Air Filters | Why they are important

I'm interested in more performance out of my cars, and I assume if you are reading this blog that is one of your interests also.

One of the ways to increase the stock horsepower in a car is to improve the air flow both into and out of the engine. In another blog I'll talk about the engine exhaust.

The more air that comes into the engine, the more oxygen is delivered to the cylinders. When this extra oxygen is mixed with the proper amount of fuel and burned, more horsepower is developed.

In prior blogs we discussed different types and brands of cold air intakes, and I stressed some of the features of them. The one area I did not cover in any detail was the air filter. Factory air filters, and most of them you can purchase in the local auto parts store are made out of paper. This can result in several things.

First while they trap dirt and debris they also restrict the air flow. So less air means less power. Second, they become dirty and when they do, the only thing you can do is throw them away and buy a new one. Over time you will be spending a lot of money on paper filters.

The after market cold air intake companies have answered these problems with unique design for their air filters and special materials. The designs allow more air to flow through even when the filter becomes dirty. And many of them allow cleaning of the air filter, and typically these particular companies will offer a lifetime guaranty for their filters. Let's see the stock filters offer the same.

Two of the most typical of these aftermarket brands are AEM and K&N. AEM has a filter they call the DryFlow and it can be cleaned when it becomes dirty. K&N also has a great filter, but they use a light oil bath on their filter. Both improve the air flow and even the catching of very small particles before they harm your engine.

I would use and trust either brand. Since I can use only one at a time, I'm currently running with a K&N in my Ferrari.

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Honda Accord Performance Air Filters

Honda Accord Power Air Filters


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So Who Do You Believe About the Crash Test?

The local paper and the TV news shows were all highlighting the recent test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, of two cars smashing into each other.

The cars struck in something called "offset" or not quite a true head on collision This type of test more realistically simulated what happens when a car wanders over the center line and hits a car coming in the other direction.

As I'm sure you have heard the smaller car received the most damage and potential damage to its passengers. The Insurance Institute said that the Smart ForTwo had “extensive” damage...

...into the area where the driver sits. The institute's findings indicate a human would have a high likelihood of sustaining head and leg injuries.

For the Honda Fit a driver of the Fit in a similar accident would have hit the steering wheel through the airbag in addition to sustaining leg injuries.

Of course the car manufactures had a different conclusion such as this type of accident is very unlikely. An 80 mph collision (each car going 40 mph) was a rare type of accident. One of the companies said it was a “rare and extreme” accident. “

So what's your opinion?

Mine is that it just proved some laws of physics. Its safer to be in a larger vehicle than a smaller one. That being said, most of my cars have been small sport cars, so I don't always listen to myself.

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AEM Cold Air Intake

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Another Dumb Idea from Congress

The US Congress seems to be making one dumb decision after another. I'm not sure why. Is it pressure from lobbyists, demand from constituents, an attempt to do good but not understanding the problem?

I give up. Please help me understand one of their recent decisions. We all know the economy is in the pits. One of the causes, but certainly not the major one, is our dependence on foreign oil. So as a reasonable decision Congress passed a prior law that gave a tax credit for folks who purchased a hybrid automobile. Sounded like a reasonable decision to me. An extra incentive to save gas.

Now the kicker. According to mixedpower.com the tax credits are going away or already gone. One of the restrictions on the $3,400 credit was that it applied to only the first 60,000 cars from a specific manufacturer. So if you want to purchase a Toyota Prius - no tax credit. How about the brand new Honda Insight? Sorry, no tax credit. Both Toyota and Honda have reached and passed the stupid 60,000 limit. I guess when you reach that magic number the world's oil problem just goes away (just like I would like our Congress to do).

Anyway there are still some left for you to purchase and receive the credit, and that is a hybrid from Ford or General Motors. If you are interested in Ford, they offer Ford Escape Hybrid and its twin SUV, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, the Ford Fusion Hybrid mid-size sedan and its twin the Mercury Milan Hybrid. For General Motors the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid and Cadillac Escalade hybrid are available.

Now some more bad news. Ford is approaching the 60,000 limit and the tax credit is designed to decrease at particular times. It drops from the current $3,4000 to $1,700 or in half after March 31st. And then to $850 after March 31, 2010.

I guess the reasoning was by that time we, our esteemed Congress, would have solved the oil crisis, and the tax credit incentive would no longer be necessary. If you believe that, I have a nice bridge for sale, but I expect a young couple who looked at it earlier today will be back to buy it. So you had better make me an offer real fast. .

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