I have an rsx base auto. Got the car because it‘s good on gas, looks good. I heard that a cold air intake will increase my gas mileage and at the same time increase my car‘s hp. It seems like a win win right here. Is this true?? Btw i am considering a KN cai, what are your thoughts. Any negative effects ??
It is true that the cold air intake will increase the mileage and power the motor can produce but there are a couple things to consider. First of all the vehicle manufacturer has spent a lot of time designing the air intake system on most newer vehicles to get the coolest and cleanest air possible before it even gets to the filter. When you remove this technology and replace it with a system that just sucks air from under the hood they tend to suck hot dirty air which plugs the filter really fast and voids all of the increases that you might have gained. Secondly these cold air intakes usually do not do well on daily drivers because when the filter becomes wet from driving on wet roads they lose the ability to process the incoming air efficiently. I recommend that you consider buying just the performance replacement filter that fits into the current air box. This will get you the best of both worlds and make it a lot easier to keep the filter clean for the increased air flow. It will save you money as well and then you will have a win win Hope this helps.
Absolutely not. It MAY increase HP, but even then by only about 5 and then only when you're running above 5,000 RPM. If a CAI increased gas mileage every vehicle maker would be installing them.
Affordable aftermarket cold air intakes decrease fuel economy, especially in the winter. It is the most common complaints users have. In the 1960s and 1970s aftermarket cold air intakes were popular because most cars came with under-hood hot air intakes like the modern short rams. Even the crude aftermarket cold air intakes were better than those and the lower restriction of the aftermarket intakes improved fuel economy by reducing the choke effect on the carburetors. Modern fuel injected engines don't change fuel economy a bit based on intake restriction - exactly zero. You may get an undetectable increase in power at full throttle near the power peak but if you are operating under those conditions more than a few seconds a year you are doing something very wrong. Under all other conditions there is no power increase. The cost could be higher. Last month a friend at work took his Scion with a KN intake through water that was deeper than he thought. The KN sucked water into the engine, hydro-locking it. Mike got the water out enough to get the engine firing by removing the intake manifold and plugs (in the middle of nowhere) and the engine got him where he was going before it threw a rod. That sort of total engine destruction is the #2 complaint of aftermarket intake owners.
