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I have had my CAI for about 3 months now and I have driven through some pretty rough storms. I remember the first day I was caught in the rain. I was so terrified that my engine would just lock up and never run again. I don't have a bypass valve and I don't seem to be needing one.

How much water does it take to damage the engine? Do the effects show up right away or does it take a long time? Does the filter have to be completely submerged in water to do any damamge? Is the whole bypass valve thing just another scam for money?

I need answers?? From pros...



(yes this digital camera sucks worse than a disposable)

 
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1. water is bad for engine

2. it happenes intantly, and your engine will lock up and stop

3. by pass valves should work...

 
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honestly ive had my CAI for about 2 months and i live in new england, so our weather here is absolute crap.... it was raining non stop for a couple days and ive driven in the rain without a BP Valve

A. if your approaching a deep puddle: Avoid it if you can, if you cant then slow down as much as you can and drop the car to neutral, this way if water does splash up onto the filter the filter wont suck up water with more force than its neutral force

B. rain wont to anything, the filter is made to prevent droplets of water from entering the filter, the aluminum around the filter causes the drops of water to slide right off the filter anyway

C. even if a couple drops of water did get through the filter, that engine is running so hot that the water would really just evap by the time it hit any vital parts of the engine.

bottom line, bypass valves are a lot of money and really arent necessary if you are careful

 
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Does anyone have the new AEM V2? I've heard good things about it, but is it really worth the money or is a standard AEM/INJEN CAI just as good. By the way, would I get a bypass valve?

 
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Sorry it's late, I meant to say where is the best place to get a CAI and/or a bypass valve.

 
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there are a couple threads about this, but its all good ill sum it up for you

there have been dyno tests that show that the V2 isn't as good as the V1

there isn't much of a difference but the AEM V1 got a couple tenths of a horsepower more than the V2. The V2 however, is a bit louder than the V1 and thats why some people actually like it.

But again, the V2 retails at around the mid 300s so i definatly wouldn't pay that much for an intake, get a V1 and save urself some money for other mods

Im not sure about AEM vs Injen, i personally have an AEM and im satisfied with it.

 
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I got mine off ebay.. I don't believe that a metal pipe will make more HP just because it has a name decal on it.. 60 bucks dood.. and it works great and sounds great

 
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and thanks for the info xgodxicex you can throw me any tips you want.. you seem knowledgeable.

 
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Ok so the cheap *** intakes are good too right? Ok so what about the bypass valve, is it really necessary? Also...CAI vs. SRI ... what are your thoughts. Thanks for the info x, drop me a line sometime with some tips for the newbie. I mean NEW! I've put an OEM spoiler on it, and I've cleared the headlights...thanks to the DIY here...put fake HID bulbs in and blue parking lights...so far I'm all show and no go. HELP!!!

 
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Bypass valve is not nessasary if u are careful. Just avoid the large puddles. I personally would get the CAI over the SRI because with the SRI u are just sucking in the hot air thats trapped in the engine bay. With the CAI u are actually getting alot cooler air. You get alittle more gain that way

 
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Good call. Hot air bad, cold good. So I need a cheap *** CAI and a nice exhaust...any suggestions(from personal expierence)?

 
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a bp valve is also somewhat pointless if your using a CAI anyway ... my friend got it for his accord CAI, it comes with a cover for when its a nice day out... but what if its a nice day and u approach a giant puddle?

you might say 'ok then i'll just leave it uncovered this way i beat the odds even more' ... well u just totally eliminated the point of having a CAI, because now that bypass valve is going to suck in some of the hot air floating around your engine

 
Rep Power: 292

Bypass valves are necessary if you live in areas prone to high levels of water. And who's to say if you don't get a sudden flash flood.
It happened to me, massive hail and rain, enough to flip up manhole covers and if it wasn't for the bypass valve, I would have been screwed. The bypass valve is cheap compared to other severe fates.

 
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Buy an AEM CAI. That way if it's raining hard for days and days and flash floods happen, you can covert to SRI but removing the lower pipe and putting the filter on the upper pipe. With an AEM CAI you get a CAI and an SRI for the price of one. I can't say for Injen, I don't have one.

 
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GOOD IDEA! I've never thought of that. I will purchase AEM for sure now. I was undecided between Injen and AEM...thanks!

 
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theoretically 2 teaspoons is the amount at which hydrolock occurs

 
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WHAT! 2 teaspoons

 
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2 teaspoons ever or 2 at a single point in time

 
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ahhh, i dont' know about that... where did you find that?


:zbsflag:

 
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huh? 2 teaspoons? your filter has to be submereged in water for your engine to get hyrdrolocked.

 
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2 teaspoons at one time through the throttle body would kill it

 
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Bypass valves are a waste of money...a buddy of mine had one and still locked his engine up. It is all how you drive in the rain. If you are a careful driver and don't stomp it through puddles or shitty weather, then you are fine. Just use your head and if you see a puddle, clutch in, or better yet, lay off the gas so your not opening up the throttle body.

 
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your thinkin too small of a picture....i meant hydrolock occurs at 2 teaspoons actually getting in the motor...just think about it our displacement is only 1.7 liters and imagine 2 teaspoons of water gettin through the intake... the gas in the compression stroke would be so diluted the motor would be killed and thus hydrolock.... all you would have to do is remove your plugs and turn the motor over manually and let the water come out...

 
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Pinoypryd is right. 2 teaspoons of water at the combustion chamber would probably give you hydrolock (assuming it's in the majority of cylinders). But the water has to get there first.

The AEM BP valve would definitely eliminate lock, but you have to remember that the only time you could get hydro lock from the CAI is if the filter was COMPLETELY submerged in water. Getting sprinkled won't do it.

 
Rep Power: 315

Why not avoid the problem with CAIs all together and get the RD-Power Air Intake System?
It looks like the ideal design to me...cold air into a SRI intake. And wouldn't make as much noise as either one.
But seriously, none of these intakes are going to do crap for horsepower, so why bother.

 
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^good idea...... but i think most poeple get CAI for the sweet sound

 
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Well.. kinda funny.. if a big puddle is unaviodable or you happen to get a flood enough to reach up thru the intake and past the bypass vales.. (we will assume 2 1/2 feet for a safe estimate..) the water would have already gone into your muffler and been waved around and shoved up the exhuast manifold and thus into the engine anyway..

A big puddle.. nuetral yes.. only problem is.. what if traffic slows down or you dont put enough gas on it to go through the puddle if it fights back?


Anyway... A bypass will only protect against a mist or dew or a small portion of water eqiuvalent to such low amount..

I have taken my bypass apart several times... if you looked at the internals of it and had any idea of how things work you'd laugh becuase its the same as putting a styrofoam lining into your intake.. which might even be better thana bypass valves.. I dont use my bypass since I broke the last one.. and you get a little bump and better thorttle response from a cai without having a bypass valve on it...

 
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my friend has an 01 prelude and he was drivin in the rain with his CAI, and he hits a big *** f*ckin puddle (it was like a pond.. like on the side of the street wen it rains alot) and u hear the intake vacuuming kinda and all of a sudden u hear this weird gargle and his car was alrite after cuz of his bypass i guess it works on cars better then others..