K&N Engineering, Inc.

  K&N Engineering, Inc. is a manufacturer of automobile parts that is best known for its namesake air filter. K&N air filters have won more Baja-style desert races than all other air filters combined. ^[1] It is headquartered in Riverside, California.

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History

K&N Engineering was founded by Ken Johnson and Norm McDonald. K&N Engineering became known for its performance air filters for motorcycles and racing vehicles. K&N air filters were first used by desert off-road racers. ^[2] The extremely dirty conditions in off-road racing quickly clogged the paper filters that were available at the time. K&N's filter technology was applied to automotive applications. K&N manufactures the majority of its products in-house. K&N's largest overseas market is in Germany and Australia, and it generates approximately 15% of its revenue overseas. ^[3]

Products

K&N's air filter is an automotive air filter constructed of cotton gauze material sandwiched between aluminium wire mesh. ^[2] It allows more air to flow in freely while dirt and particles stick to oil. K&N explains that this configuration is much more efficient than paper filters. As a result more oxygen gets into the engine, allowing vaporized fuel to burn more efficiently, thus increasing horse power and getting more mileage. The filter withstands repeated washings unlike paper filters, however, washing should be done only every 50,000 miles. ^[2] After washing, the filter is treated with an oil. Introduced in 1969 by K&N Engineering, Inc., the company states that owners can drive for 50,000 to 100,000 miles between cleaning and claims a million mile warranty.^{[2] [3]} Carl Judice who drove a million miles with one K&N filter.^[4]

K&N offers several lines of cold air intake systems. K&N product lines include Fuel Injection Performance Kits, AirCharger Intake Systems, Typhoon Intake Systems, and High Flow Intakes.

Environmentally friendly

K&N claims that its lifetime air filters are more friendly to the environment since they never need to be replaced and do not end up in landfills or incinerators. ^[3]

Reviews

• Your Guide to Trucks
• Can a better air filter improve fuel economy? We'll find out...

References