Cai
 

Can I get a pros and cons to CAI? I've been thinking of getting a system but I'm freaked out about water getting into the engine. I live in Va right now, and the rain doesn't come often but when it comes it comes heavy. I'd hate to install the CAI system and then drive through a down pour and lock up the engine. So a list of good and bad please.

Trevor

With a CAI, driving through heavy rain (even a downpour), by itself, is not a problem. Driving through standing water high enough to partially or completely submerge the air filter is the real danger and can easily lead to hydrolock. If you live in an area prone to heavy flooding, you might want to think twice about using a CAI. I don't recommend a bypass device such as sold by AEM because the added resriction tends to eliminate any gains that the CAI was originally purchased to provide.

There are so many threads about the hydrolock issue out there on various mazda forums. I have an injen CAI on my protege and I've never had any problems driving through heavy rain or puddles. Hydrolock is real and it can happen, but as the guy posting above me said, your car needs to be in water deep enough to submerge the air filter. Even if the filter is submerged partially, I'm not sure but I believe idle rpms would not provide enough suction to suck water up completely through the piping, up through the throttle body, and through the manifold to the valves. I read somewhere that to achieve hydrolock, your filter would have to be substaintially submerged and you'd have to be throttling above idle.

If your car is in water deep enough to submerge your CAI air filter, i think you've got a host of other things to worry about as well aside from hydrolock. If your filter is submerged, your differential and drive axles are also submerged, as well as the lower half of your transmission, and your subframe. Your tires contact patches are small. When you're in water that deep, depending on the current (even if it's slight) you stand the chance of your losing contact with the road and your car floating away. If you're driving through water high enough to submerge your air filter, you're seriously risking losing/destroying your car. Those without CAI's aren't aren't at any less risk driving through water that high.

Your CAI air filter is protected (somewhat) by the driver side front fender lining and your front bumper. There's chance is pretty small that your filter would get wet while driving through heavy rain or even puddles. However, even if it were to get wet/damp, air filters are impregnated with oil to keep dirt and particles out. That should be sufficient to keep water particles out of the intake charge.

Basically, drive with common sense...like someone would who gave a crap about their car. Don't be an idiot...be concious. If you see standing water, slow down. If it looks deeper than 6 inches, don't drive through it-- take an alternate way. Or, if there is no other way, drive slowly and roll your window down-- poke your head out and keep an eye on where the water level is sitting in relation to your wheel. And don't be throttling unnecessarily high. If the water level is getting too high, back up and dont go through.

If you're so concerned that you'll ever be faced with that situation then buy a short ram instead. I'm honestly not sure if the HP gains are any less with a short ram then with a CAI. It mostly depends on how the intake was constructed, how it is routed, and how well it was installed (no vacuum leaks). Anyway, good luck.

I'll 2nd Surfing_

I used to own a jeep and went 4 wheeling all the time with a large group. Most of them had CAI and we liked puddles and mud. Just keep the water below the bumper and you'll be OK.

whatever you decide, know that i carry all the major intakes for the mazda3;
http://mazda3online.web.aplus.net/index.php?cPath=22_67