Pipercross have released a replacement panel filter for the Fiesta ST

priced around about £32 Quid!

i wonder if drilling the airbox would produce a nice sound? i did this on my mk5 zs and it sounded awsome. just knowing that ford have put alot of apparent development into the air system on the ST makes me wonder if this would be a good idea?

Pumabuild have them in for 32.50, any ideas of when the other makes are coming out?

Has anybody replaced the air filter on their ST yet?
Either Panel or cone filter?
I've been driving my ST for a few weeks now and I just feel it just needs a little more on the induction side.
I was thinking of getting the K&N induction kit from Pumabuild but would be interested in knowing other peoples results/experiences.
Don't get me wrong, I love the car, but to me its all exhaust note and no induction roar. Just taking the resonator box off my ST170 did the trick with that but the Fiesta airbox is much more 'designed' in order to meet noise regs., comfort tests etc.
Info / updates would be appreciated.

I know people on RSSTOC.com have done that already. Seems easy to fit & works ok

i saw pumabuild are also offering a pipercross or K&N induction kit, would be nice to know how these fared?

Ian your a dealer, whats your view on the panel filter and what it would do to the warranty?

Chris

I'm not sure the panel filter will make that much difference as the airbox and ducting for the ST is massive (total length wise). This shouldn't have an effect on warranty (I've PM'd you with a full explanation).

I've just recieved my Pipercross induction kit for my ST and fitted it - Jesus what a difference!!!! The car is exactly the same below 3000rpm, then BANG, the whole characteristics of the engine change, aggresive, deep, powerful burbling sounds are given off as accelerate up the rev range, then, at 5000rpm the note changes from a burble to a scream and before you know it it time to change gear and enjoy it all again!!!

It works perfectly with the standard exhaust, which I think is one of the best manufacturer standard systems i've ever driven.

Thinking about lowering the car now, anybody got any ideas or suggestions?

interesting-finaly nice to see the basics starting to be done!
am ordering my st on saturday, and although i've got along wait, my brain has allready started thinking about ways to improve the st.
I have seen the k&n and piperx kit that pumabuild are making and selling. I take it thats what u have localforddealer? i see its just a cone with a 90 deg bend samco pipe. where does the pipe attach-directly to the throttle body or to the pipe to the airbox? if it fits where the airbox is, that would be crap as the exhuast manifold is directly below causing heavy heat soak and a large loss of power. looking breifly at the engine in the pictures, i think im going to make my own kit so that i can position it at the front of the bumber, lower down using a hard chrome pipes, well away from heat.

As regards to lowering, go for it, if theres any springs available yet- i doubt it but will be soon. What i will say is anything goes wrong with the suspension, the warranty may not cover it unless your friendly with your ford dealer who will probably turned a blind eye!

What exactly did you fit and how much work was involved.?

oooh didnt know there out! as long as there for the st and not just any mk6 fiesta as they could be crap!

Just wondering about fitting either kits from pumabuild, i'm 18 and my insurance on the ST is mental already, do you think I need to let them know about fitting the kits? And also, what localforddealer said about it affecting the warranty, does it only not effect panel filters and the warranty would be affected by an induction kit????

Yes because the panel filters are OE spec they won't affect the warranty, but an induction kit could plus if thing did go pearshape and you vehicle was damaged an inspection could mean you insurance could be invalid. So if you want to go down the induction route at least tell your insurance co. You can always refit the original equipment if you take it back to Fords.

So the panel filter can be fitted without invalidating your warranty?

Do you have to inform the insurance company about the panel filter also?

Does it affect perfomance on the car that much?

Sorry for all the questions

Keep asking I want to know the anwsers as well.

Well thats debatable, the ST170 Failed to really gain from exhaust changes, the system was very good(Think I read it was designed by Cosworth Engineering)and people actually lost power when changing some exhausts and induction kits.
If you were to believe everthing then a panel filter could give you a power increase of 4/5bhp but! what I have found is that the tend to help the engine to respond better when its revved. If you place two cars together ie must ST and my mates one (dealer) the throttle response is better at also gives it a bit more of a sucking noise (Induction).If you allow an engine to breathe better it will respond better, but you can also have too much air and if this is also hot it will be detrimental to the performance!!!!!!!! As for insurance & warranty no problem with either as long as it is a O/E Panel Filter such as Pipercross of my preference K&N, hope this helps. I am checking into the exhaust at present this may or may not affect warranty, but would affect insurance. will come back on that one.

Its a much mooted point on any forum, whether panel filters or induction kits by themselves are worth it. If you're looking for a noticeable performance increase then you'll be disappointed. I had both a K&N panel and a K&N 57i (not together of course!) on my old 206 and with neither did I feel I was going any quicker. The 57i (a cone filter kit) made a lot of noise and not much else, and the panel filter gave a slightly better than standard induction noise above 4,000rpm. As Phyzzo points out, if you go for an open cone filter, you need to make sure its properly shielded from the heat in the engine bay, otherwise you'll lose bhp.

And yes, you will need to inform your insurance company about either, as they are considered to be performancing-enhancing modifications, even though they don't really enhance performance (read the small print of your policy very carefully).

Combined with more extensive tuning though, such as replacement manifolds and exhaust systems, a properly placed and shielded induction kit will add to the overall bhp increase.

I think I will stay standard for a while when mine arrives...

Not planning on doing to much to it anyway, but if the filter is just gonna change the noise slightly then I dont think the hassle with the insurance is worth it just yet

I think the ST has a decent induction noise anyway, particularly once you get up to about 5,000rpm.

Parksey, the reason that I stated "OE Spec Filter" is because you don't have to tell your insurance company. The reason for this is an OE (Original Equipment)Filter is any make to that specificatation the filtration material is irrelevant, it just has to fit in the same way into the same airbox. This is not classesd as a modification an indution kit is. Mind you I just rang Norwich Union about the proposed exhaust change and they were not bothered as long as the cat stayed.

Fair point, Phyzzo, but I think its ultimately down to the discretion of the insurer as to whether they deem it to be a performance-enhancing modification. I'm always inclined to inform my insurance company about any modifications, bearing in mind that when you take out the policy one of the things that you are required to confirm is that the car has not been modified from the manufacturer's standard spec. Like you've found though, when I had my 206, the insurers didn't charge me any extra for stuff like the K&N, replacement exhaust and lowered suspension, it was just a requirement that they were declared on the policy.

The best bet would always be to check with your insurer before you make any modifications though.