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Question:

What is the best cold air intake kit?

Looking for a cold air intake that has the best quality while not being overly expensive.2006 GMC Canyon i5 3.5L

Answer:

Pete does have some validity in his answer. Oftentimes the cheaper CAI's are neither true cold air kits, nor are they tested for their application. However, I do disagree with his seldom critique on performance. There are times where a truly aggressive CAI kit can alter the fuel trims on the car - this is generally caused by the significant alteration of the airflow characteristics around the MAF. This is not a bad thing per se - it only means that the car must be 'tuned' for the change. However, a decent CAI can improve performance (and sound) without that effect (or a reasonable change that the ECM/PCM can correct for. Case in point; I have a 95 Z28 with a Moroso intake and KN filter that nets me about 5-7 hp improvement by around 5,000 rpm (on top of other mods). I also have a KN CAI on an 09 Cobalt SS/TC that required the GMS1 tune to realize any gain, but after the tune, the improvement to the turbo'ed engine is fairly noticeable. As for price/improvement; I'm assuming your GMC Canyon is an automatic - if it is, the improvement you see from a CAI is rather small for the price, since the transmission shifts the engine down before any flow gains are realized. You would likely get close to the same low-end improvements by dropping a performance air filter into the stock box, and possibly doing some porting mods on the stock box to best channel flow. I'm also not aware of any inexpensive CAI kits for your truck; the only ones I would be confident in are either the AEM or the KN units, and they're between 250-300 bucks, and net around 7 hp. Unless you're doing other mods after the CAI to capitalize on the improvements, I'd probably just do a performance filter upgrade.
the one installed by the factory, I suggest you do not do anything that will cause more problems, this was not a good motor to begin with and anything you do is going to mess with the computer and likely pop a check engine light. These cold air filters are crap, none of them do what they say, and worse there are lots of complaints online about them, some vehicles engines have been damaged when the computer leaned out the motor for no reason others would not even start. and on and on, a stock engine is making all the hp it can handle any thing you do to make it work harder can cause it to blow up sooner. Is that what you want? I suggest talking to your mechanic and getting a professional opinion before installing. good luck.Also ask the mechanic about those fake power chips, they are baloney as well.
Aftermarket cold air intakes are a relic of the 1960s and 1970s, when most cars and trucks drew intake air from above the engine. Your 2006 GMC has a more sophisticated cold air intake than you can buy on the aftermarket - it regulates air temperature to speed the warm-up and gives the engine cold air when the engine is warm. The aftermarket intakes are inferior to what you have. StPaulGuy has a better answer than mine - I'm just chiming in.

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