Performance air filters or panel filters

[Welshy_Pete]

Do performance induction air filters or panel filters make much diffrence to the 306 hdi performance?

Also which is best induction or panel?

Does the induction have much diffrent sound with being a diesel?

thanks

[Dum-Dum]

I doubt they make much difference, Id defo go for a pannel filter though as you dont want heat soak on an induction cone

IT dosent do much to the sound at all (unlike my XSi which sounds epic)

[Poodle]

Don't think anyone's managed to show any real gain with a different filter on one of these. Green cottons flow better, but don't filter as well, which is important on turbo engines so it's swings and roundabouts. Depends if you're bothered about your comp wheel staying in good condition tbh, if you're going to be changing to something else in a few thousand miles then you can just run with mesh over it for some serious noise lol.

[Welshy_Pete]

Don't think anyone's managed to show any real gain with a different filter on one of these. Green cottons flow better, but don't filter as well, which is important on turbo engines so it's swings and roundabouts. Depends if you're bothered about your comp wheel staying in good condition tbh, if you're going to be changing to something else in a few thousand miles then you can just run with mesh over it for some serious noise lol.

Drill holes in the air box on the cheap LOL.

[4WayDiablo]

Don't think anyone's managed to show any real gain with a different filter on one of these. Green cottons flow better, but don't filter as well, which is important on turbo engines so it's swings and roundabouts. Depends if you're bothered about your comp wheel staying in good condition tbh, if you're going to be changing to something else in a few thousand miles then you can just run with mesh over it for some serious noise lol.

Drill holes in the air box on the cheap LOL.

We dont drive saxo's :-P

[Bailes1992]

I saw a link a few days ago with proof that all these panel filters were reducing performance. You are better off with a good quality OEM filter.

[Mr Whippy]

I'll be writing this up soon on my website, then you can all look at my data, and if I can find it, the data of some others that have tested things over the years.

But in the mean time, if you can, stick with the original airbox, airbox feed, and airbox filters if you can. They are really very very good. You would have to do something very special to improve on the standard setup.

Even a panel filter upgrade isn't really worth bothering with until very high levels of tune, and usually they just mean worse filtration which means you have to clean and oil it much more often than a good OEM paper filter change, to assure your turbo isn't sucking in dust!

Dave

[declantg]

Im running a defiltered turbo at the moment, could i not just put a cone on it?

[Mr Whippy]

Your turbo is just pointing out into the atmosphere?

You could just put a cone on it, but any system that sucks from the engine bay is going to be fairly warm, which reduces power, and also contaminated, so your compressor will become less and less efficient as the compressor wheel is slowly damaged... never mind the damage you will get running dust through the engine/valves/turbo turbine at the other end.

A cone will be better than nothing, but with a cone or any foam type filter, they do need cleaning and oiling MORE often than you would change a paper filter, in order to achieve good filtration quality.


You are running a Td though, whose intake system is less than optimal... the HDi one is very good hence me suggesting not to run something else unless it is known to be excellent (nothing I have seen bar the BMC carbon thing piped straight onto the intake trumpet from the MAF sensor comes close)

Dave