I have a 2012 Toyota Camry LEEngine is a 3.5L 4 Cylinder 6 speed automaticEverything is stock. My question is: What can I do to improve my HP? I‘ve been reading that putting a cold air intake on a 4 Cylinder isn‘t too beneficial (especially for lower RPMs). I‘m thinking about putting in a KN panel air filter and opening up the exhaust. I‘ve been toying with the idea of messing with the chip but I was told that would void the warranty. Would putting a cold air intake unit be beneficial for me in the long run? Or should I just stay with the panel air filter? Thanks guys
For the best answers, search on this site shorturl.im/awFgA A Cold Air Intake CAN improve both fuel economy and can increase HP by 15. -- BUT -- a cold air intake is not good for your car - untuned. You need to get it tuned properly for your ECU to know that it has a new denser air coming into the engine. If you don't get it tuned, you could be setting the timer for your engine to fail because it will make you run lean - meaning that your engine will put too little gas into the cylinders thus causing your engine to run hotter than usual.
It already has a cold air intake better than any you can buy for under about $1000. KN intakes in particular do not play nice with Toyota engines, often producing intermittent check engine lights and reducing power because they allow turbulence to get to the MAF sensor. I friend tried a KN intake on his Scion and it gave him nothing but grief, ending when he tried to cross water that was deeper than he thought and it slurped water into his engine, bending (and ultimately breaking) a rod. Realistically, there is not much you could do to improve power. Unlike engines of the 1960s and 1970s, today's engines do not allow for much power improvement unless you are willing to shorten the life. You are right about chipping the engine to change the way it operates - it will definitely void the power train warranty. Besides, Toyota spent millions of dollars determining the proper operating curves to provide the best mix of engine life, power, fuel economy, and emission control. None of us would improve on that.
