I just recently installed a K&N drop in air filter to replace my paper filter. I have been very careful to keep my driving style as close to normal as possible since I put it in. Problem is that I have steadily gone from 18mpg to now just over 14mpg in the 3 days since.

I have rechecked the install to make sure it is seated properly and the air box is sealed. Is this normal? I did not install for the touted "better gas mileage", but simply because I plan on keeping this truck a long time and thought it would be an investment over buying paper filters all the time. Not much of an investment if I am spending more on fuel all the time though. I have had K&N's in every car I have owned for the last 15 years and have never seen this noticable of a loss in fuel economy.

Any thoughts?

 

the only thing i can think is your in the throttle more than you think.you can try to disconnect the battery for 60 sec to reset the computer on your driving habits.then after about a hundred miles or so drive normal and see if the mileage comes back.onethingto remember more airflow,more fuel but it shouldnt drop that much.i know on mine if i can stay off the throttle my mileage actually went up about 1mpg on avg

 

I noticed no impact on mileage, to be honest. Didn't help, didn't hurt. Sure felt like the truck could breathe better at high RPM's though.

But normal driving I don't think it did much.

After putting it in I've gotten as high as 23.6mpg (we have a tonneau though) or as low as 15 on the highway.

 

Do a K&N to help the motor breathe and to save on the cost of paper filters. Don't do it for the MPG gain because I doubt you'll ever see one.

 

I also have a drop in K&N in my truck and I noticed no difference at all in fuel economy either way.

 

I put a K&N cold air intake on my dodge and if ur looking for more power and better fuel miles i would get a cold air intake. i went from 13.9mpg to 15.5mpg and more horsepower too. and i been in the throttle a little more than usually.

 

I also have the drop in and noticed 2 things. The throttle response was slightly better when taking off from a dead stop, and that the milage went up when cruising on the hwy. I did not notice any increase or decrease in mpg at lower speeds or more power, just nice smooth acceloration when around town. I am happy with mine so far. Jeff.

 

Cost savings over paper filters in the long run is why I did it....but spending more in fuel kind of nullifies that savings. Like I said, I have had K&N's in all my cars/trucks for the last 15 years including my 3rd Gen Ram and have never seen this noticable of a decrease in MPG.

I just don't get why such a dramatic and consistent change....maybe I am missing something

 

I never noticed MPG or HP improvement when I installed the K&N on my other vehicles. Actually, I over oiled once and i got the reverse effect due to oil on my MAF sensor on my GMC. I know the Ram won't have a problem with that. Since modern vehicles have the computers pretty much compensating for everything (air/fuel ratio, etc) it is hard to fool them with just the K&N.

Cost wise, a basic paper filter is about $15 at Napa. The K&N is about $53 plus the cleaning and oiling kit adds another $13. Assuming I change my air filter after 15000 miles, there would be no cost benefit to the K&N until after 75000 miles.

I just go with paper now days,I don't have to clean the filters and wait for them to dry and oil them anymore. It's just a personal preference.

 

I change mine about twice a year, which means I have caught up to the cost of the K&N after 2yrs. Planning on keeping this truck for 7-10 years hopefully so we can pay off our mortgage in 10yrs, so if I can keep the K&N in good shape (which usually isn't hard) I can save over $200 over the life of the truck. Problem is if I am paying an extra $XX in gas per year due to the decreased fuel eco I am seeing then I actually just shot myself in the foot!