CAI wheel well shield

[MShreve]

Not really sure what to call it, so we'll go with CAI wheel well shield.

I was a little leary of driving in the rain with the MS CAI because of how open it is to the driver side wheel well and the stories I've heard about hydrolocking. So I set out to find some way of hindering water exposure without cutting down the air flow too much. My first thought was to use some 8-1/2"x11" sheets of 3M scrub pads, but I couldn't find anything bigger than 3"x5". After several days of looking I was at Home Depot getting some stuff for the house and saw some rolls of roof ridge vent material. It's not as dense as the 3M scrub pads, but testing with a hose nozzle showed that it significantly decreases the velocity of water exiting the other side (60 PSI water spray in the front, drizzle out the back)...which is what I was after.

Below are some pics of the install. I'll probably end up using this same method (but maybe with different fasteners) whenever I get around to doing the fog light cut-out.

Parts and tools I used:
10-1/2" X 11" piece of Cobra ridge roof vent material from Home Depot
1/8" X 1" zinc washers (x8)
1/2" X 5/32" (12mm X 4mm) rivets (x4)
Phillips screwdriver
Riveter

Before:

Backside with fasteners:

After:

With this and the hydroshield I have on order I'll be a lot more comfortable driving in wet Oregon weather.

BTW, I saw somebody say in another thread that their MS CAI came with a hydroshield, but mine didn't. Did I get jipped or does the new(er) MS CAI not come with one?

 

[MShreve]

Man, I had some serious dislexia going on there. Even my sig said CIA instead of CAI. I'm suprised nobody said anything.

If a mod wouldn't mind, could you change the title to say CAI?

 

[GoFast]

doesn't the MS CAI (i got it right (alright)) for the 6 come with the splash shield? I know it does/did for the 3

 

[MShreve]

Mine, which I ordered about a month ago, only came with the piping, filter and clamps.

...oh, and 2 MazdaSpeed stickers.

 

[TXspeed6]

Nice handy-work. I have been looking to add something like this to my CAI, right now i just have a Hydro-Shield.. But I might do this or fab up a shield around the intake...

 

[wannabe]

Man, I had some serious dislexia going on there. Even my sig said CIA instead of CAI. I'm suprised nobody said anything.

If a mod wouldn't mind, could you change the title to say CAI?

fixed.

i did a similar thing with mine, using some scrap 6" round duct pipe. just used sheet metal screws. yours probably has better airflow.

 

[TX Speed 6]

I like the mesh alot, I haven't had any more issuses since I put on the hydro shield (mine hydrolocked a couple years ago when my wife was driving to school) but I do like the tought of the extra protection.

 

[MShreve]

Thanks wannabe!

 

[MShreve]

The sheild got a pretty good test this last week. I did about 70 miles of freeway driving in the pooring rain. After I got home I popped the hood and felt the filter, it was barely damp.

When I crawled under the car to put on the hydrosheild today the filter was still sparkling white. (drinks)

 

[Empurfektion]

Mine has the AEM CAI intake and today, in the nice East Coast rain storm we had, I drove about 20 miles on the highway with 1/8 of an inch of rain on the roads. Well, when I hit the straight away and went to pass a truck that was going 40 in a 60, my car jerked at about 4,000 RPMs and kept on bucking. When it was at a low RPM it didn't do anything. Down shifted to see it again and sure enough, the CEL came on and so did the traction control (even tho I wasn't sliding) and off it went bucking at 4,500 RPMs. Think I should get a SRI or just go with the Hydro-Shield?

 

[wannabe]

did you pull the code? if its the 0187 (i think) that means your intake got wet and your MAF freaked out.

 

[Empurfektion]

No, didn't have time to pull the code. I was right beside the dealership and they said they couldn't (said no one was there to do it). Oh, and when I bought the car from them it came with the CAI. They should buy me the SRI

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Good luck with them buying you anything. LOL... I know the design is different with the 6 over the 3 but you really have to suck up a lot of water to get hydrolock. There are a lot of MS6's on this site and that I know who have MSCAI's in inclament weather and have had no issues at all...

 

[tunersteve]

I used a piece of aluminum roof flashing and it's working well right now. I would suggest something a little more flexible since the inside is not flat.

The code P0103 is the high MAF input voltage, which is the code I saw twice when the MAF got wet and had a fit.

 

[Empurfektion]

I drove it again this morning to work and it's still damp out. My car is still bucking at 4,000+ RPM but it's clearing up and it's getting warm. Maybe it will dry out and be fine. But I'm pulling it into the Garage tonight and slapping something on to protect it.

 

[tunersteve]

Here's some info on P0103:

http://www.obd-codes.com/p0103

 

[wannabe]

I used a piece of aluminum roof flashing and it's working well right now. I would suggest something a little more flexible since the inside is not flat.

The code P0103 is the high MAF input voltage, which is the code I saw twice when the MAF got wet and had a fit.

yeah, that sounds right. i've seen both that and the p0187 that i posted above on my scangauge, but the p0187 was probably from my o2 issues i had a while back.

 

[tunersteve]

P0187 is:

P0187 - Engine Fuel Temperature Sensor circuit