TESTING FACILITIES AND METHODS
K&N maintains testing facilities in the USA, the UK
and the Netherlands. These facilities incorporate both airflow and
horsepower/torque testing capabilities. Our horsepower/torque testing is
performed on wheel-based dynamometers, which measure actual brake
horsepower and torque at the wheel(s) receiving power from the drive
train. This is different and we believe more realistic than
horsepower/torque testing done at the flywheel of an engine because the
power lost between the engine and the wheels does not contribute to the
power needed to put a vehicle in motion. Our
standard horsepower/torque testing is designed to measure relative power
differences on a vehicle with and without K&N products installed.
Our horsepower and torque numbers use SAE (Society of Automotive
Engineers) correction factors. We
attempt to hold all other variables constant to generate a reliable
measurement of changes in horsepower and torque on a vehicle before and
after a K&N product is installed.
Airflow testing is a little more complicated, so we
have included a detailed description of our airflow testing protocol on another page.
To test the Dust filtration efficiency for a
particular air filter, we contract with an independent lab to conduct
such tests in accordance with the ISO 5011 testing
procedure.
POWER GAIN CHARTS
Because of some of the unbelievable
claims of power gains made by other manufacturers of air filters and
intake systems, we feel it is important that our performance claims are
realistic and that they are clearly explained. The vehicles our
R&D department uses for testing are loaned to us by consumers residing
near our test facilities.
Some of our intake kits have power gain charts, which show actual Dyno
run plots. These plots show the median run of a specific vehicle,
which had three runs with the original stock intake system and three
runs with the K&N intake kit installed. The year, make, model,
and engine type of the vehicle tested is shown on each chart. The
ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure at the time of the run is
printed on the chart along with the correction factor. The
correction factor is used by the Dynometer to calculate the horsepower
and torque relative to standard conditions. This correction factor
helps to ensure that our power gain measurements are accurate and that
the gains shown are not affected by changes in environmental
conditions. We believe these power gain results are representative
of the power similar vehicles should realize. Due to the
uniqueness of each vehicle, there are occasions when a vehicle will
experience a much larger or much smaller power gain than other identical
model vehicles. While some of these power gains are incredible, we
will not use a Dyno run that depicts an unrealistic increase in power.
ADVERTISING CLAIMS
Mechanical testing performed at one of our testing
facilities supports all horsepower and torque claims advertised by
K&N. Horsepower and torque claims are based on testing of an
actual vehicle on a dynamometer before and after a K&N product has
been installed. Airflow claims are based on tests performed in
accordance with our own testing protocol in a dust-free environment on
laboratory equipment. Filtration
efficiency claims are based on tests performed in accordance with
testing procedure ISO 5011. We believe these tests form a reliable
basis for performance claims measuring relative differences in the
results being compared. These claims are the result of specific
tests performed on a given date. Your results will vary based upon
such things as atmospheric and weather conditions, vehicle make, model,
equipment, or condition, and the K&N part number in use. Our
products are designed to provide increased performance and we are
confident you will enjoy your K&N experience.
Specific testing documents that support any
particular claim are available upon written request. |