my friend told me that air-intake kits can improve gas mileage in a car and provide a small hp boost. i've already heard of all the hp boosts from intake kits which mean nothing to me, but the improvement of gas mileage has me piqued. how accurate is this and why can't i find an air intake kit for the 1995 protege 1.5L except for the $300 essential speed system? is there anything else i can do to help gas mileage in addition to changing driving habits to be more conservative? thanks.
-meGrimlock

 

Yes, but only, and I repeat ONLY, if you drive normally. After I build my CAI, I saw a little improvement on Highway, and a bigger one in the city, but driving normally. If you like to take off line at full or even half throttle, it will drop like a rock.

 

Please remeber that the essentialspeed system is $300 in CANADIAN FUNDS!
That works out to be about $215 USD!!!

Also, lost of people say that the intakes DECREASE gas mileage, but, this is due to the sound. Yes, the sound! Subconciously, people like the sound of an intake so much the always punch the gas and drive around in a lower gear than they wouldve before...

 

I only get about 25 MPG in my car.

 

according to the specs of my car, i'm supposed to get 26/35. i dont know if there is a way to figure out what it is now except for keeping track of my odometer and reseting the short odometer each time i fuel up. i dont plan on driving my car like a "pocket rocket" anyway, while i believe the japanese do make some "pocket rockets," not a whole mess of them really made it to the states. but thats a whole other discussion. so i'll be driving the way i usu. drive; a normal steady pace, quick if i really need to, slow when necessary. i also hear that K&N filters provide better air flow than regular filters which help a little w/ mileage too? any experiences?
-meGrimlock

 

umm.. you do loose a bit.. but it is not much and it depends on how you drive, and also if you keep the filter clean. You also have to remeber the days when it is super hot outside.
When it was real hot outside the car would tend to fall flat on it's face and gas would burn really quick.. Which is kinda why I didn't like driving on hot hot days.

But your driving habits is what make your gas mileage difference.
There were plenty times that I used to short shift my Protege .. at about 2500 rpm to save gas and cruise on the highway at about 60mph.. taking my time going where I am going
Bruce

 

I've looked at that $210 Essential speed intake and it sucks, the 90 degree bend just messes up the airflow, which limits how fast the air can it into the engine. I suggest getting a '92 to '95 Honda Del Sol and civic intake and cutting a little to make it fit. I bet there are threads on how to do custom intakes. I did mine for about $108 altogether.

 

WTF are you talking about? Thats is not a 90 dgree bend! Only the ractive and other ebay intakes have a 90. Damn. Plus, this isnt a short ram, its a full cold air that draws from the fender. And, btw, if you were soooo smart, youd have bought a 99-00 Si intake. Flip it so it comes down to the right instead of the left. Perfect fit.

 

Plus. messses with the air flow? WTF are you driving? An Indy car?
Damn.
"ive got an intake, now ill go beat any car I see"
Intakes=noise only!
Muffler=noise only!
Just saying, dont sweat the cheap **** like short rams and mufflers...they wont get you any more than 1 hp!!!
LOL!
Not to mention, the ES intake was designed and built by someone who does this for a living!