Best universal intake for rdx. Should I get a knn or is there an off brand that is just as good that is cheaper?

 

I've used K/N re-useable drop-in filters for +20 years. I have them on all three of my vehicles since purchase (TSX/RDX +126K, MDX +70K). Zero problems using the filters. I clean the filters every spring with the cleaning kit. I do it in the spring to help dry outside after washing in the warm southwestern sun (5-10 mins to spray/wait/clean, 30-45 mins to dry outside, 1-2 mins to lightly respray oil). I usually do the cabin air filter while I'm waiting for the K/N to dry (fresh breeze with carbon and baking soda).

I'm always worried about heat soak or water back splash with anytype of short ram or cold air intake near the front driver's wheel. Using K/N works for me with my upgrades (Hondata, heatshield gasket, ETS intercooler).

 

good info mr.gold thanks.

 

Mr. Gold, so far I have the Hondata and C-PE air intake (any increase in HP is debateable, but it sounds like a turbo when I press on the gas at least). Did you notice any response improvement with the ETS intercooler and/or heatshield gasket? And did you install the gasket yourself? I am waiting to put one or more of these on before I get a professional tune done by VIT. Also waiting to buy the ETS I/C at a reasonable price. Thanks

 

I'm going by the old butt dyno after the gasket and ETS intercooler. I took everything to a local tuner shop that did my Hondata reflash back in 2010. Adding the ETS intercooler+gasket felt like a little less lag, better engine response, and about a 1/2-3/4 mpg bump. I added the heatshield gasket because I figured couldn't hurt at worst and a few more hp at best. The old OEM intercooler would feel hot to the touch from normal driving; but, the new one feels a lot cooler in the same situation during hot summer months.

I really feel the difference in the winter with this set-up when the temps are below 40 degrees. I feel a noticeable surge of power without a drop in mpgs (19.2-20.5 mpg combined in winter). The old intercooler (with reflash+K/N drop in filter) felt the same year round, while the new set-up seems deliver more hp and finds more hp the colder it gets.

I think the reflash paid for itself with the slight bump in mpgs over the last 6 years. It is a little harder to feel the hp bump with the intercooler after the reflash; but, it is there and another mpg bump as well. I also live at +5000ft and travel a lot between 4000ft-7500ft in the southwest. I might be missing a few HP compared to someone at sea level.

 

 

I cobbled together a true cold air intake for our 2011 RDX. Easy and cheap...

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-...e-mods-844546/

Outside air enters via the d/s fog shroud feeding the stock filter and housing through a flex tube.

This eliminates the baffle and silencer that sits upstream of the air filter, from the intake. You can hear turbo sounds better and feed true cold air to the intake.

 

These are the parts I removed and replaced.

 

nice setup

 

But really the question is, did it do anything for your HP & TQ that you could feel and maybe measure? Did it improve your gas mileage or disimprove your gas mileage. And since most people will not want to buy a car with a fog light housing shroud that has holes in it (cosmetically speaking), how much is a new shroud? Not to take away from anything you did though. Thanks.

 

The truth is unless you knew the shroud was opened, you would never see it.

Even still I won't change it if we ever sell it. I'm not ashamed of this mod and I'd proudly show the buyer. I'd give the stock parts with the car.

I should point out that I'm the person who had the fwd axle failure at 68k mi and again at 98k, replaced under warranty.

Dealer never saw the intake mod.

The fog molding is $45 msrp, $33 our cost - price matched at the dealer.

The mod does nothing to change the fuel economy.

It's not adding hp or tq.

It does only a couple of things...

Instead of pulling air from under the hood, next to the rad, it pulls only outside air.

So one metric is the change in iat.

Sort of like the difference in a timed 0-60 pull on a hot summer day vs a cold winter morning. You'd see this in your RDX too no matter what intake you have.

The con is once the ic is heat soaked, it won't matter where the air comes from until you get rid of that heat.

The only other benefit is being able to hear the turbo from inside the cabin because the intake chamber assy and the silencer inside it are removed.

 

I heard complaints in the past about it fouling MAFs but I wonder if they solved that issue?