It helps, although the effect will be minimal. If possible always get a tuner first.
Truth about CAI?
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
Having had many different brands, on many different engines, I would say that you can easily over pay for one. I've have never experienced, nor personally talked to anyone who has had, a loss of hp by adding one. As noted by xkm121 the gain is minimal.
You'll notice the biggest gain when used in conjunction with an exhaust and/or tune. However even with those don't expect a huge gain. Generally speaking you will notice an improved sound, and a slight gain in power. The power gain is usually minimal enough that you're not likely to feel it, but you should be able to measure it if you dyno before and after.
About the sound. Depending on the car and the exhaust system you may hear a change in the exhaust note. Also depending on the intake, engine noise, exhaust volume, etc you will sometimes hear the air rushing through the intake too.
And of course there's the visual aspect. Whether it's an improvement or not is subjective, and of course which one looks better is also a matter of preference.
As for brand, this is why I initially mentioned being able to overpay for a system. I've had many different systems from a cheap home made kit, to my current Mopar kit. Comparing the Mopar kit to the cheaper aftermarket kit my friend has on his Charger, I see no real difference in performance. Really, how much can you do with a tube, and filter? I would recommend a decent aftermarket kit, or even fabricating your own duct work with a quality filter. I like my Mopar intake, but I got a great deal on it from a friend who works at a dealership (well below retail price). I don't think it's worth any more than a cheaper kit like the Spectre that sells for 1/2 the price of the Mopar system, but I won't tell my friend that, and of course I'd have to argue that mine looks cooler.
Seriously though anything more than about $200 is just marketing. We put a Spectre on my friend's car and I don't really see/hear any difference between his and mine aside from the look of them.
FWIW, if you're interested in the Spectre, yes the kit marketed for the '06-'10 will fit the '11+ (at least it does on the 5.7L). My friend's car is the same year as mine, and we put a $150 Spectre kit on his car. His filter does look a little smaller than the Mopar filter, and his is also a cone, whereas mine is more like a trapezoid. But I digress. The point being, do a little research before buying. Some brands simply don't advertise fitment for a specific year, because they haven't tested it to verify fit.
You'll notice the biggest gain when used in conjunction with an exhaust and/or tune. However even with those don't expect a huge gain. Generally speaking you will notice an improved sound, and a slight gain in power. The power gain is usually minimal enough that you're not likely to feel it, but you should be able to measure it if you dyno before and after.
About the sound. Depending on the car and the exhaust system you may hear a change in the exhaust note. Also depending on the intake, engine noise, exhaust volume, etc you will sometimes hear the air rushing through the intake too.
And of course there's the visual aspect. Whether it's an improvement or not is subjective, and of course which one looks better is also a matter of preference.
As for brand, this is why I initially mentioned being able to overpay for a system. I've had many different systems from a cheap home made kit, to my current Mopar kit. Comparing the Mopar kit to the cheaper aftermarket kit my friend has on his Charger, I see no real difference in performance. Really, how much can you do with a tube, and filter? I would recommend a decent aftermarket kit, or even fabricating your own duct work with a quality filter. I like my Mopar intake, but I got a great deal on it from a friend who works at a dealership (well below retail price). I don't think it's worth any more than a cheaper kit like the Spectre that sells for 1/2 the price of the Mopar system, but I won't tell my friend that, and of course I'd have to argue that mine looks cooler.
Seriously though anything more than about $200 is just marketing. We put a Spectre on my friend's car and I don't really see/hear any difference between his and mine aside from the look of them.FWIW, if you're interested in the Spectre, yes the kit marketed for the '06-'10 will fit the '11+ (at least it does on the 5.7L). My friend's car is the same year as mine, and we put a $150 Spectre kit on his car. His filter does look a little smaller than the Mopar filter, and his is also a cone, whereas mine is more like a trapezoid. But I digress. The point being, do a little research before buying. Some brands simply don't advertise fitment for a specific year, because they haven't tested it to verify fit.
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
