hard decision ,what intake should I get??

[desperado-c]

..and they'd no doubt win too. No sane attorney would touch that with a ten foot pole.

I don't know about that. I've certainly heard of hydrolock claims being honored by car insurance companies under their flooding coverage, so it's not out of the question. If Mazda doesn't explicitly warn you and exclude hydrolock, insurance law principles put a very heavy burden on the insurer. That's probably why they only offer a replacement warranty on MS-CAI officially. But then they wink and say if you don't do something idiotic, we'll pretend like you've got a real warranty.

 

[Betelgeuse]

I don't know about that. I've certainly heard of hydrolock claims being honored by car insurance companies under their flooding coverage, so it's not out of the question. If Mazda doesn't explicitly warn you and exclude hydrolock, insurance law principles put a very heavy burden on the insurer. That's probably why they only offer a replacement warranty on MS-CAI officially. But then they wink and say if you don't do something idiotic, we'll pretend like you've got a real warranty.

I'm talking strictly warranty coverage by the manufacturer. Insurance is a whole other ballgame. I agree it's quite possible for an insurance company to cover hydro lock in a flood situation. However if the adjuster discovered there was a CAI on the car, they could deny it or not cover everything (like the engine), but it depends on their policies and other factors. Whether it's an MS-CAI or not is irrelevant. A cai is a cai and they ALL do the same thing. Also many people would remove it before filing a claim.

 

[wisniaPl]

How big difference in power gain are on stock ms3 between sri and mscai??

 

[SpdFreak]

Just throwing this out there, has anyone heard if PTP is making an intake?
I think they may be making an intake that goes all the way the turbo. (attn)

 

[desperado-c]

I'm talking strictly warranty coverage by the manufacturer. Insurance is a whole other ballgame. I agree it's quite possible for an insurance company to cover hydro lock in a flood situation. However if the adjuster discovered there was a CAI on the car, they could deny it or not cover everything (like the engine), but it depends on their policies and other factors. Whether it's an MS-CAI or not is irrelevant. A cai is a cai and they ALL do the same thing. Also many people would remove it before filing a claim.

Whether it's an MS-CAI is relevent, but only when it's installed by the dealer before the new owner takes delivery because:

Mazda notes that all Genuine Mazda Accessories, if installed by the Mazda Dealer prior to or at initial vehicle retail delivery, carry the same new-vehicle limited warranty as the vehicle.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=shoppingToolsWarranty

This is the point I have been trying to make from day one. As for insurance vs. warranty claims, I probably go to far in conflating the two, but I still say that there needs to be a written exclusion or the warranty should be honored, no matter how dumb it is to hydrolock an engine with a CAI.

 

[voiceKoil]

I have hard time choosing what intake should I get .I wana get mscai because of warranty but Im affraid that it might soak water i live in Ny.. maybe sri is better?? any ideas?? car is my daily everything stock for now...

(RTM) Buy my Injen intake and chop it down, its cheap and on ebay as we speak! lol

 

[2ManyCars]

I think you can do the same with the MS CAI but no need to cut anything. It's in 2 sections.

 

[Betelgeuse]

Whether it's an MS-CAI is relevent, but only when it's installed by the dealer before the new owner takes delivery because:

Mazda notes that all Genuine Mazda Accessories, if installed by the Mazda Dealer prior to or at initial vehicle retail delivery, carry the same new-vehicle limited warranty as the vehicle.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=shoppingToolsWarranty

This is the point I have been trying to make from day one. As for insurance vs. warranty claims, I probably go to far in conflating the two, but I still say that there needs to be a written exclusion or the warranty should be honored, no matter how dumb it is to hydrolock an engine with a CAI.

Mazda does not warrant hydrolock that's my point. It may not be stated at all times but it is implied. I know for a fact it was explicitly stated in my MS Cai documentation.

Also most people put on the MS-CAI after delivery so even the limited powertrain warranty doesn't apply. And even when it does apply, there are conditions. One is 'normal use' as stated in the above page you quoted. 'Normal use' covers a whole lot of situations - driving through high water/abuse/neglect/ etc. That's why a dealer can still deny a warranty job over something as simple as excessively worn tires (where they might claim abuse) or inability to prove the car was maintained (like no receipts etc).


Driving through a big puddle or lake and sucking water into the engine is not normal use. Now an insurance company may or may not cover that, but like I said before, that's a whole different matter.

 

[2ManyCars]

Correct - it does specifically state in the instructions that damage caused by water injestion wont be covered.

But installation of bolt-on stuff like a CAI or exhaust will not generally impact the warranty unless they can prove it caused the damage. There is a big negative incentive for dealers to deny warranty coverage because it impacts customer satisfaction surveys. The fact that it's a Mazdaspeed part would make the dealer more reluctant to deny any warranty work.

If you are really worried about water injestion then either stick with the stock airbox or get an SRI. Regardless of whether the threat is real in your driving situation whatever makes you less worried is generally a good thing. Eventhough a CAI )) is the best solution, driving around worried about it takes all of the fun out of it...

 

[wisniaPl]

but what is a difference in power gains and noise between these two??

 

[2ManyCars]

Noise and HP increase is probably about the same. But SRI supporters claim it can cure cancer and ED. The CAI is a cooler looking part...

 

[Betelgeuse]

but what is a difference in power gains and noise between these two??

They're very close according to a few dynos posted. I had both and prefer the SRI.

 

[voiceKoil]

I think you can do the same with the MS CAI but no need to cut anything. It's in 2 sections.

Your right, but my intake is only 100 bucks though, cheapest mazdaspeed brand Ive seen was 200 (braindead


Honestly if your truely afraid of hydro lock get a sri, but honestly by the time it passes through your turbo and through the rest of the intake any moisture will be fried. Unless you sit and floor it in ponds....

On the plus a short ram is easier to keep clean, easier to clean the filter, the filter stayes cleaner longer because its not by your wheels kicking up dirt, and also is easier to install...

 

[ericrapp]

They're very close according to a few dynos posted. I had both and prefer the SRI.

I have dealer installed mscai and am pleased. What causes you to lean toward sri? In regard to performance.

 

[nypest]

I had the MSCAI for about 6000 miles and never had any problems with watter getting into the intake at all even in heavy heavy rain. No need to worry at all just be smart and dont start the car under watter lol .

Edit: i now have the SRI no difference in performance just lots easier to clean..

 

[Betelgeuse]

I have dealer installed mscai and am pleased. What causes you to lean toward sri? In regard to performance.

Well initially the reason for choosing the SRI wasn't for performance - I really didn't expect to notice a difference. It was the ease of getting to the filter and the fear of hydrolock. Down here the drainage is very poor in many areas and torrential downpours are a norm during summer. Also the ms cai sat very low to the ground which made me a little nervous in heavy rains - I had to pull off to the side at least 2 times during heavy storms as the roads had a few inches of water.

I really wanted an SRI to begin with but got the ms cai due to impatience, the warranty thing (which turned out to be just a lot of hearsay until I read the fine print), and the absence of an SRI on the market at the time. All in all I liked the ms cai but once I saw the cobb unit I decided to get it. Well after putting it on I immediately noticed better low end performance and up to this day my opinion hasn't changed.

 

[wisniaPl]

can anyone post a pics of side of a car and make a mark where mscai filter is(how high from the ground)

 

[2ManyCars]

It's about 10" - 12" off the ground with the stock suspension. It's basically where the yellow block is in this picture. Basically if you submerge this thing you probably have water in the interior too...

 

[Betelgeuse]

can anyone post a pics of side of a car and make a mark where mscai filter is(how high from the ground)

As you can see, it's pretty low.

 

[D_Roc7822]

hmmm Ive always been a CAI person.. but Im starting to lean more and more over to the SRI side.