Injen CAI issues when it rains.

[CBlueMS3]

Hi all! I'm new here. My family has had a blue '07 MS3 since 9/27/07. Blah blah blah, long story short we ended up with the Injen CAI, Turbo XS DP, and Turbo XS test pipe.
We had just the Injen CAI on the car for several months, but recently took it off.
It sounds great! Although, I've read on here that it posts the biggest gains of any CAI, I would imagine I would feel 25whp...but it doesn't feel any different than stock to me. I don't know if something is wrong...

But my real problem is when it gets wet outside. This intake came with no splash shield, and I know very little about the car to be frank. My knowledge revolves around Neon SRT-4's. We had two of them (my brother has the first one). When I wash the car or drive in when it rains hard enough (I live around Seattle...so you know it rains like crazy out here) the car...well it's almost like it hydro locks. If you try to squeeze too much juice out of it, right when it starts boosting at all the engine starts cutting in and out and the car bucks like when a 12 year is trying to learn stick. And there were a few occasions when that occurred, always after washing the car or in good rain. I know it's bad for the engine too.
Does anyone else have this issue? I couldn't find an answer when I searched this forum.
Also, I thought I read that Injen sells this little shower cap that keeps water out? Like some motorcycles have. But if it got wet enough, wouldn't it soak through? I'm very very MS3 stupid right now. I just haven't gotten around to really learning about it. And I'm sorry for asking what are probably very stupid questions.

 

[Circle9]

If you're having this issues on a regular basis, revert back to your stock intake or look into a SRI

I wouldn't continue driving the car with the CAI with the problems mentioned

 

[coyfish]

Well if your car hydrolocks . . . you will know. When you say the CAI didnt come with a splash guard do you mean the splash guard in the wheel well (big black plastic all around wheel well)? In other words can you see your CAI filter standing outside the car? Ive got a CAI and I live in florida. To be safe I stuck a hydroshield (as you mentioned) on it to keep my ease of mind. I am still carefull when driving through heavy rain and go VERY slow through ANY puddles. I have driven through downpours for hours and removed the splash guard to see the cai filter and it was nice and dry under the hydroshield. You can stick the shield under a faucet and run water over it and the water wont penetrate.

I assume this bucking only happens when its wet? Seems odd

As for the power gains . . . they are pretty minimal with a CAI.

My advice would be to see if that bucking hapens when its dry too because then you might have other problems. If you want to keep your CAI get a hydroshield on there. If not you could always sell it and buy a COBB SRI and you wont have to worry about hydrlocking. Cases of hydrlock are pretty rare and when they do happen its when people nail BIG puddles.

 

[AWDthis]

So theoretically speaking you could drive through a big puddle with the hydroshield and it wouldn't suck in water? Because as I've learned here in Miami, when you see a big puddle you keep the car on with some acceleration so to not let the water in through the muffler or something? A friend told me that idk lol

 

[CBlueMS3]

My only problem with that hydro shield for me would be restricting air flow. I mean, it's like trying to breathe through your t-shirt. You can do it, but it's a little harder. Though, I'd imagine the benefits as far as safety is concerned would out weigh losing maybe...1bhp?

The bucking is when the intake gets wet, I'd imagine. Like after heavily hosing the car down when I finish washing it. I probably get the filter wet.
We actually could not fit the stock splash shield back into place when we put the injen on.
I'm having a thought on building my own semi-CAI. Just running a pipe down to around the stock location, and putting a nice filter there, and possibly leaving out the stock splash shield. I wonder if a big enough puddle would splash up high enough to get it wet...

Thank you very much guys. It's nice to see that the MS3 guys are nice. =]

 

[coyfish]

So theoretically speaking you could drive through a big puddle with the hydroshield and it wouldn't suck in water? Because as I've learned here in Miami, when you see a big puddle you keep the car on with some acceleration so to not let the water in through the muffler or something? A friend told me that idk lol

when driving through a flood lol yea. But for am every day puddle you dont want to hit it hard and make it splash into ur wheel well. The hydroshield helps a lot but it is still possible to hydrolock with it on. I guess you would have to basically like you said submerge your entire intake filter underwater. You will probably have water going into ur muffler if it comes to that anyway.

The hydroshield doesnt restrict airflow. I put it over my mouth and breathed with it and I didnt feel any restriction. As for not having the splash guard. If you have ur CAI you should definately have one put in. That piece of plastic blocks like 95% of the water going in there. You could always sell your CAI for an SRI but the problem is I think the SRI's are still on backorder. Might take a while to get one. You could also make one yourself out of your CAI but you would have to ask someone else. Im sure you have to cut it a certain way for the air to flow properly.

 

[seattleMS3]

i ive in seattle as well.... duh seattlems3 i know... but my problem came when i tried to install mine.. i feel little gain as well. did you take your front bumper off when installing? or could uoi just slip it in? and i have avoided driving in rain since i put my CAI in... did you have any problems when you put yours in?....anyone?

 

[ZooMIN3]

your MAF sensor might be getting a little wet from the water/misting? therefore making the MAF send bad readings to the ECU for fuel to cut off and on..

if it rains as bad as it seems in Seattle, I'd look into an SRI or reinstall your stock intake system to avoid any future prolonged damage... at least until you get an SRI replacment.

 

[CBlueMS3]

Yeah. I'm thinking SRI. I'm going to see how people feel about the CP-e versus Cobb. Although, you can put the AEM in SRI form, I've heard. To me, that sounds great. CAI in the summer, SRI when it's poopy out. But then again, I should research how effective the AEM is when in SRI form.
Stock for the time being.

Seattle MS3, we didn't bother with the bumper. It was a bit of a pain in the ass because we left it on, but we pulled it off.

 

[ZooMIN3]

I've read somewhere on these forums, someone is running the MSCAI in SRI mode... and apparantly works great..lol I'm not sure... maybe I'll try it when I get home, and install my air flow straightner ?

 

[RichB]

I have the Injen CAI with the Hydro Shield and it is great!! No problems whatsoever when it is wet out.

 

[Circle9]

I've always used CAI's on all of my previous N/A cars, but for a turbo aftercooled engine, I don't so any point in doing so.

CBlueMS3, I want to know the same thing, CP-E Nano or Cobb?

 

[opt_ms3]

Injen CAI, hydroshield, no issues ever, driven in the rain numerous times, car wash numerous times.