Went from AEM panel filter to CS SRI

[xtasy]

Hey guys, since there's not much reviews about intakes on the CX-5. I'll post my reviews for people that want's an aftermarket panel filter (K&N or AEM). Also post a review about the Corksport short ram intake.

OEM filter VS AEM Panel filter.
The OEM filter is a paper filter that should be replaced when it is dirty, while the AEM one is washable/reuseable. Just pop 2 clips, lift up the top part of the OEM intake housing, take out the old filter and put the new one in. The AEM panel Filter is $40 shipped from Amazon. Link is below.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

*EDIT POST* as stated by MikeM, the Filter is made from synthetic fiber, not paper.

I didn't really get much miles(roughly 200 miles) on the OEM filter before switching over to the AEM Panel filter. But base off of the feeling I had right after switching over to the AEM panel filter. The car felt a LITTLE bit more responsive. Not much, but it's definitely a little bit more responsive. The gas mileage increased by about 2 miles per gallon (granted the car was still on its break in period, so results might've been altered)
The sound from the AEM panel filter is also noticeable at around 3,500 RPM. There's a little growl/grunt when you WOT the car, which wasn't there when I had the OEM filter in place. (I even put the oem filter back in to confirm it)

AEM Panel filter vs Corksport Short Ram Intake
The installation of the Corksport SRI is very easy, took roughly 15 minutes. (removal of OEM airbox and installation of the short ram Intake)
My driving impression of the Corksport SRI is almost similar from when I went from the OEM filter to the AEM Panel filter.
The car felt even more responsive, the car doesn't feel sluggish anymore. I didn't notice any low-end torque lost like many people experienced on the 2.5L Mazda 6's. But I am sure, once summer arrives, I will definitely feel that low end torque lost. Mainly because the OEM Airbox funnel cool air from the front of the car. The short ram intake is sucking in warm air from around the engine bay. If corksport comes out with a heatshield that uses the OEM funnel/snorkel, the that would be awesome.

What's also noticeable with the CS Short Ram Intake is the sound. Anything below 3,000 RPM, it sounds like how it would sound with the factory airbox. If you decide to gas hard or go wide open throttle, the intake suction noise is definitely there. It is a day and night difference. I will update this thread with my average MPG after the ECU learn/adjust its fuel trims.

2016 Mazda CX-5 AWD w/ 800 miles. (Same gas station used, 87 octane, 40% local, 60% highway, same route I take everyday.)
Average MPG on OEM Filter: 22.4 (break in period might've played a role)
Average MPG on AEM Panel Filter: 25.4
Average MPG on CS Short Ram Intake: I will update this soon once fuel trim settles and I go through 2 tanks of gas.


For those that have Short Ram intake, please chime in. I see more reviews on Facebook page than on the forums itself.

 

[dergibog]

Here come all the oem filter lovers.
Brace yourselves!

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Yes the sri is outperformed by the oem cai when coming of idle/low speeds and low speed/hot environment. it shines at higher rpms and cooler environment. I was just about to see if I could jerry right my sri to fit in the oem box without too much modification.

 

[MikeM.]

OEM filter VS AEM Panel filter.
The OEM filter is a paper filter that should be replaced when it is dirty, while the AEM one is washable/reuseable.

You don't know what you're talking about.

The OEM filter is OBVIOUSLY not paper, it is synthetic fiber. And it actually filters out the fine abrasives. No sane person wants fine abrasives grinding on their cylinder walls, valve seats and valve stems/seals. That's just crazy!

2016 Mazda CX-5 AWD w/ 800 miles. (Same gas station used, 87 octane, 40% local, 60% highway, same route I take everyday.)
Average MPG on OEM Filter: 22.4 (break in period might've played a role)
Average MPG on AEM Panel Filter: 25.4

Break-in might have played a role? LOL! That would be a huge increase for break-in but it's more believable than attributing any of it to the air filter.

 

[xtasy]

Here come all the oem filter lovers.
Brace yourselves!

Yeap that's what I notice too, lots of people around here that prefer the stock airbox etc. I like the intake growl, I can't stand being a car that doesn't at least have some kind of engine note.
The stock intake is definitely a good design, with the cool air coming in from the front. But I can easily mimic the same result if I make a box that uses the existing funnel and also have the intake growl from a short ram intake. I also blame my mod addiction, there's not one car I touch that doesn't get modded.

Yes the sri is outperformed by the oem cai when coming of idle/low speeds and low speed/hot environment. it shines at higher rpms and cooler environment. I was just about to see if I could jerry right my sri to fit in the oem box without too much modification.

That was my plan too. But I might do that after my warranty is over. For now, I'm planning to make an airbox out of plexiglass and cover it up with some high heat ceramic spray. But first, I need to get something to monitor the car to confirm that it works.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

$10 ob2 Bluetooth from ebay and torque pro for android

 

[CX-5um]

OP- I've had the AEM drop in filter for the CX-5 for at least 20k miles now and in the Mazda6 for 9k miles. These are my findings for AEM vs Stock.

Element: Both are synthetic fiber.
Weight: Unkown, AEM feels a bit more sturdy and heavier than stock.
Sound at Idle: Cannot tell difference.
Throttle response: AEM feels more responsive throughout the entire power band. More so below 1000 rpms and then between 3k-5k rpms.
MPGs: No significant difference to tell.

Filtration Specs AEM: Per AEM, Can protect down to 1 microns and 99.4 percent efficiency based on (ISO-5011 standard). More about ISO-5011 here http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=64762

Filtration Specs Stock: Unkown.

Lifespan OEM: In terms of my dusty desert environment the OEM's lifespan should be no more than 30k miles without the synthetic element's air intake and filtration being compromised somehow due to the accumulation of dust particles. This includes removal and "tapping" the dust/sand out every 6 months or so. I can still use the OEM filter past 30k miles if I wanted to.

Lifespan AEM: So long as the thick rubber seals hold up this should last the lifetime of the car. The seals appear like their going to last a very long time. In the CX-5, I've cleaned the AEM at least 5 times in the past 20k miles or so. The last cleaning was after a trip to LegoLand which saw me drive through the sand dunes through Yuma, AZ in the middle of a dust storm. Returning home from the trip I "tapped" a good amount of sand from the element.

Tips: I found out about AEM Dry Flo filter by reading off-road racing forums and similar type of crowds. A lot were converting from K&N's oil filter to this dry filter because it doesn't mess with the MAF sensor yet protects from the elements. I think it's a good filter to use especially in desert like environments or in areas near volcanic ash such as in Alaska or the Northwest because this filter allows you to clean it as often as needed. Last tip is to retain the OEM stock filter and use it while the AEM is wet from cleaning. Takes 1-2 days to dry completely depending on your humidity levels. The AEM only requires water for cleanup (I use a few drops of dawn) and can turn a car wash bucket dark brown if really dirty. No physical agitation during cleanup. I use a bathroom sink to rinse the dirt/dust off repeatedly.

 

[xtasy]

You don't know what you're talking about.

The OEM filter is OBVIOUSLY not paper, it is synthetic fiber. And it actually filters out the fine abrasives. No sane person wants fine abrasives grinding on their cylinder walls, valve seats and valve stems/seals. That's just crazy!



Break-in might have played a role? LOL! That would be a huge increase for break-in but it's more believable than attributing any of it to the air filter.

I didn't care much about the OEM filter to do some research on what material was used. Of all the cars I've owned. None of them had its original filter. My Mazdaspeed6 for example, the previous owner installed a Fujita intake with an aem dry cone filter for 132k miles of its life. The engine spun its bearing for whatever reason. We opened up the engine, everything was perfect. The only problem was carbon buildup on the valves. Cylinder wall has normal wear. At the time I removed the engine, the filter was covered in dirt and rocks. Yet no visible damage was shown inside the engine.

And in my entire life of working on cars. I've NEVER ever heard of "fine abrasive" damaging cylinder walls or valves. Of those 2 occasions that I seen/heard it EVER happen, was because there was a rock that was sucked in(the oem filter did not seal around the airbox correctly, and he ran it anyways. The second occasion was because my friend accidentally dropped a screw into the intake while changing out the MAF sensor. Unless those so called "fine abrasive" is some solid material that SOMEHOW got through the filter and decides to dance around in the combustion chamber. At that point, it'll end up damaging the pistons and heads. I will stick with my aftermarket filters, regardless of the things people say. I've seen an increase of 15g/s on my speed3 from just a simple change of filter on my cobb short ram intake. Also seen much as 30g/s more airflow on my speed6. That's is more than enough reason for me to stick with aftermarket filters/intakes. The only reason I bought a SRI for my CX-5, is because it was only 50$ used from someone local.


As far as breakin might've changed the gas mileage, I would never know. There's more to it than just a filter, and engine breakin. Gas quality, temperature, driving style etc. I'm only posting my average MPG. I'm just happy to have a car that doesn't get 8-14mpg and is comfortable to drive in.

Again, I will update this thread once I go through 2 tank of gas, maybe your theory about changing intake/filter wouldn't impact gas mileage.

 

[xtasy]

$10 ob2 Bluetooth from ebay and torque pro for android

Thanks a bunch. I completely forgot about the torque app. I just bought a stock airbox from someone local. Will be rigging that up. Looks like it'll fit the CS SRI with the help of the dremel.

 

[MikeM.]

I didn't care much about the OEM filter to do some research on what material was used.

That's fine. But it's a good rule of thumb to refrain from stating the material used unless you know which material was used.

And in my entire life of working on cars. I've NEVER ever heard of "fine abrasive" damaging cylinder walls or valves.

There are people who have never heard that having unprotected sex could lead to incurable STD's. That doesn't mean they won't contract STD's if they have unprotected sex!

 

[4G63T]

So what is the “bottle neck” from the intake system on the cx-5 that an intake provides gains? Is it the filter not flowing enough for its size and or is there a bottle neck in the intake itself possibly the snorkel part?

I looked at the intake pipe to the filter box and the diameter is not smaller than the throttle body so I dont think it can be restrictive there. Also bottom portion of the box where the snorkel connects is about the same as well. Perhaps the snorkel has sections that do create restrictions?

Assuming the snorkel is the only restriction, how about cutting out a “window” on the bottom intake box facing the fender side and attaching a rubber flap over it. So that under normal driving it is closed. And when accelerating harder or WOT it is hanging loose enough to open and allow more air. Similar to how the AEM air bypass valve.

Pic of what the OEM intake looks like.

 

[xtasy]

So what is the bottle neck from the intake system on the cx-5 that an intake provides gains? Is it the filter not flowing enough for its size and or is there a bottle neck in the intake itself possibly the snorkel part?

I looked at the intake pipe to the filter box and the diameter is not smaller than the throttle body so I dont think it can be restrictive there. Also bottom portion of the box where the snorkel connects is about the same as well. Perhaps the snorkel has sections that do create restrictions?

Assuming the snorkel is the only restriction, how about cutting out a window on the bottom intake box facing the fender side and attaching a rubber flap over it. So that under normal driving it is closed. And when accelerating harder or WOT it is hanging loose enough to open and allow more air. Similar to how the AEM air bypass valve.

Pic of what the OEM intake looks like.

The oem airbox is actually well designed. Way better than any other mazdas I've owned. As far as power gain from switching filters or to an aftermarket intake. We will never know. Even if there is gain, it is minimal. However, the sound from an aftermarket intake makes the car "sound" like it is faster.

If i didnt get this short ram intake for cheap, i would stick with the stock airbox.

 

[4G63T]

The oem airbox is actually well designed. Way better than any other mazdas I've owned. As far as power gain from switching filters or to an aftermarket intake. We will never know. Even if there is gain, it is minimal. However, the sound from an aftermarket intake makes the car "sound" like it is faster.

If i didnt get this short ram intake for cheap, i would stick with the stock airbox.

But you already have all three. You can easily go to the Track and switch between the three setups and see if you run faster or slower trap speeds/times.... This way you and everyone else if you decide to share your results will know. There is the Great Lakes Dragaway in Kenosha Wisconsin not too far away from Chicago. (when they do open)

 

[xtasy]

But you already have all three. You can easily go to the Track and switch between the three setups and see if you run faster or slower trap speeds/times.... This way you and everyone else if you decide to share your results will know. There is the Great Lakes Dragaway in Kenosha Wisconsin not too far away from Chicago. (when they do open)

Nah. I'll be focusing on my speed6 this summer. Don't really care much about the cx5 as far as performance goes. I might consider dyno day on the cx5. I already paid for another session of dynotune on my speed6. But it seems like i wont be done with the port injection in time.

So i might just dyno the cx5.