Rough idle with K&N installed
 

I've had my K&N Typhoon filter installed for a couple of weeks now. When I'm sitting in traffic idling, the car almost stalls as the RPM's drop too low to keep the engine running. It manages to gas itself just in time to stay running.

Is there something I've done wrong with my install? How can I correct this? I disconnected the battery for a couple of hours to discharge the ECU but it doesn't appear to have helped.

Did you remove the bottom plate for the stock intake????
I have heard that if you put it back on the car will help the problem..
I heard it from vividracing and mazdatrix

If you mean the plastic plate that the stock filter rested on, then no. I left that there. I followed the K&N insttructions to the letter.

K&N have recieved alot of complaints regarding this. It makes me very concerned, had it not of been for the bad reports I would of made a purchased immediately. I dont think enough research was put into the filter. I'll probably wait for Racing Beat to come up with something.

This is just my 2 cents, alot of other folk have been more than happy with there intakes!

I think it is the pipe size that makes it stall. The idle speed motor and the MAF are tuned almost to the tee and any change will give different readings. IMO

I only notice a rough idle under rich conditions with the typhoon. I think the ECU is compensating for the airflow with more fuel/timing retardation. It's not even rough really. It'll just hunt +- 100 RPMs and occasionally drop to 500 or less, bounce to 1200, then restore itself. Usually this is after a hard run and reving the engine. A quick drive fixes it which makes me think fuel.

here is an interesting email i had gotten back from Fred at K&N when the Typhoon first came out regarding the heat shield...what is funny is his response of the PURPOSE of the filter....
__________________________________________________ _
"Charles,



The Typhoon systems do not come with heat shields and there are no plans to change them. The Typhoon system is designed to improve the under hood appearance of your car while still producing a performance intake for your car.



Thanks for writing

Fred "


*designed to improve the "under hood appearance"?...now isn't that strange....

I wish you didn't show me that email

well turns out he was wrong about the heat shield...although he won't return any of my emails ...probably because i slammed him a little for working in the tech department and not even knowing what the company he works for is making...anyway..hopefully he was wrong about the eluding to only being an aesthetic add-on...

yup it's messing with the maf.

So you think Chuck at Rotary Extreme is having better luck with his intake?

Most definitely. I think a few might have had problems with RE's intake, but most have not. And I can tell you from personal experience that I have had zero, zip, zilch, nada, NO problems with my Rotary Extreme short ram intake.

I recently purchased the rotary extreme intake. when i idle at a stand still, it is pretty stable. When i'm cruising though, and i put it into neutral the rpm's jump up and down. My car has even shut of a few times while driving. Has anybody else with this intake had any similar problems?

Thanks Omicron, Chucks intake does seem to be the worthy of the two, regardless of how much bashing it recieved in the beginning.

Slamlom, your engine 'shut down'. Sounds very abnormal, did you contact Chuck? What did he say?

When the shut down occured i had not put on the top cover, I put that on today, and the car idles better, so I hope that was the solution. I will be keeping track of it.

How many people with the K&N are experiencing this problem. I'd really like to get one but I'm a little apprehensive now.

Also, Has anyone spoken to the guys at K&N about this?

I am waiting for the CF heat shield to see if it will help with the "idle" issue. I really have not had this issue (having an auto). Has anyone else with an auto had the idle issue?

I hava an R/E intake and it works perfect......

Where did you get your R/E {???} intake? And do you mind letting us know what it cost and how complex the installation was? Thanks.

I think is was talking about the Rotary Extreme intake
http://www.rotaryextreme.com/rx8intake.html

I just got my K&N with heat shield. I will install it this weekend and see how it goes. Cross your fingers.

please post pics
where the hell did you get the heat shield ???:eek:

I had this same problem with the idle back in December. I had my intake on for about two weeks when I took a trip to D.C. While I was stopped at a light, the car died. Restarted with no problems and I continued my day. About a week later while out sightseeing, it died FIVE times. Each time when I was at a stoplight and when it didn't die I had the "hunting" symptom.

Needless to say, I freaked. I took my car to a local dealer and even had one of the technicians drive around with me for about an hour. It never died but the idle did "hunt" a few times. He didn't have any ideas and told me he'd call mazdausa.

Well, I drove back to TN the next day with no problems and when I arrived I opened the hood and retightend the four clamps. The 2 holding the filter to the intake and the 2 holding the intake to the throttle body. All four screws were loose. For good measure I applied some torque seal to the screws so I'd be able to tell if they ever loosened again.

Since then I haven't had ANY problems with the idle. I reread the instructions and they say that periodic tightening will be required. I guess periodic means every couple hundred miles and not every few thousand.

Mikeb - Jason at the RX8Store has the K&N Intake with the heat shield. I went over and looked at them a few weeks ago. The heat shield surrounds the filter on either side and the back. Nothing in front, top or bottom of the filter.

thanks success

I just posted pics in a new thread.