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Anyone using cold air intake

8K views 23 replies 19 participants last post by  carlojp 
#1 ·
Just wondering if anyone is using a cold air intake on their jk and if they really provide any noticeable improvements. If so what air intake are you using? Was looking at the k&n but wonder if the benefits are worth the costs
 
#15 ·
I've got that same AFE CAI and love it. Lot's of haters on the forum for CAI - to each their own.

Does it help performance? Maybe a little, my buddy has almost the exact same Jeep and mine seems to have a little more life, but either way the sound is just awesome!
 
#7 ·
I installed a Banks Power CAI a couple of years ago on my 2014 JK Unlimited. I love the slight "honk" when I get on it, and did notice a slight (1-1.5 MPG) improvement in gas mileage--which went away instantly when I subsequently installed larger and knobbier tires! I notice no difference in acceleration.
 
#11 ·
This^^^ I have the Banks and the Magnaflow Axleback Dual Exhaust and experiencing the same as above. And I seriously swear by going to higher octane gas - just put in 89 today, full tank, and this thing sucks - I'm trying to waste my gas fast enough so I can put in 93 again.

Tell me I'm stupid, I don't care, but it does make a difference in performance.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I have the Mopar CAI, and I noticed a slight improvement in throttle response... but given the sound combination of the Magnaflow exhaust and the the CAI it could be a placebo effect.
Though I would almost swear there is a real difference in performance.
 

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#16 · (Edited)
You might see a difference for model years '07 to '11. The 3.6 and the computer will change everything. This is what I have done and the results:

I went an entirely different route. I like the idea of a "true" cold air intake but didn't want to reuse the stock airbox or intake tube with the chambers in it so I bought the new Injen "Amphibious Attack" setup. Stupid name I know. So, I could have bought the AEV snorkel with the 4" diameter top for 400.00 bucks and used the original intake box/tube which I didn't want to do. The Injen intake box/tube was 320.00 and very easy to install. It uses a dry cone filter and a larger intake tube that then goes down to what has to be the stock circumference since it couples to the stock throttle body. On the box has a little gauge that goes from green to red. If it's red then you clean the filter. Simple enough.
I also have a dynomax competition off road muffler that dumps before the rear axle (#39522 I believe). Needless to say the combination can move some air.
One of the first things I did not like about this Injen intake tube compared to other Injen products that I have used is that the tube is plastic and not metal so the MAF mount is nothing but a rubber grommet. That's fine and dandy if its just an intake tube but extremely underwhelming when you buy the snorkel part. I had to RTV the piss out of it to make it waterproof. Same with all of the airbox and snorkel joints. And since I used RTV I sure didn't want to tear it apart, clean the RTV off of everything to clean the filter so I bought a third piece. But more on that later.

I left out the snorkel. I bought this piece a week later and installed it three weeks after I bought it. Why, I really didn't want to cut my hood.......again. It was a little stressful when I cut my new Jeeps hood to install the Poison Spyder louvers and I wasn't looking forward to it again. Anyway, I spent 320.00 for the snorkel and finally installed it. Nothing major happened other than the directions for the template placement on the hood had it 1" too far forward so I had to cut more out of my hood to make it right.

Now to go back a little, I just spent 650.00 for a very nice snorkel system that I water proofed using RTV and didn't want to tear apart to clean the filter. The stock Injen snorkel setup uses a ram top and works great on the highway to get that air into the engine and I did notice that my automatic transmission was holding gears better on the interstate (4.5" lift and 35x13.50x20 tires with 3.73 gears) but if that same air was on a dirty trail I would have problems. So as the old saying goes: JUST EMPTY EVERY POCKET, I decided I needed a precleaner. So, I got in touch with AEV and of course they were sold out of their precleaner (135.00) but were nice enough to tell me who made them (Sy Klone). Interesting company by the way. They wouldn't sell me one so I had to find another company with the one I needed. Unfortunately I did......CATERPILLAR. So instead of 135.00 I spent 230.00. Now my system has cost me 850.00. And this is what I have learned.
1. It looks cool!
2. I have to spend even more money to extend all of the breathers for my axles, transmission and who knows what else (onboard air) to the airbox so they are also water proof.
3. My gas mileage improved to 17.8 from 14.3 but as time went on the ECU found a way to get involved and took me down to 14.4 over the course of 1.5 months.
4. I needed a programmer.
So to waste more money I purchased the Superchips TrailDash1 for 300.00 and got to work. I have ran the Eco tune, 90 tune, and the 93 tune. I have also used the crawl tune even though it is pointless for this novel I have written. The programmer has changed the throttle sensor and it is peppy. It will break ground at a stop light and that takes a lot since each tire and wheel combo weigh around 147lbs. I can power brake it too until the nanny kicks in and eliminates it. If I am normal and us the 90 octane tune I was back up in the 17 MPG but as time has passed I am back down to 15.1 MPG.
I have come to the conclusion that no matter what you do with the ECU and the 3.6 Pentastar you will not get more power/MPG's. The only thing I can do short of forced induction is a throttle body spacer (pointless) and one of those Tornado thing-a-ma-jig in the intake tube (also pointless). But what's another 200 bucks.
To sum it up:
Injen intake: 330.00
Injen snorkel: 320.00
Caterpillar precleaner: 230.00
Dynomax muffler: 120.00
SuperChips programmer: 300.00
Total: 1300.00

Looks/sounds cool!
.8 MPG better!
I could have bought a good winch or roof rack for that price but instead I just need another set of tires.........Maybe I'll go to 37's.?
 
#17 ·
I went with a volant with Donaldson filter and sock. I feel it retains the benefits of the stock system as far as filtration and water defense but has the sound I enjoy. No I did not see a power or mpg increase nor did I expect one.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
#23 ·
I have the Airraid with their dry filter. Cobbled together Flowmaster hp2 exhaust and it may be a lil more "efficient". I say this carefully so I don't get my balls busted.
I've said before that somehow other Pentas are 300+ horse. Some magical way they achieved that but I've never researched it.
 
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