The store will not work correctly when cookies are disabled.
We use cookies to make your experience better.To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
The next round of the FIA GT Championship gets underway next weekend at the
French circuit of Dijon-Prenois. Balfe Motorsport, a sponsored race team of K&N
Filters (Europe) Ltd., is hoping to have more luck at the track where its 2006
FIA GT campaign began last April.
A mechanical problem plagued the team two weeks ago, and the squad struggled at
Paul Ricard near Bandol in the south of France. Shaun Balfe and Nigel Taylor had
minimal track time before the race.he World Championship by heat 15 when Greg Hancock
broke down at the start of the race, ensuring that Crump’s lead at the top of
the standings could not be beaten.
Balfe Motorsport Team Saleen S7R
“We had a problematic weekend at Paul Ricard,” said Shaun Balfe. “We had
hopes of finally mixing it with the front runners there, but had a problem
during the very first free-practice session and we were unable to get to the
bottom of it until qualifying. It meant that I only got nine laps and Nigel
didn’t even manage a full flying lap. It definitely put us onto the back foot
for the race.”
Balfe was able to keep one of the Maseraiti’s at bay after a solid start in the
race. He was in 8th place when Taylor took over. With no track time it was a
baptism of fire, but he managed to bring his lap times down until more bad luck
left the team sidelined.
“We had some sensors go off in the car as Nigel was right at the end of his
time,” said Balfe. “The guys took a look at the data and it was decided that we
couldn’t continue.”
The Balfe Motorsport team drives a Saleen S7R. The Grand Tourer is powered by a
7-L, V8, all aluminum engine with more than 750BHP and 700 lb/foot of torque.
The S7R can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph. The team uses K&N Engineering
products.
The team will continue to work on upgrades to the S7R, to get back on track in
time for the next race at Dijon.
Follow the Balfe Motorsport Team throughout the racing season at the
K&N news site. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the
K&N
dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
There are four words from a mechanic that should trigger a red flag for
consumers, Mass Air Flow Sensor. A little knowledge about this “mystery” sensor
can save hundreds of dollars and protect car warranties.
If a mechanic or dealership claims excess oil from a K&N Engineering Lifetime
Air Filter caused a Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF) failure, it’s not true. K&N has
researched, tested and devoted many hours to confirm the use of K&N Air Filters,
including over oiled air filters, will not cause a Mass Air Flow sensor failure
under any remotely normal driving conditions.
K&N Engineering Mass Air Flow Testing
Oil does not come off K&N Filters. If a mechanic or dealership claims K&N
is the problem there has to be proof. K&N will often work with consumers to
recover money for repairs which legitimately should have been covered under
the vehicle’s warranty where warranty coverage would otherwise have been
available.
“We’ve tested Mass Air Flow sensors and discovered these parts are being
replaced when they don’t need to be,” said K&N Senior Lab Manager Rich Dwyer.
“Consumers are sometimes told readings from the Mass Air Flow sensor show it is
saturated with oil from a K&N Filter. This is not true. Consumers should ask to
see the Mass Air Sensor codes and/or get a second opinion.”
In a period where K&N sold more than 5 million filters, 52 sensors were
evaluated. Not one of these suspected MAF sensors sent in for laboratory
evaluation were shown to have failed because of contamination from K&N filter
oil. In fact, 28 sensors were in perfect operating condition. K&N helped those
consumers recover money for unnecessary parts and labor.
The other 24 sensors failed due to factors not related to K&N. There were traces
of silicone potting compound which is used in the manufacturing process of MAF sensors,
meaning the MAF sensor contaminated itself. There was also evidence of motor oil
contamination from blow-by; a condition where oil vapor from combustion is
re-circulated into the vehicle’s intake tract.
“A lot of dealerships do not have the ability to test MAF sensors,” said K&N
Vice President of Product Development and Engineering Steve Williams. “If you’re
going to diagnose something you should show whether it is at fault or not. What
they have is what we call the plug and play process. That is where they go
through and download some codes and guess. The consumer then gets hit with a
bill for components that were never a problem. K&N always tells people the
facts.”
K&N Engineering Research and Development Department
There is no silicone in K&N oil and testing has shown that MAF sensors
will operate normally after being immersed in K&N Filter oil.
“Who is in a worse position than a consumer who has taken their car into a shop
and told this is what you have to do to get your car back on track?” asks K&N
CEO Steve Rogers. “Consumers have rights and information is power, no one needs
to be taken advantage of.”
K&N is also committed to working with its dealership network and notes that most
dealerships provide excellent service and fulfill car warranty obligations
without issue, argument or tardiness. K&N is also committed to communicating
with its customers and fully disclosing all information about this issue.
K&N encounters less than 200 dealership problems annually, which is very small
compared to the number of filters we sell annually (2,500,000), and we treat
each situation as if it were our own personal problem.
If you encounter a similar problem related to K&N Filters at your dealership,
contact us immediately and allow us to communicate with the dealership on your
behalf. K&N has had great success in working with dealerships to resolve these
types of issues on behalf of our customers. Many dealerships sell and service
K&N Air Filters and we encourage you to work with those dealerships.
“K&N wants to dispel a dealership myth that in some way problems with the
‘mystery’ sensor or Mass Air Flow sensor is tangled with K&N products,” said
Williams. “The average consumer does not have a prayer to be able to decided
what is true or not. K&N will stand behind our products and go to bat for our
consumers.”
The Peugeot 106 was one of the longest running production cars made in Europe.
In early 1996, the 106 received a facelift and all engines were equipped with
fuel injection. By 1998, Peugeot developed another all new 106 model.
The last Peugeot 106 rolled off the production line in 2003, but it is still
popular, especially in its home market of France.
Typhoon Air Intake System for Peugeot 106
K&N Engineering has released a new 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-7502TS)
in powder coated silver for the 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and
2003 Peugeot 106 1.6L L4.
The kit is a Short-ram intake system. "The Intake Kit took a long time for us to
develop," said K&N Project Designer Joost Adriaans. "There was very little room
under the hood, since it is a relatively small car. We mainly had problems with
the battery being in the way. We went through several prototype kits to get the
results, the fit and quality we were aiming for."
K&N tests show an estimated 4 horsepower gain at 5200 RPM. "The 4 horsepower is
a normal figure," said Adriaans. "A Peugeot 106 is very popular among the young
crowd. The car is relatively inexpensive due to its size, but still makes good
power."
"It takes about an hour to install this kit." This K&N Intake Kit (69-7502TS)
definitely improves performance, looks and the sound of anyone's Peugeot," said Adriaans. "Because of its popularity, it was very hard to find unmodified
vehicles. However, the group from K&N's Research and Development facility in
Eindhoven, Netherlands did a very good job on this kit."
The Toyota RAV4 four-cylinder is a car-based SUV. It's good for urban driving
with the benefits of SUV cargo room. The RAV4 also holds its own with a whole
wave of competing crossover vehicles.
Owners of the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005 Toyota RAV4 with a 2.0L
engine can benefit from a new K&N Engineering 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake
System. There are two eye-catching choices for the 69-Series Intake System.
Consumers have a choice of powder coated silver (69-8753TS) or powder coated red
(69-8753TR).
Typhoon Air Intake for Rav4 2.0L
Whatever color preference is preferred on the European market, K&N
Engineers have made sure the design on this system provides maximum power to
meet consumer demands. "Horsepower gain, measured at the wheels, is 9 horsepower
out of a 2.0L normally aspirated engine with this Intake Kit," said K&N Project
Designer Joost Adriaans. "This is a very satisfying result."
The engine design on the Toyota RAV4 allowed K&N to use a larger filter
(RC-5144) than is normally seen on European applications. The 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake Kit (69-8753TS) (69-8753-TR) is a Short Ram Intake Kit. "The filter
is positioned in sight on top of the engine," said Adriaans. "It really enhances
the look under the hood."
Typhoon Air Intake for Rav4 2.0L
The K&N Filters are washable and reusable. "Our Research and Development
Engineers in Eindhoven, Holland developed the entire kit," said Adriaans. "It
includes a powder coated black heat shield that keeps engine heat away from the
filter to pick up the coolest air possible." It takes about 90 minutes or less
to install this kit.
Phil Burkart will bring his “Madman Murray” Monte Carlo to one of the most
prestigious drag races on the planet, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Each Labor
Day weekend NHRA racers descend on O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The
fabled ORP quarter mile is regarded by many as one of the smoothest on the
circuit. It is a staging ground for some of the seasons most sought after
championships.
Burkart and his Murray’s crew earned their way to a second-round finish at the
O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis. That steamy and hot event was followed
by two days of testing on the same Indy track they will be competing on this
weekend.
Murray's Discount Auto Funny Car, Photo Courtesy of Team Worsham
“Our car was coming around a bit in Memphis, under just about the worst
possible conditions,” said Burkart. “We got a big round win there, beating a car
that qualified better than we did. We raced Eric Medlen heads-up in round two
but just got beat by a bit. With that race ending on Monday, it was a mad dash
to get up here to Indy to test for two days. We arrived here Monday night,
worked on the car for half the day Tuesday, and spent a day-and-a-half making as
many runs as we could.”
Burkart and his crew use K&N Engineering’s Premium Performance Gold Oil Filters.
The thick canister walls on the K&N Filters have extra strength and durability
which reduce the risk of damage from debris on the race track.
As Burkart begins the four day marathon he and his team are keeping tabs on
their POWERade points, as well as the competition points. “I think we need to
stop worrying about the points and just focus on making every lap the best it
can be,” he said. “We’ll have good runs and bad runs, everybody does, and we’ll
win what we deserve to win. The points will come. We’re not in the championship
hunt now, and the best thing for us is to focus on what we’re doing and where
we’re going.”
Phil Burkart, Photo Courtesy of Team Worsham
This year Burkart started the season with two semi-finals, three second-round
finishes and one first round defeat at the first six races. Three more round
wins over the next 11 races lead the team into Indy.
“We’re going to take on every round by racing to win, instead of racing not to
lose,” said Burkart. “There’s a big difference in those two approaches, racing
to win means taking some chances and being aggressive without being afraid to
make a mistake. It’s our time to be aggressive right now, and that is what we
are going to do. We have one last race with the Murray’s car, and we’re going to
take that big Madman for a twirl around the dance floor.”
Follow Phil Burkart throughout the racing season at the
K&N news site. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the
K&N
dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
