Cold Air

I personally wouldn't waste my money on cold air intakes. They seem to be nothing less than a scam like the electric supercharger, or those stupid "vortex" air spinning things which claim "20% more HP and 33% better MPG!". So by installing an air spinning, my fuel efficiency is going to go up to 50 mpg??? Pardon me, but that's bullsh*t. People who actually believe these non-sense claims are idiots. If these cheap products really worked, don't you think auto manufacturers would have used them?

Not all CIA systems are BS. Many are, and most of them are not worth the money, but on some cars, they can be a big difference. I personally like K&N products, but I wouldn't pay for a CAI unless it was a car that could really take advantage of it like a turbo car, or a big engine.

I would imagine that auto makers don't use them because cotton reusable filters cost more then disposable paper filters.

If I plan on keeping any time long term, I at least get a K&N drop in, or in our corolla's case, a TRD drop in. Paper filters for imports are not the cheapest, and while the original cost for a reusable cotton filter cost more, the cleaner kits (that last multiple cleans) are only $10 each, so in the long run, they might even save money over the life of the car.

I have a cold air intake on my car. I would say how effective it is depends alot on how hot/cold it is outside, probably the most obvious thing to point out. If its a cold air intake, it needs cold air. In the winters I notice slightly better performance (not that much, maybe 5-7 hp), but in those hot 95 degree summer days, I highly doubt the intake works any better than stock.

I personally like K&N products, but I wouldn't pay for a CAI unless it was a car that could really take advantage of it like a turbo car, or a big engine.

CAI on a turbo car won't give you any gains. The turbo will heat up whatever air you pull in, no matter how cold, hence the use of an intercooler.

I personally like K&N products, but I wouldn't pay for a CAI unless it was a car that could really take advantage of it like a turbo car, or a big engine.

CAI on a turbo car won't give you any gains. The turbo will heat up whatever air you pull in, no matter how cold, hence the use of an intercooler.

Ur, you keep on thinking that, and please, don't ever buy a turbo car.

I have a cold air intake on my car. I would say how effective it is depends alot on how hot/cold it is outside, probably the most obvious thing to point out. If its a cold air intake, it needs cold air. In the winters I notice slightly better performance (not that much, maybe 5-7 hp), but in those hot 95 degree summer days, I highly doubt the intake works any better than stock.

I have a cold air intake on my car. I would say how effective it is depends alot on how hot/cold it is outside, probably the most obvious thing to point out. If its a cold air intake, it needs cold air. In the winters I notice slightly better performance (not that much, maybe 5-7 hp), but in those hot 95 degree summer days, I highly doubt the intake works any better than stock.

It probably won't help me much in CA.

 

Most CAI systems don't really grab air from a better source then the stock air box. They probably add a tad more HP due to a better cotton cone filter (larger surface) and a larger intake allowing more air to the TB. Some CAI systems grab air from a better location then the stock air box. I have one on my mustang (I didn't buy it), but the filter is in the fender and a plate is bolted to the finder well and the engine heat can't get to the cone. A friend of mine ordered a CAI system off of ebay for his GFs car. At first, I was like WHY?!?! When it arrived, I was surprised at the quality and design. The placement of the filter was way lower to the ground and farther away from engine heat then the stock air box.

As long as a CAI is farther away from engine heat then the stock air box snorkel, it should be better. The name cold air intake is kind of a joke though. It should be called slightly cooler air intake.

I have seen intake that comes from the ram air on the hood, or from an intake near the front grille.

Either place brings in air that is cooler than from the engine compartment. I think there is a slight performance gain.

I have seen intake that comes from the ram air on the hood, or from an intake near the front grille.Either place brings in air that is cooler than from the engine compartment. I think there is a slight performance gain.

While grabbing for a cooler place is important, it's usually the larger filter (and better flowing) surface area and larger intake pipe that helps the most (for engines that can truly take advantage of it) up to the TB.

Smaller and NA engines aren't going to gain a whole lot for a different intake. IMO, not really worth the money unless maybe a good quality ebay intake can be found.

Matt,

As has been stated, you have a SRI. Same thing I have.

Does it really make a difference? No, not enough that you would actually "feel" the difference. But it does sound better (or louder)!!

On a true modern CAI, the intake is some place behind the bumper, close to an opening in the bumper. Others will have a closed off box to go around the filter to prevent hot air from getting in.

The opening and the plumbing are much bigger than the stock, therefore, yes you can get more air in (less restrictive). Is it enough to notice?... maybe not.

But the one thing i notice whenever I install a CAI (or even some SRI) is that there is a significant noise increase. OE intake box and the plumbing are designed to dampen noise.

Therefore, the car WILL SOUND faster.

I have run CAI in various vehicles. So far, I have been able to feel the difference. Although a few that I dynoed showed a small increase... 2-5hp at the wheel.

good luck

tdk.

I have a short ram intake on a 99VE. I've tried multiple 1/4 mile runs with stock, the short ram, and the short ram with a cold air hose. There is no acceleration improvement, even when a new K+N cone is compared to a stock filter with 20K+ miles on it. There might be a perforamnce gain with much larger, compressor fed, and/or higher reving engines that need a lot of airflow. I just keep the short ram on my corolla because the intake sounds decent at high throttle. I prefer having a bit of engine noise and intake valves chopping air sound better to me than an obnoxious muffler.

/Dan

That still doesn't prove that a CAI doesn't produce a few more HP. At most, maybe 5BHP, but that isn't really going to change the 1/4 times.

 

Even if you did all your testing on the same day, and got the exact same 0-60' times, and drove perfect the exact same time, you still probably wouldn't get enough difference from a CAI or SRI alone to change your 1/4 times. You would probably get better fuel economy with a better intake though.

We've gotten 43MPG with a TRD drop in before.

I'm still waiting for someone to explain exactly how a slightly less restrictive air filter improves mileage on a modern MAF controlled fuel injected car. On engines that can use the increased flow and acoustics--yes there can be a performance gain. For mileage--it is all marketing spin, just like the vortex add-ins. The throttle's job is to restrict airflow, which increases intake vacuum when full throttle isn't needed. Since achieving good mileage requires keeping the throttle open only enough to provide the minimum power required, how is a higher flow filter going to help?? At full throttle, a well designed intake uses airflow and acoustics to improve the mass of air going in. At low throttle settings, the throttle plate creates a downstream vacuum and so much turbulence that upstream improvements don't do anything. Only if a car was so underpowered that it required [near]full throttle just to keep up with the flow of traffic, the intake upstream of the throttle *may* improve mileage.

/Dan