Some questions about cold air intakes
2008-08-26

What is cold air intakes?          

  A cold air intake is a system used to bring down the temperature of the air going into a car for the purpose of slightly increasing the power of the internal-combustion engine. A secondary goal is to increase the appeal of a car by changing the appearance of a car's engine bay. It may also slightly increase fuel economy and can pro-long the life of your engine by making it run cooler. Stock intake systems tend to be one of the most restrictive parts of cars in order to save space and to minimize cabin drone. A Cold-air-intake is very easy to install. These aftermarket parts come in many different colors and many different sizes.

What about the history of cold air intakes?      

The aftermarket company K&N Engineering first offered air intake systems in the late 1980s. Those intakes consisted of rotationally-molded plastic intake tubes and a conical, cotton gauze air filter. In the late 1990s a proliferation of intake manufacturers such as AEM, Airaid, Injen, True Flow, and Volant entered the fray. In addition, oversea manufacturers imported their designs lending to the popularity of Japan domestic market (JDM) air intakes in sport compact markets. K&N and many of the other intake companies now offer intake systems in metal tube designs, allowing a greater degree of customization (the tubes can be powder-coated or painted to match a vehicle). In 2007 Schmidt Motor Works introduced a composite Ram Air Cleaner Cold Air Intake for American V8 muscle cars with V8 engines.

 How does an aftermarket air intake system work?   

       An air intake system replaces your existing stock one to allow more air to enter the engine. This is the single most important aspect to improve your overall horsepower and torque. With the increased airflow, the engine receives greater amounts of oxygen into the combustion allowing your car to run better. Most stock intakes consist of several twists and turns and chambers to muffle sound, which restricts the air, flow. Think of a small coffee stir stick and try sucking air through it. By doing this, the lack of oxygen would cause you to pass out. Now imagine breathing through a big Slurpy straw - much easier. Your engine reacts the same way. So the objective of an intake system is to create the least restrictive path of air into the engine. On average you can expect to gain between 5hp-11hp.

Do I need to worry about water with a Cold-Air Intake?   

      That's very unlikely unless you have a tendency to drive your car through flooded streets at full throttle. In order for your engine to suck enough water in, you would have to submerge the entire filter underwater and suck air/water UP the intake tube and into the engine.

How to install the cold air intake system?

 Step1 Compare the number of vacuum hoses in your vehicle to the number of holes on the cold air intake pipe. If there are more holes than hoses, plug the extra holes with the grommets that came with your kit. Step2 Attach the silicone coupling that came with the cold air intake kit to the throttle body. Step3 Secure the coupling by tightening a hose clamp at the end. Step4 Place another hose clamp on the front of the coupling, but do not tighten it. Step5 Slide the intake tube into the silicone coupling. Step6 Notice any mounting obstacles your tube may encounter. Your intake pipe should be running from the throttle bay away from the engine bay. Step7 Tighten the second hose clamp on the silicone coupling and secure all the brackets on the tube. Make sure the intake tube is tightly secured to avoid rattling. Step8 Plug the mass air flow sensor into the new cold air intake system. Step9 Reconnect the battery terminal and close the hood. Step10 Turn on the vehicle to check whether the engine is idling smoothly.