&N filters last night and this morning on my commute to work.

All I can say is WOW. The car was fast with the old filters, but with the K&N filter this car moves like a real sports car.

The car now feels like it was in sport mode with the old filters when it is in ECO mode. Normal mode is just fast, and I mean stupid fast. OMG, sport mode is just scary. I mean I hit the gas pedal at about 60 mph in sport mode and i was cruising about 110 mph in a few seconds. Insane. The engine was still pulling strong when I let off the pedal.

To top it off the engine does it effortlessly, I mean no lag with instant smooth rocket like acceleration.

Some of the improvement could just be from using a clean air filter, but the positive change in performance is very noticeable. I can not believe that another member used these filters on the same engine and could not feel a difference.

However, the true test will be when I go to the drag strip and see what the car can do in the 1/4 mile. Problem is that I will need a racing helmet since my local speedway will not give you a time if your car do a sub 14 second 1/4 mile without wearing a helmet. From what I can feel so far this car will do it in 13.6 or quicker very easy.

So far I am very happy with these filters.

The funny thing is that I was sharing the road last night with a few heavy hitters like a Mercedes S550, newer mustang GT, newer Audi Q7, and some quick V6 cars. After my little test run all the other quick cars decided to pick up the pace and when I slowed down I was getting serious looks as they sped by me. I did not want a ticket so I let them have it when they caught up to me. Plus, sport mode actually scared me a bit. I have never driven a car that accelerated that quick before.

The quickest car I have owned before this one was a 2002 Mercedes E55 AMG and it was rated to do 0-60 in about 4.9 seconds and the quarter in about 13.4 seconds, very similar to my current Genesis 5.0. However, the Genesis feels much faster now.

I never put a K&N filter in the Mercedes due to it having a MAF sensor. I used only OEM Mercedes paper filters in that engine.

My old 2002 E55 AMG