K&N filter, stillen cai and stillen z tube

D

daimon

Member
Location
MD
Good day everyone. Noob here wanting to know if the ff are good first upgrades to the fix. I dont want to do anything drastic just add a little nice to my 2006 fx. Should I put all 3 mods? I've read somewhere that the CAI is not worth it and that the KN filter + stillen z tube would have the same gains compared to a mod that has the filter, z tube and stillen cold air intake.

I just would like to hear everyones opinion if I should go for the 2 mods (filter,z tube) or all the mods I mentioned (filter, z tube and cold air intake).

Thanks!
 
You should be able to find all kinds of threads on this stuff if you use the search feature.

The Stillen CAI comes with all three parts (filter, Z-tube, heat shield)

http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=STIZTBE01&c=PE&year=2006&make=INFINITI&model=FX35

It's an easy mod to do and does give you a bit of performance and a bit of efficiency. IMO, it's worth it for both the gains AND the sound/tone.

That being said, you don't need the Stillen in particular. Pretty much any properly sized tube & cone filter will help reduce intake restrictions. JWT pop charger, or even a generic eBay special should work just fine. Intake systems are not all that complicated.

Add a plenum Spacer to that and you will have done all you can to help out the engine's intake breathing.
 
i got k&n dop in filter only n i feel a lil difference my ztube is comming in sometime this week . gonna order the motordyne plenum spacer soon also .cant wait
 
i had the drop in and switched to the stillen cai and noticed a big difference in terms of sound. like what jumbo said, its worth it for sound alone, the gains are very minimal
 
Thanks for all the input guys. This shouldn't void any warranty right? I saw the sound clip on the stillen website for the stage II engine upgrade and it sound amazing. If all these 3 mods can produce half of that sound i'd be more than happy.
 
was curious, when installing the Stillen Z tube, do you have to disconnect the negative on the battery? Or is it just a simple bolt on? Just picked up the Z tube and was planning to install tomorrow and just wanted to make sure...
 
sorry not clear about what you mean by later? Eventually I would have to reset the ecu? or will it just re-adjust itself to the changes made simply by me driving it?
 
Removing the negative battery cable for an extended period of time (over night) will reset the ECU. Resetting the ECU is recommended whenever mods are made to the intake, exhaust, etc... But you do not need to disconnect the negative battery cable just to install the z-tube.
 
IMO you should just disconnect the battery while doing the Z-tube, only because you are dealing in the Throttle Body and the MAF areas. No need to disconnect either of these guys for the Z-tube install, but it's just good practice to disconnect the battery when working in the engine bay. Bend a wire harness too far and you could damage the electronics in these items with an accidental short. Not a huge risk, but better safe than sorry.

As for resetting the ECU, there are several ways to do it. Disconnecting the battery overnight will definitely work. Also, pump the brake pedal a couple times after you disconnect the battery. This will drain a little extra juice. You'll know your ECU has been reset when you lose all your radio presets, lol. Resetting your ECU only clears the "learned" cells, based on your driving habbits. When adding mods and resetting the ECU, it will take about a tank of gas before the MPGs and trip computers start reflecting the resulting change.
 
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jumbosrule said:
IMO you should just disconnect the battery while doing the Z-tube, only because you are dealing in the Throttle Body and the MAF areas. No need to disconnect either of these guys for the Z-tube install, but it's just good practice to disconnect the battery when working in the engine bay. Bend a wire harness too far and you could damage the electronics in these items with an accidental short. Not a huge risk, but better safe than sorry.

As for resetting the ECU, there are several ways to do it. Disconnecting the battery overnight will definitely work. Also, pump the brake pedal a couple times after you disconnect the battery. This will drain a little extra juice. You'll know your ECU has been reset when you lose all your radio presets, lol.
Click to expand...

Ya, that's a better answer than mine. Better safe than sorry. :tup:
 
daimon said:
Good day everyone. Noob here wanting to know if the ff are good first upgrades to the fix. I dont want to do anything drastic just add a little nice to my 2006 fx. Should I put all 3 mods? I've read somewhere that the CAI is not worth it and that the KN filter + stillen z tube would have the same gains compared to a mod that has the filter, z tube and stillen cold air intake.

I just would like to hear everyones opinion if I should go for the 2 mods (filter,z tube) or all the mods I mentioned (filter, z tube and cold air intake).

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Go for K&N performance kits. It's proven and tested. Also K&N is cheap and durable.
 
drop in filter vs. cai

earlier this week i switched my stillen intake with the factory air box and k&n drop in with z tube. I miss the sound of the stillen intake, but my my mpg got better. I'm close too work about ten minutes in stop and go traffic. here is what i found, with the stillen cai i average between 12.7 to 13.4 mpg. with the k&n drop in i'm averaging 14.5 to 15.0 mpg. in about a week more of driving with the drop-in filter i'm going to switch back to the stillen cai. i just want to be sure that if it's possible to match the mileage a little better with the stillen.
 
wiseguywm said:
earlier this week i switched my stillen intake with the factory air box and k&n drop in with z tube. I miss the sound of the stillen intake, but my my mpg got better. I'm close too work about ten minutes in stop and go traffic. here is what i found, with the stillen cai i average between 12.7 to 13.4 mpg. with the k&n drop in i'm averaging 14.5 to 15.0 mpg. in about a week more of driving with the drop-in filter i'm going to switch back to the stillen cai. i just want to be sure that if it's possible to match the mileage a little better with the stillen.
Click to expand...

Any updates? Do u think that maybe u drive a bit harder w/Stillen CAI resulting in your decreased MPGs?
 
It will take the PCM a little time to adapt to the added air flow, after that you should see some better MPG, That's if you keep your foot out of it lol. Cold Air intake and Exhaust are two very good upgrades!
 
Koso Kustomz said:
It will take the PCM a little time to adapt to the added air flow, after that you should see some better MPG, That's if you keep your foot out of it lol. Cold Air intake and Exhaust are two very good upgrades!
Click to expand...
What about headers. Are the stillen headers worth it or just stick with the stillen CAI/Invidia echaust
 
Headers on most cars/trucks are worth it, I don't know first hand on the FX line, so I don't want to point you and say yes and have you spend the money and not be happy. Exhaust/CAI normally are good for a daily driver.

Factory headers flow pretty good on most. But do some searching and I bet there is someone with a before and after test.

Hope that answers your question
 
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