Negative CAI effects

[Mallitious]

Hey guys. I have been reading that some people have been having issues with putting on a CAI. My thinking in adding a CAI is to add power and let the engine breath much better. Why then is so many people having issues with theirs and seemingly losing power rather than gaining. This has me slightly paranoid since I have just ordered my MS CAI. Any thoughts on this would be a great help. Thanks.(shrug)

 

[funkyman]

Not true,depends what intake,if they went and put in a short ram then yeah,its hardly suprising.The best intakes are AEM and INJEN ,my oppinion the MS3 adds a bit of cosmetic appeal too.You must also buy the hydro guard to go with it.It lets in air and not water also protects it from sand,dust,sludge,smaller particles that screw up your engine.

 

[desperado-c]

Hey guys. I have been reading that some people have been having issues with putting on a CAI. My thinking in adding a CAI is to add power and let the engine breath much better. Why then is so many people having issues with theirs and seemingly losing power rather than gaining. This has me slightly paranoid since I have just ordered my MS CAI. Any thoughts on this would be a great help. Thanks.(shrug)

Who's losing power? Here's a collection of threads with MS-CAI dynos showing the apparent gains, courtesy of Redspeed:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3544236&postcount=37

Some people are running into fuel cut with a CAI plus other mods that reduce restrictions in the exhaust by eliminating cats. Others may be having problems with homemade intakes, but I don't think anyone has had a problem with just the addition of a CAI from a reputable manufacturers such as Mazdaspeed, AEM, or CP-E.

 

[Mallitious]

Who's losing power? Here's a collection of threads with MS-CAI dynos showing the apparent gains, courtesy of Redspeed:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3544236&postcount=37

Some people are running into fuel cut with a CAI plus other mods that reduce restrictions in the exhaust by eliminating cats. Others may be having problems with homemade intakes, but I don't think anyone has had a problem with just the addition of a CAI from a reputable manufacturers such as Mazdaspeed, AEM, or CP-E.

Thanks for getting back to me guys. I wouldn't think that adding a CAI would cause any problems but I thought I would ask since most people here know what they are talking about. Once I get my MS CAI installed i'll let you guys know how it turned out.

 

[clos561]

Hey guys. I have been reading that some people have been having issues with putting on a CAI. My thinking in adding a CAI is to add power and let the engine breath much better. Why then is so many people having issues with theirs and seemingly losing power rather than gaining. This has me slightly paranoid since I have just ordered my MS CAI. Any thoughts on this would be a great help. Thanks.(shrug)

come on get serious...ms cai is great the people that are compalining are most likely the sri = short ram intake which suck in heat at low rpms from the engine bay..the ms cai is fine and u will love the increased power and the sound(band)

Edit- yea the gains have been proven to be at least 20-40 whp EASY

 

[funkyman]

come on get serious...ms cai is great the people that are compalining are most likely the sri = short ram intake which suck in heat at low rpms from the engine bay..the ms cai is fine and u will love the increased power and the sound(band)

Edit- yea the gains have been proven to be at least 20-40 whp EASY

Exactly what i said.Well said.(rockon)(rant)(hump)(blah)(dark)

 

[Mallitious]

come on get serious...ms cai is great the people that are compalining are most likely the sri = short ram intake which suck in heat at low rpms from the engine bay..the ms cai is fine and u will love the increased power and the sound(band)

Edit- yea the gains have been proven to be at least 20-40 whp EASY

YAY!!!(mj)

 

[chriscecc914]

come on get serious...ms cai is great the people that are compalining are most likely the sri = short ram intake which suck in heat at low rpms from the engine bay..the ms cai is fine and u will love the increased power and the sound(band)

Edit- yea the gains have been proven to be at least 20-40 whp EASY

this is not true. The air still has to run through the extremely hot turbo before it enters the motor so you are getting the same degree air no matter if you have a short ram or cold air. When i had my dsm they didnt even sell a cold air intake because they said theres no difference in temperature after the turbo and its pointless.

 

[flipstylex]

+ 1 to chris

at least u know how physics work. Anyways, if your looking into puting an intake, i personaly suggest sri. Easy installment, easy maintenance, and also stress free of hydrolocking. did i mention its cheap too

 

[Sacrilicious]

the CAI/SRI issue has been beaten into the ground time and time again on these forums. the thing that makes this particular comparison weird is that the MS CAI does NOT preserve stock AF ratio, which is pretty lame. basically, the MAF housing is bigger than the stock one, which fools the MAF sensor into thinking that less air is flowing then is actually flowing. this then leans the fuel mixture out artificially...NOT exactly the intent of an intake...=/

if you don't believe me, try this:

take the MS CAI...run it in SRI configuration by simply not installing the pipes that lead down into the fender and just popping the filter onto the pipe right after the MAF housing. i bet you any money you will be hard-pressed to find a very large difference in power as compared to using it as a CAI...=/

 

[rodney]

yea i have had both on my ms3 and there is absolutely no difference between the two, the cai is a waste of money, just go buy cobb's sri

 

[aaronc7]

the CAI/SRI issue has been beaten into the ground time and time again on these forums. the thing that makes this particular comparison weird is that the MS CAI does NOT preserve stock AF ratio, which is pretty lame. basically, the MAF housing is bigger than the stock one, which fools the MAF sensor into thinking that less air is flowing then is actually flowing. this then leans the fuel mixture out artificially...NOT exactly the intent of an intake...=/

if you don't believe me, try this:

take the MS CAI...run it in SRI configuration by simply not installing the pipes that lead down into the fender and just popping the filter onto the pipe right after the MAF housing. i bet you any money you will be hard-pressed to find a very large difference in power as compared to using it as a CAI...=/

Did you measure yours? I found stock and MS CAI diameter to be the same. I thought it was due to airflow being turbulent..at least not laminar due to bends in the pipe and no flow straightener. MS SRI should help this a little. I havn't noticed a difference either way.

 

[2ManyCars]

What are the dyno results of the same car without CAI, with CAI and with SRI? I'm not saying I dont buy the SRI argument but I did see published dyno results with and without MS CAI.

 

[Mallitious]

I have asked Ken from Protege Garage about the MS CAI and he said that it will make quite a big difference. 15-20hp with Magnaflow exhaust system on the M3. Ken knows his stuff and I'm inclined to believe him. I have read much more good things about CAI over SRI. Thanks for all the input everyone! (drinks)

 

[clos561]

this is not true. The air still has to run through the extremely hot turbo before it enters the motor so you are getting the same degree air no matter if you have a short ram or cold air. When i had my dsm they didnt even sell a cold air intake because they said theres no difference in temperature after the turbo and its pointless.

ok well whats hot air plus hot air? even more hot air....cold air from the COLD AIR intake plus the supposed HOT AIR from the turbo equals less temperature entering the engine.....i would rather have a cold air intake....sri is a cheap upgrade solution for the stock airbox that is extremely restrictive. (drinks)(alright)

 

[Mallitious]

ok well whats hot air plus hot air? even more hot air....cold air from the COLD AIR intake plus the supposed HOT AIR from the turbo equals less temperature entering the engine.....i would rather have a cold air intake....sri is a cheap upgrade solution for the stock airbox that is extremely restrictive. (drinks)(alright)

Agreed Clos. That is what the information I have found has said. A CAI is a great way to help the motor breathe better, colder air. Colder air means a better running engine.

 

[Sacrilicious]

Did you measure yours? I found stock and MS CAI diameter to be the same. I thought it was due to airflow being turbulent..at least not laminar due to bends in the pipe and no flow straightener. MS SRI should help this a little. I havn't noticed a difference either way.

i don't have the MS CAI, and i may be wrong on the diameter thing and it is actually the turbulence, but i have seen numerous times on these forums and the mazda3 forums that the MS CAI does not have stock AF ratios and runs things leaner. based on these things, i ended up with a cobb SRI because i liked the advantages of the SRI (easier installation and maintenance) better than the potential gains of a CAI.

 

[Betelgeuse]

I went from the MS CAI to the SRI and the SRI pulls more in the low end. A recent dyno on the other forum showed more torque in the lower rpms for the SRI. Overall the peak hp is probably a little less compared to the MS-CAI but it's not noticeable. The ONLY advantage the MS CAI has over the SRI IMO is the warranty. And only the crappiest of dealers would give anyone a hassle over an SRI.

 

[Sacrilicious]

ok well whats hot air plus hot air? even more hot air....cold air from the COLD AIR intake plus the supposed HOT AIR from the turbo equals less temperature entering the engine.....i would rather have a cold air intake....sri is a cheap upgrade solution for the stock airbox that is extremely restrictive. (drinks)(alright)

you are absolutely right that the SRI will result in higher temp post-intercooler air as well, but the point of the matter is that after you heat everything up to something like 200F from compressing the air using the turbo and then cooling it back down again using ambient air, the difference in temp will no longer be nearly as significant as the difference between 80F and 100F. in fact, in a SRI setup, the intake temp is going to be basically identical to the intake temp of the CAI once you get the car rolling.

in the end, the difference between a CAI and a SRI in a turbocharged engine cannot be compared to how it is in a NA engine. the two systems are just completely different in how it affects things.

 

[desperado-c]

....

Edit- yea the gains have been proven to be at least 20-40 whp EASY

I bet you believe TV wrestling is real, too.