cold air intake
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: dayton texas
cold air intake
i installed a cold air intake and it is making some wierd noises at idle. kinda want to die but it just clicks and pops and rpm dance around. its fine when i take off and start driving but come to a stop and there it goes again. i have the factory mass air flow sensor installed but do i need to upgrade that to?
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,432
Likes: 7
I have also heard of some CAIs creating a turbulent flow that confuses the MAF, resulting in inconsistent readings. My general take on CAIs is that very few of them are worth the money. In order get your value out of them, they need to have the following characteristics:
1: Must have a full shroud of the filter element and must draw cold air from outside the engine compartment. If it doesn't do this, its not a cold air intake.
2: If they use an oiled element, the potential loss of fuel economy and performance plus the long term potential damage far outweighs the benefits.
3: Must use a quality PLASTIC intake tube. Metal tubes conduct heat, and that reduces the air density, partially negating the benefits.
4: Plan on using a tuner to recalibrate the system to get the most from it.
5: Plan on also redoing the exhaust or at least replacing the muffler.
The stock intake is really ok, the biggest thing you gain from an aftermarket CAI is sound. The stock setup is quite free flowing, and was already a CAI.
1: Must have a full shroud of the filter element and must draw cold air from outside the engine compartment. If it doesn't do this, its not a cold air intake.
2: If they use an oiled element, the potential loss of fuel economy and performance plus the long term potential damage far outweighs the benefits.
3: Must use a quality PLASTIC intake tube. Metal tubes conduct heat, and that reduces the air density, partially negating the benefits.
4: Plan on using a tuner to recalibrate the system to get the most from it.
5: Plan on also redoing the exhaust or at least replacing the muffler.
The stock intake is really ok, the biggest thing you gain from an aftermarket CAI is sound. The stock setup is quite free flowing, and was already a CAI.
Temporarily Deactivated
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 969
Likes: 1
Dont worry about the metal tube for one. The plastic tube argument holds no water at all. For the tube to impart heat to the incoming air, the air would have to be sitting in the tube long enough for that to happen. Air is moving through the intake tract at a high rate of speed. Plastic tubes in a static enviroment like the engine compartment are going to be the exact same temperature as a metal tube in the same enviroment.
I would agree that a non oiled filter in an enclosure that draws from outside the engine compartment is best. Of course, that is exactly what the stock system is.
The throttle body spacer was a waste of money, I would remove it. I think maybe a PCM reset is worth a try though it should adjust itself within a few start cylces anyway.
I would also agree that there is absolutely no benefit to these intakes other than to make more intake noise. Some like that, some don't.
I would agree that a non oiled filter in an enclosure that draws from outside the engine compartment is best. Of course, that is exactly what the stock system is.
The throttle body spacer was a waste of money, I would remove it. I think maybe a PCM reset is worth a try though it should adjust itself within a few start cylces anyway.
I would also agree that there is absolutely no benefit to these intakes other than to make more intake noise. Some like that, some don't.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,517
Likes: 3
From: SE Wyoming
Trending Topics
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 392
Likes: 2
ok the idea that a throttle body spacer is a waste is a joke
. i had one on a ranger with a k&n (had the filter first with no improvement) and after the spacer and filter i got about a 3 mpg improvement. so saying a spacer is useless is actually quite an ignorant statement.
. i had one on a ranger with a k&n (had the filter first with no improvement) and after the spacer and filter i got about a 3 mpg improvement. so saying a spacer is useless is actually quite an ignorant statement.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Temporarily Deactivated
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 969
Likes: 1
ok the idea that a throttle body spacer is a waste is a joke. i had one on a ranger with a k&n (had the filter first with no improvement) and after the spacer and filter i got about a 3 mpg improvement. so saying a spacer is useless is actually quite an ignorant statement.
. i had one on a ranger with a k&n (had the filter first with no improvement) and after the spacer and filter i got about a 3 mpg improvement. so saying a spacer is useless is actually quite an ignorant statement.Please explain to us what exactly the spacer does that confers a 3mpg increase. That is the joke. The K&N filter is junk, the spacer a waste of money.
Glad they worked for you though....
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 392
Likes: 2
i honestly cant tell you what the difference is but i can tell you the numbers do not lie. i went from around 250 miles per tank to around 300 miles per tank, and did not change my driving habbits, just the spacer, and filter. i posted somewhere else, i did each one individually, then together. together is where the gain is. but 15 to 18 mpg is nothing to sneeze at and imo, well worth the $160 total bill, which is generally less than a cold air intake (junk).
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 174
Likes: 2
From: G-VEGAS TN
I gotta k&n intake on my truck improved my mpg's power, throttle response everything and not to be an A** but if they were so called junk why is K&N, AEM,AIR RAID all still in business
and no argument on the tb spacer just the intakes
and no argument on the tb spacer just the intakes
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
the K&N and others make more noise on the intake system and that makes people think "power". Take the snorkle off the factory setup and you will hear the same "power". in the end it does nothing. you crusing down the road at 1600 RPM. The factory intake can supply air for 5000 RPM. What do you need more air for at 1600????