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2013 CAI/Hood Vent Issues

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22K views 82 replies 30 participants last post by  jrsyedb 
#1 ·
I want to install a Steeda CAI for my 2013 GT, but I'm reading about a lot of issues pertaining to the functional hood vents that cause water leaks during car washes and rain. Does anyone have any input on this? Is water harmful to the intake?
 
#33 ·
tj@steeda said:
Hey Guys,

Even though we have not seen an issue as you describe with any of our cars in our test fleet, on our own personal cars, and none of our customers have complained of this issue. We have driven our cars thru some of the most severe rain and wind that the harsh Florida weather can create - and believe me it can be extremely brutal, and never have we experienced any problems. Nevertheless, we acknowledge your concerns, and as we always do, we listen to what our customers concerns are and want to put their minds to ease.

Again - here is a link to a water test we did to put everyone's minds to ease - you will see in both tests that there was never any intrusion into the CAI. Additionally, we have driven this car under real world conditions in the rain and NEVER experienced a problem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIkj7dhmdZA

I want to thank you for bringing this concern to our attention, and I trust that you will indeed see that when we engineer and design our products that we take a wide variety of potential issue into mind. In this particular case - our soft rubber seal effectively blocks out any water intrusion. While other manufacturers may have issues, rest assured that when you buy from us, you can trust our products.

Best Regards,

TJ
That's so weird. Maybe the boss has different channels under the hood vents, because this is what happens when it rains with my 2013. See attached pic.
 

Attachments

#34 ·
Mikeyt03 said:
That's so weird. Maybe the boss has different channels under the hood vents, because this is what happens when it rains with my 2013. See attached pic.
The vents on the Boss are no different.
 
#35 ·
Well I dont know what to tell ya..You have the 13...you can see for yourself, that the water does drain, directly over the Air Box, and Fuse Box.

I think, now this is just me....it was designed that way....Just one more thing to make it harder for you to do any type of power adder to your new 5.0...

I am pretty sure, the "Smart" guys at Ford, new there was going to be a problem with water draining where it does now...and someone suggested to move the drain to the rear....That would only make since, Right...

OR they would put a drain hose, like what the shaker system has to drain the water away....

With all the bone heads out there, beating their now 5.0's to the ground, and claiming to Ford that they dont know what happen, they drive like grandma...it just broke...

Well Ford is getting tired of replacing motors...so they are acting like big brother or ma and pops...and Sending out threats, if you do Moods to the 5.0, we arent covering anything if you blow it.

So...the answer to your question is yes...it does drain on the air box, but runs of the sides..no harm done.........But and CAI you put on there, the filter is right there where the drain is........Think about it....Water is not good for a motor...when its being sucked in threw the AIR BOX.....

This is only my opinion, I am like everyone else...I have one...

Red.......
 
#36 ·
I think Ford knows that many of the Mustang owners are going to mod their cars no matter what. C&L fixed the problem. The rest of the major CAI players should do the same.
 
#37 ·
I have a 2012, and hood vents are a must. Gets really hot under there, with no ventilation what so ever. once I find out how to vent it, I will place them very cautiously on top of hood.. Lol has anyone heard of a kit for the 2011+ hood vents?? Would be nice to have a plastic slide under hood on the 13s vents to close them up in rain, or washing. Remote slides would be awesome... Lol
 
#38 ·
2013 GT owners asking about water getting in through the hood vents, need not worry.

Only the front 2 vents are in the filter area and the amount of water that gets in while driving is minimal. Sure, when you’re washing the car and spraying water directly into the vent you will see a small amount of water under the hood and in the filter area, but that still is nothing to worry about. You might get .05% of the entire filter damp, that’s about it.
Every time there is a body change with vents in the hood, this concern gets brought up, but think about this for a minute, we have been putting the air filter in the bumper of 96-03 Mustangs for years and driving in the rain is no problem. Yes, the filter will get wet, but it would take submerging the filter to do engine damage.
Also, the 03, 04 MACH I. It has a shaker hood scoop 100 times larger than the 2 vents on the ’13 hood that faces forward ramming air and water directly onto the filter from the factory without worry.
The 07-13 GT500 has huge open vents that let in large amounts of water, but just like the ’13 GT hood, while driving the most of the water blows right over the vents instead of flowing in.

I understand your concern, but understand, we own a 2013 and test on a 2013 and have no worries what so ever about water from driving in the rain and neither should you.

If companies want to redesign a shield to gain sales due to worry, that’s ok, but we don’t plan on doing that.

Here is a detailed video
2013 Mustang GT hood vents, water and a CAI explained - YouTube
 
#39 · (Edited)
IMO............This hood insulator acts as a drip tray and collects all water from the scoop and directs it on top of the filter, primarily an issue when at a stop with heavy rain.

There is significant flow through the vents, down the drip tray, and onto the filter when washing or at low speed or stopped.


Once I get a gopro ill put it under the hood and by the filter with a light and post results...


I don't drive my car in the rain, and cover the filter with plastic when washing. It would be nice to have some insurance in the form of a shield like new the c&l has.
 

Attachments

#41 ·
Musskao said:
I have a 2012, and hood vents are a must. Gets really hot under there, with no ventilation what so ever. once I find out how to vent it, I will place them very cautiously on top of hood.. Lol has anyone heard of a kit for the 2011+ hood vents?? Would be nice to have a plastic slide under hood on the 13s vents to close them up in rain, or washing. Remote slides would be awesome... Lol
Get a cowl hood. They have vents behind the cowl. Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Windshield
Plus that would extract heat better then the factory hood because of its flow design. Air comes in the front and out the back.
 
#42 ·
tj@steeda said:
Hey Guys,

Even though we have not seen an issue as you describe with any of our cars in our test fleet, on our own personal cars, and none of our customers have complained of this issue. We have driven our cars thru some of the most severe rain and wind that the harsh Florida weather can create - and believe me it can be extremely brutal, and never have we experienced any problems. Nevertheless, we acknowledge your concerns, and as we always do, we listen to what our customers concerns are and want to put their minds to ease.

Again - here is a link to a water test we did to put everyone's minds to ease - you will see in both tests that there was never any intrusion into the CAI. Additionally, we have driven this car under real world conditions in the rain and NEVER experienced a problem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIkj7dhmdZA

I want to thank you for bringing this concern to our attention, and I trust that you will indeed see that when we engineer and design our products that we take a wide variety of potential issue into mind. In this particular case - our soft rubber seal effectively blocks out any water intrusion. While other manufacturers may have issues, rest assured that when you buy from us, you can trust our products.

Best Regards,

TJ
"...We just had our management call this morning and I brought up your concerns. Even though we have not seen an issue personally with our customers and driving our own 2013 Mustang 5.0 in wet conditions, we acknowledge your concerns.

R&D is going to get started on creating a solution to put your minds at ease. We should have something ready relatively soon for you.

Please email brandon@steeda.com for ordering information and timing of when the CAI will be complete.


We are always looking to upgrade our parts and service. I want to thank you for bringing this concern to our attention so that we can better serve you!"



- what happened to this post from you?
 
#53 · (Edited)
"...We just had our management call this morning and I brought up your concerns. Even though we have not seen an issue personally with our customers and driving our own 2013 Mustang 5.0 in wet conditions, we acknowledge your concerns.

R&D is going to get started on creating a solution to put your minds at ease. We should have something ready relatively soon for you.

Please email brandon@steeda.com for ordering information and timing of when the CAI will be complete.



We are always looking to upgrade our parts and service. I want to thank you for bringing this concern to our attention so that we can better serve you!"
This post was from summer 2012.

I hope there will be something for current owners of your cai.
 
#43 ·
I believe I speak for all of this worried about this problem when i say this-

Im sure as much as Steeda, JLT, and others reinstate that water will not be an isssue of it water-locking our engines, I need the piece of mind knowing that these companies make changes to cope with the current problems. As good as the CAI sounds/look, as well as it add (with tune), I'm not taking the chance. I need some new type of protection against this potential problem. Not just to COMPLETELY stop water from getting in, but to be able to sleep well knowing that my 5.0 is safe.
 
#44 ·
The filter getting wet when you wash the car has no, 0, ill effect on the car, the filter or it's performance.

Filter have been getting wet for years.

Every see a street bike with a air cleaner off to the side?

Cars have come with Ram Air scoops since the 60's

03, 04 MACH I has a scoop 100 times the size of the 2 tiny scoops on the 13, that funnels air and water directly onto the filter. (from Ford)

We have 10-20K cold air intakes on 96-04 Mustangs that have a filter in the bumper, 10" from the ground, in front of bumper openings and not shielded from the weather that GET WET.

Filters can get wet, it's submerging them that's the issue, and if you have your filter submerged on your 2013 you have different problems.

It's not about avoiding anything, it's about knowing how things work and that this is a non issue.
Cars have been getting filters wet for years.

Now if this is a concern when washing your car the fix is dirt simple. Before you hose it off, put a trash bag over the filter or better yet throw a towel on both sides because both side are getting wet.

Driving in the rain the water will just flow off the back side of the hood or a very small amount will come in and touch .05% of the entire filter doing nothing.

Putting a flap over the top of the shield, that doesn't even cover the filter does nothing. Water is still getting in and now, instead of the water falling down behind the filter it's got a ledge to puddle on and then fall directly on the filter in stead of behind it like it does now.

Either way, your going to go under the hood after you wash it and dry it of. So why not throw a towel under there and pull it out when your done?

Another reason we have no plans on a change is we own a 2013. We got one of the first ones out and have been driving it in the rain and washing it without any concern. We even cut out the hood liner to fully expose the vents and still have no problems with water.
It's not like we drive a different car and are talking about something we know nothing about.

I think this has become a "the sky is falling" situation and all we need to do is educate the customer.
For those still worried, we will be looking into some Outer Wears filter socks that are water repellant, but we have no plans on changing the shield design.
 
#45 ·
I don't think customers want to be educated on why it's ok for water to reach the intake. I think they don't want water to reach their intake period. It's already a heated debate on whether cai's are even worth buying. For 2013 owners, this is just another reason to not buy a cai.

I wouldn't be worried about water per say. But I still don't want water to reach my intake. I value a company that listens to consumers and creates a solution based on their customers feedback. You have to look at things from the consumers point of view. In this economy, I'm very surprised that you listen to what consumers want. If I buy an intake, it will be c&l, because they showed a concern for the consumer, even though they probably have the same stance as jlt.

Consumer- I want black rims
Company- well we have grey rims, they've been around for years and there is no need for black when grey has been just fine.
Consumer- I still want black rims
Company- well we have no plans to make black rims because we feel that it's not an issue and we own a car with grey rims and we love it
Consumer- I...still...want...black...rims!
Company-your concern is invalid, it's not an issue at all.
Consumer-wtf.
Company- just tape a black trash bag over the rims to make them black
Consumer- ...speechless
 
#46 ·
AWESOME.
 
#48 ·
Stteda CAI on 2013 GT/CS

OK, I've read through the entire thread and here is my input. I just put the Steeda CAI on my car about 2 months ago. I have had to re-oil and clean the filter twice. Simply washing the car (soap and water) has completely removed the blue oil from my filter. That tells me that the water is draining DIRECTLY on the filter. TJ, are you going to continue to tell us there is no issue? That water hits directly on the filter and can get sucked into the engine. If Steeda is so sure there is no issue, then why doesn't Steeda issue a GUARANTEE that their high quality product will not cause an issue. I put a Go-Pro camera in my engine block and watched the water run on the filter while I hosed the car down. Other "lesser" CAI manufacturers have addressed this. As a loyal mustang owner and Steeda customer, I expect Steeda to make this right.
 
#49 · (Edited)
Mike,

Please email me at tim@steeda.com. Please send me the video and I will send it to our manufacturing facility.

I can tell you from being on these boards for over 2 years ... that you are the first member, out of thousands, that has had this issue with our CAI and has addressed it to me.

Like I said in my original post ... we use this CAI on our daily driver Mustang in Pompano Beach, Fl. and have not had any issues. The car is currently 2 years old.

I will be glad to help you and yes ... Steeda will stand by thier product.

I look forward to your email and working with you directly.

Best Regards,

TJ
 
#50 ·
What am I missing? "The car is currently 2 years old." Doesn't that mean that it's not a 2013 with hood vents?
 
#52 · (Edited)
No its a 2013 with vents ... I was going off of 2012 -2013 ... spanding over 2 calendar years ... but that was not the correct way to say it fact check goes to the forum member :).

The car we did testing on is the red 2013 in our serialized ads and on our catalog, the car is about a year old, just under it actually. we have not had the issues this poster is experiencing. But like I said ... we stand by our products and will handle this item.

Best Regards,

TJ
 
#55 ·
And in that same video there's a camera cut and edit between when the open the hood and show the affected area.
 
#56 ·
What are you looking for regarding current owners and the CAI?

Guys ... this isn't some kind of conspiracy theory that we are trying to "pull over" on you. We have done tests ... we have listened to customer concerns ... and we don't feel that it is necessary to increase the price by engineering, manufacturing a piece that is not necessary.

The owner of Steeda Autosports with his own personal vehicle was at the NRMA event at Bradenton showing people his car and assuring people there is no issue with this. We have done hose testing but more importantly, we have done rainstorm testing. We have driven several cars including a 2013 Boss 302 Laguna Seca and Dario’s own personal 2013 GT through torrential, real world rain storms so bad you could hardly see 60 feet in front of you with driving wind. We get extremely heavy, tropical rain storms in south Florida. No water intrusion or any adverse effects such as stumbling, stalling, or water ingestion were found.

Mustang 2013 Cold Air Water Intrusion Tests - YouTube

If you are still not convinced then I don't know what else to provide to you.

We stand by our products along with our engineering, testing, design, manufacturing, etc.
 
#61 ·
What are you looking for regarding current owners and the CAI?

We get extremely heavy, tropical rain storms in south Florida. No water intrusion or any adverse effects such as stumbling, stalling, or water ingestion were found.

Mustang 2013 Cold Air Water Intrusion Tests - YouTube
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCAf1ZWy8CU This might be a better unbiased testing. Now I don't have a CAI and realize that this test is probably a bit extreme but saying that there is "No water intrusion" is just a bold face lie whether or not it has an ill effects on the engine.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Tapakegovagnaps,

I am sorry you feel that way and I apologize that an outcome like this would cause you to void all further sales with Steeda.

There are plenty of great companies out there and hopefully you can settle on one that provides:

- American Made Parts by the American Worker - That don't send their parts overseas just to make an extra buck.

- Proven Race Track Performance - That have won more championships, set more track records, and won more races than all of the competition (Shelby, Saleen, and Roush) combined -

- A Company that can truly prove "We Race What We Sell"

- Has a Close Working Relationship with Ford Motor Company in Regards to a Tech Transfer Program

- ISO 9001:2008 Certified - Adheres to the Highest Quality Standards - can't buy this certification ... you can only earn it

- Etc.

Best Regards,

TJ
 
#59 ·
Tapakegovagnaps,

I am sorry you feel that way and I apologize that an outcome like this would cause you to void all further sales with Steeda.

There are plenty of great companies out there and hopefully you can settle on one that provides:

- American Made Parts by the American Worker - That don't send their parts overseas just to make an extra buck.

- Proven Race Track Performance - That have won more championships, set more track records, and won more races than all of the competition (Shelby, Saleen, and Roush) combined -

- A Company that can truly prove "We Race What We Sell"

- Has a Close Working Relationship with Ford Motor Company in Regards to a Tech Transfer Program

- ISO 9001:2008 Certified - Adheres to the Highest Quality Standards - can't buy this certification ... you can only earn it

- Etc.

Best Regards,

TJ
TJ,

I have a few Steeda parts. When they are crucial, I look to Steeda first. This is suspension btw. Your points are solid and Steeda has a great reputation.

However, this has been a big topic here ever since the 2013s have come out. Perception is reality, and despite internal testing, the perception is that without a shield (a competitor does this) over the filter, your product unnecessarily endangers the motor. Internally, you may be seeing solid enough sales to justify no changes, but a close working relationship with fomoco, iso certs and racing stats isn't going to convert people in this thread.

Not tying to make your day suck, but just saying this isn't an issue of losing trust in Steeda altogether (at least for me), but maybe just this certain product.
 
#60 · (Edited)
SolidRRaxle,

I understand your point ... but we have not had any customer's engines fail, CAI replacements, etc. because water has had any impact on the CAI. This is realistically the first time I, or the Steeda representatives have had an actual real world claim.

I have asked for the video and other elements from the poster to see what is taking place ... If the filter is drying out in 2 months, that means it doesn’t have enough oil. There are only two things that cause the filter to discolor. Dirt and lack of oil. This may be an issue of not oiling the filter enough if it is drying out in 2 months.

We had this same discussion a couple years ago when tuners were blowing up engines because of the # 8 cylinder ... people on the boards were telling everyone not to tune ... its not safe ... etc. If we would have taken their advice ... then what would have been accomplished? We tuned over 1000's of Mustangs from 2010 - 2012 and still today without a single issue and 0 warranty claims all without a warranty to cover our behinds. Many consumers thought we were crazy to offer a tune without a warranty and some still do. I view this as selling hurricane insurance to people in Arizona ... there is nothing to worry about when you are safely removed from those hazards.

Many of those same consumers that told us they would never purchase a tune ended up buying from us because of our knowledge and thorough testing. Our commitment to consumers and their cars with our testing, knowledge, work with Ford Motor Company, & our commitment to stand behind our customers is our warranty program.
Best Regards,

TJ
 
#64 ·
We fixed this months ago.
No ugly metal shield like Airaid or any voucher to send in and wait for a part.
Simple, easy and no one will ever know it's there.
Included in every 2011+ CAI
Free with proof of purchase

Check out our underhood video test:
2013 Mustang hood vent water blocker - YouTube
Seems like that semi defeats the purpose of the vents? Not that it won't work...
 
#67 ·
Imo, the vents are directly over the filter and no one and i mean no one can defeat gravity. Sure if the car is moving the rain will be forced away by the wind but if the car is parked in a rainstorm the water will get on the filter. There are vent plugs that you can buy for $10 at cjpony parts. Those seem to be the cheapest alternative. Has anyone ever thought about just getting the v6 hood instead and then there wouldnt be any worries.

But to me, after all the intakes ive looked at that are available for the mustangs, they arent true cold air intakes. Its a short ram hot air intake. All its doing is sucking in the hot air in the engine bay that will make the ecu pull timing and reduce power. Not worth it to me. Until someone actually comes out with a real cold air intake i wouldnt even waste my time cosmetically.

2013 Ford Mustang GT Hood Vent Water Test With Steeda Cold Air Intake - YouTube

If anyone that watches this video above says that water doesn't get on the filter is just plain ignorant to me.
 
#71 ·
Imo, the vents are directly over the filter and no one and i mean no one can defeat gravity. Sure if the car is moving the rain will be forced away by the wind but if the car is parked in a rainstorm the water will get on the filter. There are vent plugs that you can buy for $10 at cjpony parts. Those seem to be the cheapest alternative. Has anyone ever thought about just getting the v6 hood instead and then there wouldnt be any worries.

But to me, after all the intakes ive looked at that are available for the mustangs, they arent true cold air intakes. Its a short ram hot air intake. All its doing is sucking in the hot air in the engine bay that will make the ecu pull timing and reduce power. Not worth it to me. Until someone actually comes out with a real cold air intake i wouldnt even waste my time cosmetically.
Good Point !
I was gonna do all that CAI Tune stuff myself
But the car just clicked a 12.7 with motor trend, stock and mine weighs 100 lbs less because its a 300a so maybe 12.5 ? and without voiding any warranty. Was gonna go with the FR power pak, but have been hearing its just a detionation machine that gives you 60lbs of torque at low end but at the expense of frying your pistons by bumping up the timing only. No Thanks $ when the warranty is up, ill just do a 650 horse Supercharger and that should be plenty ~~ ~~~~~~
 
#68 ·
Sorry. here's a better shot.
It blocks the water, but not the air.
Water flows out the side outside of filter area in normal driving.
We tested this for weeks in all weather and forced hose action with no water intrusion to the filter area and no water sitting in the hood insulator either.

 
#69 ·
Sorry. here's a better shot.
It blocks the water, but not the air.
Water flows out the side outside of filter area in normal driving.
We tested this for weeks in all weather and forced hose action with no water intrusion to the filter area and no water sitting in the hood insulator either.
Exactly what I thought it was. That is going to restrict airflow a lot through the vents and might keep the engine warmer.
 
#72 ·
For someone who doesn't have a CAI!! You sure Are crying alot about it!! I have a couple of friends who have 13's and yes 1 of them had a problem with water getting on the filter!!! It turned out that he installed the filter box wrong, we fixed it and now problems now. So why don't you just get one and see what happens!! That have great CAI's!!!
 
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