:::: WARNING - COLD AIR INTAKES ::::

Considering how another person has been claimed victim to cold air intakes (TrickyAveo's thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2439), and my personal experience (g0ast's thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2439), I feel it necessary to post a tiny little warning about the risks of cold air intakes in Aveos but as well as any car in particular, as my previous warnings in the past have not really come across, I'm forced to get a little more serious... (Mods if you feel this would be of some benefit to the community, please sticky...)

BE WARY USING A COLD AIR INTAKE IF YOUR CAR WILL EVER ENCOUNTER RAIN
Cold air intakes, while having a small advantage performance wise when it comes to getting more, less restricted and colder air into your engine, comes with an extreme risk of quite easily sucking in huge amounts of water at a moment's notice when going through any water hazards, this would include: rain, snow (after it melts), car washes (especially if it's an automatic car wash where the engine still runs), floods, and large dips in roads that can contain water (particularly hazardous at night when you can't see it)... Cold air intakes, upon closer examination, are nothing more than expensive and oversized bendy straws, that aside from sucking in air, are very thirsty as well, and for more than just fuel...

Those who have such a thirsty device are at extreme risk for catastrophic engine failure and/or irriversible damage and/or wildly expensive repair costs due to replacing any number of car systems including: The battery (due to being shorted), starter motor (shorted), crankcase (water damage), pistons (water damage, particularly with piston rings, springs, and valves), any metal in the engine that gets heated up from combustion (water + hot metal = quick cooling = warping/weakening), spark plugs, sensors, fuel sprayers (all from water/partculate contamination)... Any combination of those damaged parts could possibly cost anywhere between $1000-$3000 and up to three weeks of waiting...

The point is that CAI's are NOT designed be safe, they are made to improve performance. The stock filter/intake system are designed to keep your engine safe and water free, changing it out for a CAI removes such protection from you. In particular risk are people who have such a CAI but their filter is a cheap wax/paper filter, while effective at stopping sticks, leaves, bugs and the rare squirrel looking for a hiding place, cheap (and I mean cheap stuff, like $5-$20) filters are not effective at blocking extremely small particulates from the engine, particulates like that can drastically sap the performance of your engine, and slowly choke your engine from the inside.

Again stock/OEM airfilters are designed to do their job, protect your engine from dangerous materials at the cost of performance, and looking at the choice, I would much prefer the safer choice up until the point where I can have protection and performance (like K&N).

This can also happen with GOAT users as well. Especially when travelling in the rain, behind a car, that trails too much water. As g0ast said: "...aside from sucking in air, are very thirsty as well..." I say this because after driving through rain I check under my hood too find that i have water in my fkextube for my GOAT. But since my filter is kick ass, it keeps out all H20.

So yes, once again as he said. USE A REAL FILTER (with your bendy straw)!!! Dont go with some cheapy crap to save some cash because you will have water where you will never need it and end up effing yourself over.

I still always have a hard time believe this. My filter sit’s a few inches from my tire and there is NO wheel well. I’ve driven hours and hours through HARD rain (Arizona monsoons) in sometimes water up to the bottom of my car at a stand still. Whenever I get home after this I check my filter and it’s always dripping with water. Still haven’t had any issues. I’d still take this warning seriously though, just thinking about how many factory cars I’ve seen still get flooded out in our monsoons.

Also AEM has the bypass valves that seam like they work pretty well. Look it up.

I was in a monsoon when my event happened...

It's not the rain that kills you, it's the unknown, unseen, "take a wrong turn" type of puddles that do it. I was taking a little shortcut one dark night just after it was raining heavy, and I went down a dark intersection and it was about 1-2 feet deep (I mean the water almost went into my car through the door when I opened it).

So when I first drove to it, when I saw it I was like "ah sh*t" and I hit it at about 10 mph, 2 seconds later my engine just froze up.

So technically no, rain isn't the problem, really sneaky puddles are ;)

thought you guys might like some of the pics from my resent buy...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gse_turbo

this why a filter in the fender well is a BAD IDEA!!! check out the rust
http://www.postimage.org/gxclfgA.jpg http://www.postimage.org/aVaiMsS.jpg http://www.postimage.org/gxclrKi.jpg

and this is why rubber couplers of any kind are a BAD IDEA!!! especially ones from the Home Depot
http://www.postimage.org/gxcm4EA.jpg http://www.postimage.org/gxcn1w0.jpg

---

nothin like suckin down rust particles thru ur intake LOL

So it seems a cold air intake should stay off my list of 'things to do' then?
A friend suggested it, but after reading this, I'm having second thoughts. Especially out here where we get snow 6 months out of the year.

just use a bypass as well. or theres always a sri. i personally didnt like the cai on my car.

i liked my cai but its a pain to get to the filter and your have to watch for rust....

i was under the assumption of the numerous posts and stories of sucked up water during heavy rains that we decided that cai's were a no-no.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NYChevoo

i was under the assumption of the numerous posts and stories of sucked up water during heavy rains that we decided that cai's were a no-no.

---

cai are fine it just depends how far down the filter ends up and how retarded you are to drive in really deep water

Or just run the stock airbox with a drop in filter. Guess where the stock one gets air from, THE FENDER!!! It will work better than any SRI

all i did with mine was open it up and change the filter to the k & n

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aveodude

Or just run the stock airbox with a drop in filter. Guess where the stock one gets air from, THE FENDER!!! It will work better than any SRI

---

i was thinking about doing that too....but i wanted to run a reg aluminum intake pipe (not 3" but smaller) from the box to the tb...then possibly enlarge the opening that goes to the fender well....now that im not going away to school i will have the free time to look at that...how much are k&n drop-ins?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AVE0SAM

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aveodude

Or just run the stock airbox with a drop in filter. Guess where the stock one gets air from, THE FENDER!!! It will work better than any SRI

---

i was thinking about doing that too....but i wanted to run a reg aluminum intake pipe (not 3" but smaller) from the box to the tb...then possibly enlarge the opening that goes to the fender well....now that im not going away to school i will have the free time to look at that...how much are k&n drop-ins?

---

prolly like the other k&n drop ins, around 45-55$. :roll: damn good filters tho... :twisted:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AVE0SAM

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aveodude

Or just run the stock airbox with a drop in filter. Guess where the stock one gets air from, THE FENDER!!! It will work better than any SRI

---

i was thinking about doing that too....but i wanted to run a reg aluminum intake pipe (not 3" but smaller) from the box to the tb...then possibly enlarge the opening that goes to the fender well....now that im not going away to school i will have the free time to look at that...how much are k&n drop-ins?

---

dont waste your time with the piping. The only thing it is good for is making more noise. The pipe will heat soak more than stock and it does not matter how big the pipe is, it still has to funnel down to the throttle body

So is this something you all think I should try?
Do the cons outweigh the pros?
Would I have to avoid driving this car in super cold weather if I decide to do this? I'm reading ice in the intake and that does worry me.

Thanks guys. You know I'm a newbie at all this. I need direction :mrgreen:

Just be careful and you will be fine.

heres the price from advance auto parts for the k & n filter. i have one in my car.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...Type=2&PTSet=A

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aveodude

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AVE0SAM

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aveodude

Or just run the stock airbox with a drop in filter. Guess where the stock one gets air from, THE FENDER!!! It will work better than any SRI

---

i was thinking about doing that too....but i wanted to run a reg aluminum intake pipe (not 3" but smaller) from the box to the tb...then possibly enlarge the opening that goes to the fender well....now that im not going away to school i will have the free time to look at that...how much are k&n drop-ins?

---

dont waste your time with the piping. The only thing it is good for is making more noise. The pipe will heat soak more than stock and it does not matter how big the pipe is, it still has to funnel down to the throttle body

---

i was thinking about making the pipe the same size as the throttle body and having the pipe wrapped

the stock pipe is the same size as the throttle body inlet. The throttle body necks down to the throttle body blade. Replacing the pipe would be a waste.

This is one of the few reasons I like living in the desert... i left my wells on after CAI was instaled and i check it every time i get my oil changed and is perfectly fine... no rust or any other build up of any kind...

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/STA71874.jpg
I live in Ontario Canada and it gets damn cold here in the winter and really hot on the summer.
As you can see I’m running a short air intake and I run it all year long with no issues.

another thread brought back from the dead, and full of debate based on one or two persons bad personal experiences..

It sucks they hydrolocked, though.

Four words: AEM Air Bypass Valve. 8)

where in ontario? im in newmarket, i am debating what i want.. hows the shorty been for u?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by t.fader

where in ontario? im in newmarket, i am debating what i want.. hows the shorty been for u?

---

Check the dates on posts, please. This thread is from 2008.