Usually, the air intake port is one of the first modifications to their cars or trucks by many car owners.
Although the performance gains obtained by cold air intake are minimal, it is a cheap and easy way to make your vehicle more fun to drive. The backup air intake system usually has many blends and kinks to ensure that the intake noise is not too loud. In contrast, the intake pipe of the cold air intake is straight and has a larger diameter, allowing more air to enter the engine’s combustion chamber. Aftermarket air intake kits also move the air filter closer to the edge of the engine compartment, usually close to the wheel compartment, where there is more air flow, thereby further increasing the amount of air reaching the engine. The increase in airflow can help your engine increase a little bit of power, and it can also increase the throttle response speed. In addition, the intake noise will increase, bringing a burbly intake noise to your car, thereby making the exhaust sound more perfect.
Air Intake Buying Guide
Proper airflow is important for combustion. An efficient intake improves the performance of your engine.
Before buying a cold air intake kit, you need to pay special attention to some things to make the most of its value and make you feel satisfied with the goods you buy. Here are the most common things to look for before buying:
Tips:
Make sure the company of the air inlet you are buying provides a warranty in case the parts are defective.
If you are not sure that you want to install the air intake, please do not do it. Bring your car and the recently purchased air intake device to a professional mechanic to avoid serious engine problems caused by improper installation.
Before purchasing the air intake, please make sure that the product you are buying is designed for a car. You can avoid wasting a lot of time returning the wrong product and waiting for the right product to be sent.
Oil or dry filter
This is a very common question. Should you buy an oil or a dry air filter? Which is the best? The first thing to check is whether the car is equipped with an air mass flow sensor. The oiled filter can cause oil to leak into the air mass flow sensor, which can be damaged. Mass air flow sensors are usually located between the filter and the engine, and some cars do have MAP sensors instead of MAF sensors. Therefore, if you have an air mass flow sensor, I suggest you install a dry filter for the vehicle as much as possible to ensure that you are not at risk of damaging the MAF sensor. The advantage of the oiled filter is that it has strong filtering capacity, can be cleaned and can be reused for a long time. If it is not damaged, the oiled filter usually does not need to be replaced.
Aluminum or plastic pipe
Many people claim that aluminum tubes will cause the intake air temperature to be slightly higher. In my opinion, you won’t notice any difference. Plastic prefabricated pipes are usually more expensive, but if you are looking for an OEM look, they look good in the engine compartment.
All included parts
Check carefully and make sure you have all the necessary parts to install the kit on the car. Some air-conditioning air intake kits do not include filters and must be purchased separately. Before purchasing, make sure to get filters, pipes, silicone hoses and other parts with the kit.
Filter replacement
Check the frequency of replacement of the kit filter. If the filter must be replaced within the specified mile range, check and make sure it is possible to purchase the filter separately, so you do not have to purchase the entire kit again. If you must change frequently, it may even be worth buying a few filters for the kit.
Compatibility
It is easy to install the air intake. However, it is important to check its compatibility with the vehicle. Make sure everything is placed correctly. Ensure that you check the brand, model and manufacturer of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not suitable for you, you do not want to impair its performance.
Thermal barrier
This is another important feature to consider. Choose an air intake with a heat-insulating coating to prevent the engine from getting hot. If the air intake is not protected by a thermal barrier coating, heat transfer may affect engine performance. Choose air inlets with plastic or composite coatings.
Durability
When you consider purchasing an air intake, durability is important. No one will like any problems with their car because of insufficient air intake. Choose an air intake that will not break down with the rest parts of the vehicle. Choose a sturdy and durable air intake so that it can last for several years.
Water Ingestion
If you live in the air with frequent rainfall, you should pay attention to the moisture in the water water getting inside the intake. Ensure that you buy an intake which prevents the ingestion of water, or else it would damage the efficiency of your vehicle. There are valves available on the market by some manufacturers.
Usually, the air in the cold intake system passes through the bumper of the car. When it rains, water may also enter the system. Therefore, you should buy a valve to avoid water ingress.
CARB approved
Do you live in California? If you take your car in a public area, any changes to the air intake system must be approved by the California Air Resources Board.
Price
The last thing is to consider the price of the cold air intake kit. You don’t want to buy the cheapest kit because it may be more difficult to install, and the filter may not be as good as the more expensive filter, which may cause dust to flow into your engine and damage it, which may lead to high maintenance costs. But I do know that you are unlikely to spend thousands of dollars on air filters and pipes, so find a budget that suits you and buy a kit within the price range at the price you want to spend.
Why should you get one air intake kit for your car?
First, you need to understand how the engine works. Internal combustion engines use combustion technology to turn pistons. It does this by drawing in fuel and air, and then using a spark plug (for gasoline engines) to ignite the mixture. This is what creates the pressure to push your car forward.
Secondly, you will understand why you should buy a cold air intake system.
- To use the horsepower of the engine, you need to do two things. Get more fuel and air through the engine. One way is to open the engine’s breathing so that it can take in more air, which results in more fuel injected by the injector = more horsepower of the engine.
- In addition to increasing horsepower and torque, when installing the cold air intake kit, you will also get a louder sound from the engine air intake. In many cases, you will also get higher fuel efficiency when you turn on the engine’s breathing at low loads. Of course, this will result in higher fuel economy during acceleration because the amount of air and fuel injected into the engine is higher, but at lower RPM you can actually see an increase because the engine does not have to work as high to push your vehicle forward.
The best cold air intake will help any vehicle get closer to its maximum potential.
Air Intake Styles
There are three main types or styles of air intake systems. These are cold air, ram air and short ram. Here, we will introduce each one in more detail.
Cold air intake system
This type of air intake system is characterized by a long pipe with an air filter at the front end.
This system can draw cooler air into the engine block because the filter is installed far from the engine. It is usually placed on the front of the vehicle, directly behind the grille or bumper. The heat shield that completely surrounds the air filter is a common feature of the cold air intake system. Other systems include a heat shield that partially surrounds the filter and forms a seal against the hood when the hood is closed.
One of the main advantages of the cold air intake system is that it provides a higher density of cold air. This means that it contains more oxygen, which in turn means that more fuel is burned, thereby increasing power.
One of the concerns associated with this type of air filter system is that its positioning makes it vulnerable to water ingestion.To solve this problem, some manufacturers provide pre-filters. This is to protect the system from water splashes on the road. It has the additional benefit of extending the cleaning interval of the main filter. It does this by providing additional protection to prevent dust and dirt from being sucked into the main filter.
Short ram air intake
This style of air intake system is still intended to replace the entire factory system. You can use free-flowing larger diameter pipes and filters instead of factory intake pipes, air filters and filter boxes. The main difference between the cold air intake system and the short ram is that the air pipe of the short ram is shorter. This means that the filter is located closer to the engine. Inhaled air is not so cold, but it can be contained in a narrower space. This makes it very suitable for narrow engine compartments.
Ram air intakes
The ram intake system still channels cooler air into the engine. This setup includes longer tubes, and the engine has an air filter at the rear of the system. This is the opposite of a cold air intake system. Therefore, the ram intake is usually equipped with an additional pre-filter at the front end of the tube. This protects the system and engine from water and road dust.