Cold Air Induction for the 2.2, Is it worth it? Options

[wilc4]

Hello all,

I have a 1996 GT-S Convertible. I am looking at getting a cold air air induction system (with a K&N filter) on E-Bay. I am wondering - has anyone added CAI to their 2.2 and if so, what kind of return did you get? The web says is will add 10-18 HP...

[bdub215]

imo on these cars having a cai nets you any more power then a sri. just more risk of picking up water. if i wanted to i'd run no intake at all. just some wire mesh over the TB.

[whatthe]

imo on these cars having a cai nets you any more power then a sri. just more risk of picking up water. if i wanted to i'd run no intake at all. just some wire mesh over the TB.

Could you tell me more about this rick of picking up water please?

[GriffGirl]

imo on these cars having a cai nets you any more power then a sri. just more risk of picking up water. if i wanted to i'd run no intake at all. just some wire mesh over the TB.

Could you tell me more about this rick of picking up water please?

If you run a long pipe with a filter at the end of it toward the front of your car to where there's less stuff in the way to impede air flow, there is also less stuff in the way to impede the splashing of water. So say you drive through a huge puddle. CAI increases your chances of sucking that water up into the intake, and hydrolocking your motor.

There are ways around this— you can put a special filter cover thing over your filter that is made specifically for cone filters. It functions like Gore-Tex does; it lets the air in but keeps the water out. You can also get—I forget what it's called—this like collector box thingie that IIRC goes on between the filter and the intake pipe, or maybe it's the intake and the TB, that collects any water that might get sucked up into the intake. But considering the nominal difference between CAI and SRI for our cars, all that expense is unnecessary IMO when you could just get an SRI and be done with it.