MS CAI or Cobb SRI
- Thread starter xpnsvxj
- Start date
migueleitor
Member
problems with MS CAI?
I own a 2008 ms3 and as you know Mazda recalled the ms cai, have anyone had any problem with MS CAI? becuase i found the 2007 ms cai in a good price.
1- should i wait for the new ms cai? and install a K&N filter in the air box.
2- get the 2007 ms cai or a Cobb sri?
What do you guys recomend?
Thank you.
I own a 2008 ms3 and as you know Mazda recalled the ms cai, have anyone had any problem with MS CAI? becuase i found the 2007 ms cai in a good price.
1- should i wait for the new ms cai? and install a K&N filter in the air box.
2- get the 2007 ms cai or a Cobb sri?
What do you guys recomend?
Thank you.
Vindikacione
Member
Wecome to the thread and Forum.
Cobb SRI.
It works.
Stays relatively clean in comparison to any CAI.
It's cheaper.
It's easier to install.
It's easier to clean when you need to clean it.
It won't void your warranty. (Nor would any other aftermarket CAI/SRI.)
You get a cool COBB sticker.
Cobb SRI.
It works.
Stays relatively clean in comparison to any CAI.
It's cheaper.
It's easier to install.
It's easier to clean when you need to clean it.
It won't void your warranty. (Nor would any other aftermarket CAI/SRI.)
You get a cool COBB sticker.
mrjoshyman
Member
i didnt get a cool COBB sticker?! i got a license plate frame though...
CAI are a great increase because you're sucking up colder air from below the car than the SRI which sits in the engine bay were all the heat is found. So in the long run SRI could be worse for the performance of the car. AEM's CAI is rated at 25+ hp 30+ tq but you also pay $330 for it i would choose AEM over SRi imo
mrjoshyman
Member
in the MS3 the most restrictive aspect of the stock intake is the airbox, which is why the SRI works great. the argument that a CAI is better b/c it sucks in colder air doesn't really hold as true as many people believe -- metal piping absorbs heat very well, so in the end the air thats going to ur engine is going to be quite close in temp to the air comin in from a SRI. maybe the CAI would be marginally colder, and give u a few extra horses -- but wen u look @ the $$$ difference and the fact that they are harder to install and clean, etc -- it makes more sense to go with the SRI
Sacrilicious
boom boom!
- :
- Cosmic Blue MS3 of hawtness!
the main issue is that we have a turbocharged car, and when you compress the air to 15psi (on the order of 200F) and then cool it down again with the intercooler, the difference in manifold air temp is not very big at all when comparing a CAI vs a SRI. if you want cold temps for your engine, worry more about your intercooler than your SRI/CAI. the SRI/CAI's main contribution to our car is to simply reduce intake restriction that the stock box made.
EDIT:
it's in NA cars where CAIs make a much more noticeable difference over a SRI, since the air from the intake in a NA car goes straight to the engine without being heated/cooled some more.
EDIT:
it's in NA cars where CAIs make a much more noticeable difference over a SRI, since the air from the intake in a NA car goes straight to the engine without being heated/cooled some more.
mrjoshyman
Member
Vindikacione
Member
Oh yeah, I forgot about the license plate frame. Sweet bonus.
On another note:
If your plan is to race other MS3s then go with the CAI, because everyone thinks it has more "GO" factor. In which case you go and seek out all the SRI and stock MS3 owners and duel them in a 1/4 mile drag race, so you can win by two inches or a twelth of a second and say "I'm the best."
Or you can save time and money (maybe even some frustration), by buying something that's less restrictive than the stock air box. The only drawback is your engine bay will get a little louder, but some actually prefer that kind of thing.
You guys are missing a critical piece of this puzzle. You keep saying that because the air is compressed and then run through an IC the intake temp doesn't matter. That just isn't true. The cooler the air is to begin with, the more there will be of it to expand and condense in the turbo an IC. Regardless of what happens post intake, the cooler the air is entering the intake, the better.
That all said, I have a Cobb SRI and love it. Once you're moving, the intake temp is nearly identical between the SRI and a CAI. Only at a stop does it make any difference at all.
Get the Cobb intake, cheaper an easier to install and more important to uninstall when a dealer visit is required. Sound is great and no chance of hydrolock. Before I get flamed on the hydrolock, there was a guy in a MS6 that just recently hydrolocked with cold air intake. He did not see huge water build up and drove through a foot of water. I've had a low position CAI on my Probe GT for years but then that car was old and only worth $2,000.
fastdreams
Member
- :
- 2008 MS3
I'm not satisfied with which is better for performance. People have the same canned arguments, but I haven't seen a satisfactory test. Comparing different cars, with different dynos, in different locations is a no-go.
I have a MS CAI that I uninstalled and put on the shelf. I didn't see a big difference in my top speed at TWS between it and stock. But I wasn't looking at that specifically so I'd want to test it properly. I was more concerned with my braking point from 130mph for turn one!
I took it off because I did seem to experience a performance loss after a while, and found the filter was very dirty - in about 5k miles. I decided I didn't want to have to deal with it for a gain that is not a big deal for me. I may install the SRI for it's ease of use. If I get into Time Trials I may put the CAI back on and clean the filter with every oil change as part of my track prep.
I'd like to perform a top speed run at the Texas Mile, running stock for a few runs, MSCAI for a few runs, and SRI for a few runs. That would tell the tale.
I do want more power on the long straights - I had some fun chasing a nice C4S, just starting to catch him right before the long main straight - then he would pull away with authority and the chase would start again for the rest of the track. The MS3 is surprisingly good at the track in stock form. I'm itching to upgrade the suspension and put on my track brake pads.
I have a MS CAI that I uninstalled and put on the shelf. I didn't see a big difference in my top speed at TWS between it and stock. But I wasn't looking at that specifically so I'd want to test it properly. I was more concerned with my braking point from 130mph for turn one!
I took it off because I did seem to experience a performance loss after a while, and found the filter was very dirty - in about 5k miles. I decided I didn't want to have to deal with it for a gain that is not a big deal for me. I may install the SRI for it's ease of use. If I get into Time Trials I may put the CAI back on and clean the filter with every oil change as part of my track prep.
I'd like to perform a top speed run at the Texas Mile, running stock for a few runs, MSCAI for a few runs, and SRI for a few runs. That would tell the tale.
I do want more power on the long straights - I had some fun chasing a nice C4S, just starting to catch him right before the long main straight - then he would pull away with authority and the chase would start again for the rest of the track. The MS3 is surprisingly good at the track in stock form. I'm itching to upgrade the suspension and put on my track brake pads.
Vindikacione
Member
This thread is so spent. I almost can't wait until the next one comes along... lol
Sacrilicious
boom boom!
- :
- Cosmic Blue MS3 of hawtness!
this is definitely true, but all i'm saying is that the intercooler lessens the performance difference between a CAI/SRI. driver311 did a back to back test of his CAI in CAI and SRI mode, and he came up with nearly identical dynos, so i'm pretty sure it doesn't really matter enough to care.
Capt Crunch
Member
I don't get why people say no intake will void your warranty. It seems like you guys read about that law and think you're impervious.
There are so many cases of dealers dicking over customers because of mods. Voided transmission warranties because of a muffler (not even exhaust). Voided drivetrain warranties because of non-rotated tires.
I bet you guys that if your pop your engine and bring it into the dealer with an intake, they will void your warranty. You will piss and moan but they will tell you to go pound sand. And then what? Take them to court? You got money for a lawyer and time? I don't.
There are so many cases of dealers dicking over customers because of mods. Voided transmission warranties because of a muffler (not even exhaust). Voided drivetrain warranties because of non-rotated tires.
I bet you guys that if your pop your engine and bring it into the dealer with an intake, they will void your warranty. You will piss and moan but they will tell you to go pound sand. And then what? Take them to court? You got money for a lawyer and time? I don't.
Vindikacione
Member
Geez. Blackhole is forming... (poke)
What if- My engine blew up or got a turbo leak, and then I put my stock intake back on, and then towed the car to the dealership. Will they refute my claim? Do they have CSI investigators looking for evidence that the stock intake was just recently replaced? Will they call COBB distributers and ask them if I purchased an intake from them? Will they get a court order to search my house for the intake? Will they scan through saved MAP readings or whatever in the ECU and say "A-HA, you were using an SRI. COBB to be exact. Warranty Denied."? I doubt it.
But seriously... if Mazda made an aftermarket CAI for the dang car, I doubt a simple SRI bolt-on is going to cause it to self-destruct. Hence, SRI owners fear not from the "I'm-scared-I'm-going-to-lose-my-Warranty-mentality." The world may end, but it won't be because your car engine died from bolting on an aftermarket intake. (bang)
Be smarter than the dealer. They might all be a$$holes, but there are plenty of dumb ones out there too. That's all I got to say about that.
+1000
it'd be such a hassle to put your stock intake back on over and over again.
I really let the bug bite me, let's leave it at that.
