LMM cleaning / sports air filter for PD-TDI engines

Hello everyone,

My Golf IV 115HP PD TDI (chipped to 140HP) has been running sluggishly for about 3 months and had reduced top speed. After the 90,000 km service, the situation remained the same. So, I decided to address the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF). I removed it and cleaned it with electronics/circuit board cleaner. The result: significantly better acceleration from low RPM, and the best part is, I'm using less diesel. Today, on the 3rd day, I had a clear stretch of road and the car is "zooming" like crazy. Going uphill near Darmstadt-Weiterstadt, I almost reached 220 km/h (speedometer), with no speed drop. Going downhill, it was just over 220 km/h, and on a flat stretch, I reached about 225 km/h (speedometer) before the first obstacle, and all of this very easily!!! Before, reaching over 210 km/h was a struggle. I really should have cleaned the LMM earlier!!!
Here's my experience with K&N plate-style sports air filters: In my previous car, a Polo Coupe Genesis 1.3 with 75 hp, I saw a fuel consumption reduction of 0.5 liters overnight thanks to the sports air filter. In my Golf III 1.6 with 100 hp, I only noticed a fuel consumption decrease of about 0.3 liters when I demanded more power. In my girlfriend's Golf III 1.8 with 90 hp, there was no difference compared to the standard filter. And in my TDI, I haven't noticed any difference either, neither in terms of noise, performance, or fuel consumption. These are my personal experiences with K&N products!!!

Best regards,

Frank

Hi.

Regarding your experiences with unsecured loans: I have another question.
Which cars have you used an open filter on, and which ones have you used a replacement element for the original airbox?

ulf wrote:

Hi Regarding your experiences with unsecured loans: I have another question. Which cars have you used an open filter on, and which ones have you used a replacement element for the original airbox?

Hello Ulf,

For all vehicles, I used a replacement air filter housing instead of the original one. The price was always around 100 DM.
Later, I installed an air intake from Bonrath on the Polo, which resulted in a slight reduction in fuel consumption. And what was even more fun was that at the time, there were only 90hp TDIs that could keep up with my little powerhouse, and they could only do so by drafting behind me.

Best regards,

Frank.

Hi.

Quote:

For all vehicles, I used a replacement part for the original air filter housing.

Aha. So, while some vehicles experience a reduction in fuel consumption, there is no (significant) increase in power output when the air intake system remains unchanged.

If I were to interpret this, it would suggest that the engine efficiency has increased in the vehicles that showed a positive response. The only possible explanation, in my opinion, is that the filter element itself has a slightly lower flow resistance, which reduces the suction effort required from the engine.

Did you also make comparisons with clean / new standard and sport filters? Clogged air filters are known to increase fuel consumption in (older) Otto engines.

ulf wrote:

Hi Quote: For all vehicles, I used a replacement part for the original air filter housing. Aha. So, while some vehicles experience a reduction in fuel consumption, there is no (significant) increase in power output when the air intake system remains unchanged. If I were to interpret this, it would suggest that the engine efficiency has increased in the vehicles that showed a positive response. The only possible explanation, in my opinion, is that the filter element itself has a slightly lower flow resistance, which reduces the suction effort required from the engine. Did you also make comparisons with clean / new standard and sport filters? Clogged air filters, as is well known, increase fuel consumption in (older) Otto engines.

Okay.

Best regards,

Frank.