norbs8 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I am interested in what you guys think on cold air intakes. This is my first car with an air intake resonator so I'm not sure what to do. Everyone knows a cold air intake gives you a few ponies, and makes the engine sound like it has some beef. The issue I'm struggling with is, is it worth removing the resonator and factory intake for a cai? From everything I am reading the resonator provides you with more low end torque, and I can attest to this being true as I removed the resonator briefly to see if there was a change in power. So my question is, is the loss of that worth the few hp you gain from the 240$ spent on a cai, or is it a wash? Am I better off just tossing in a K&N air filter and calling it a day? Any opinions are welcome, I really would like to know what you guys think on this.. even better if you have installed a cai and felt the change. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dffr1 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I installed a couple on my own cars years ago- BUT cars today have drastically changed. ON older cars it increased air flow and the benefits were debatable - no one ever seems to add the mpg and hp of the manufactures claims. The BIG factor on todays cars is the tune - if you do some research some people that have installed them have actually lost hp and mpg. The issue is how your specific cars computer will adjust, most are actually calibrated for the stock intake and get confused when you increase airflow. I would have never guessed after installing one, the sound makes you believe that it is helping your engine. There are some forums where a $300 intake has lowered hp and checking on a dyno when replacing the original actually increased hp. The auto show Wheeler Dealers recently did an example on a $90's car, but they needed to first bring the car to a tuner who adjusted for the increased air flow and it worked great, but cost them a few hundred bucks in addition to the intake. On the forums I visit, mechanics only recommend the intakes for a beefier sound only - unless you are willing to pay a tuner to do it right. That being said I did love the sound, but will not make the investment again... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionDiffusion Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 The main reason to do it would be for the added intake sound, but that's about it. You will loose some low-end torque in exchange for high-end power, so unless you're hitting the upper rev range on a regular basis you wouldn't really be taking advantage of it. Even with the CAI, you wouldn't see that much power gain (maybe ~3-4 HP). If clean, your stock air filter is not limiting power at all, so a K&N drop in would be a waste of money in my opinion. Just buy a new paper filter. If your car was turbocharged and you were adding more boost, then you would have an actual need for a higher-flowing-than-stock intake. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dffr1 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh yea - If anyone does decide to add one make sure you get as much cold air as possible - most just hang in the engine bay never drawing cooler air from the grill or under the fender. It is almost impossible to judge how the air is circulating under the hood - so most end up pulling in hot air, especially if the opening is behind the radiator. On the opposite end if you hang it low for better results you risk pushing water into the intake as possibly destroying your engine... There are too many variables here.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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