Air Filter

B)
Having finally got my car back after the engine replacement ordeal, I was keen to install my new K&N filter which I had bought of a UK site. Ironically it arrived within days of the car going into the shop! I hate getting new toys and not being able to play with them. When I got the car back I wanted to let some time pass before fitting the filter, for two reasons (1) i didnt want Audi to blame my mods for anything (2) I wanted to readjust to driving the TT after a sad month in a Toyota Echo.
:blink:
It took less than an hour to haul out the original filter box and install the new one. I couldnt fit two components however; the breather hose filter (there is no breather hose on my car??) and the cool air hose from the bumper vent (despite the instructions, there is NO way I can get it up from the vent to the filter bay). I may need some feedback from K&N on this.

All done and checked, I started the car and pulled out for a test drive. I was hardly 200m down the road and noticed the strangest sound on acceleration and when I put in the clutch. Also, what looked like smoke was coming from under the bonnet. Major panic followed, I could believe that I was about to destroy a brand new engine! I limped down the road to a friend and we gave it some thought. The smoke turned out to be rain evaporating off the radiator from a light drizzle earlier in the morning. We reasoned that the strange sound was that removing the filter box had taken away the sound damping and this was now coming through loud and clear. Not much to be done about that.

So far so good. K&N claim up to a 10% increase in HP with this filter. I cant verify that but I can say there is a definite power increase and the engine runs alot more smoothly and feels less inhibited. I am curious to know if anyone else has experience with installing after-market filters and their feedback.

In the photo, the new filter attached directly to the MAS. On the lower right is the inlet port from the wheel arch that fed cool air directly into the original filter box. I am hoping that this is an adequate alternative to the cool air hose supplied with the filter kit. If possible I still want to figure out a way to get this installed.