Because there's never enough CAI questions

[Hussey]

I know, I know. Always questions about CAI, but this one is "slightly" different.

I've got an EBAY-type CAI installed, and have been running it for about 2 months. It installed great. I am "certain" I have no leaks, and the only mod I had to do to it was plug the extra hole (it was supposed to be for something like 96-04, but they still had the temp. sensor hole which is not needed for my 02).

Problem is gas mileage. I always thought it should improve slightly, but I'm seeing it going from about 20 around town to 17.5-18. Now maybe I'm more aggressive with it(?). The sucking noise is also a LOT louder than I expected. Sounds like I have my ear right next to a 4-bbl Carb without an air filter.

Anyone else have similar experiences? At this rate, I'm tempted to put the old system back on and just use one of the new high-volume filters.

[01mineralgrey6]

i get bad gas mileage when ever i do something new but after the newness wears off it gets better for some reason. Anyway i had the ebay one aswell before i got the FIPK, and it was fairly loud.... do you have any hesitation on accel?

[digger]

I'm with Mineral... It appears that my gas isn't lasting as long either -- but it's all my foot. You are correct though -- I have a 99 and the extra hole is filled on mine with a sensor. Nonetheless I could hear the intake very clearly before I installed the exhaust system. Hopefully someone here can let you know if the other brands perform the same.

[01mineralgrey6]

i know what my problem is, extensive testing
With teh ebay one on mine(01)i had to plug the hole for the air temp sensor. the air temp sensor (atleast for the 01s) is in the MAF

[digger]

Extensive testing! Now there's a phrase I will use when I tell my wife I'm going out in the 'stang. She thinks I'm playing but now we know that it is simply quality control!

[01mineralgrey6]

[Smokedya95stang]

man if only the site directed to pages... :cough: brent :cough:

id link you guys to the faq CAI article written by our very own rellik
but :cough: brent :cough: cant fix it.

lol

[Brent]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smokedya95stang man if only the site directed to pages... :cough: brent :cough: id link you guys to the faq CAI article written by our very own rellik but :cough: brent :cough: cant fix it. lol

err I let Shahrum in on the problem about a week ago. I dont know how to fix it

[WhiteStang99]

yeah, i was tryin to get to a modifaction/how to the other day too.

i bet 3.8s how tos work...

[Hussey]

Thanks all. I knew they were somewhat noisey, but it sounds like mine is probably normal. My acceleration didn't seem worse after the install. The car has always felt a little like it had a dirt-bike style powerband. I put a spacer to take the slack out of the throttle cable, and that make it "feel" better, but the low-end has always been a little sluggish.

Upside - my son loves the sound of the CAI. Downside - sooner of later my wife will figure out I'm playing with it. (the car).

[Danger Dude]

All CAI's whistle or a sucking sound. All the CAI's like MAC, BBK and all the Ebay clones make almost the exact sound. But nods help determine the sound also. For example I had a densecharger on my 98, bone stock it had a very noticeable whistle they stayed thru to about 2000 RPM. When I modded my engine the sound diminished to a faint whistle. I traded with KrazyPony (Jeff) who had a MAC that was whistling terribly on his car. When I put the Mac on mine it was only mildly noticeable. And my densecharger is much less noticeable on his car thatn the Mac but it is still there. I have stage 3 intakes and RPM HP heads witha 60MM T/B and that helps the noise some.

Remember the smaller the opening the more whistle you get and more noise the larger the opening the less whistle or noise and the culprit for most of the noise is the small TB on the 94-94 and the wheel well opening for the CAI's.

[Smokedya95stang]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brent err I let Shahrum in on the problem about a week ago. I dont know how to fix it

hah, i was playing man.

[americanmotorsport.com]

The reason you see an MPG shift is because most of these CAI's have bends before or after the MAF, which shifts the MAF function richer or leaner, and at the same time, affect timing (since the EEC uses MAF input to calculate load or VE, which is an input into timing). The shift occurs because now more or less air is directed at the hotwire in the sampling tube...

[Horse]

So which is better, having all that accordian junk that is stock or having a bend in the pipe? Also, would having a straight tube after the turn from the fendor well help? So the MAF wasn't RIGHT after the bend? And wouldn't you need to have a bend after the MAF so that it could meet up with the TB?

[Hussey]

I have a 90 deg. bend out of the fender well, and about a 45 deg. after the MAF before the TB. One thing I did do is leave the screen in, instead of removing it. I did this just because I was nervous if the filter broke apart, although it's not one of those cheapo cardboard ones. Maybe the screen is causing too much restriction in flow? I wouldn't think so, since the original assembly should have been more restrictive.

[01mineralgrey6]

i couldn't get mine to go together with the screen so i left it off...as a matter of fact its still off, and ive had not one problem. I don't think it would hurt to try leving it off.

[STEVE]

i left mine on maybey i should take it off

[01mineralgrey6]

It was just a thought, but i wouldn't worry about it unless your having problems with it.

[STEVE]

guess i wont take it out then