Rep Power: 0

I just wanted to know if anyone could tell me what would happen if water entered the engine from the intake...Say like an AEM cold air intake with no bypass valve. What would be the direct effect? What noises would be heard. I have one in my car, but I don't think the doofs installed the bypass valve correctly, and I need to know what happenes if water does get into the engine. Thanks!

 
Rep Power: 0

That's a good question. anyone?

 
Rep Power: 0

Not sure exactly what happens but it happened to my friend and he had to go back to the dealer and when he got there he was like [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG] The result was getting a new engine.....of course he took the CAI off on the side of the road before calling the tow truck to take him to the dealer....just make sure you have the tools in your car to do that if necessary.

 
Rep Power: 317

sup guys im new to the forum but if u got water in your cai then say good buy to your engine. so u should put a bypass

 
Rep Power: 0

If water did enter your engine, it was because you submersed the filter in water. I have a Injen Race Division CAI, and live in Florida, It rains here quite often. As long as your careful and don't drive threw huge puddles, then your engine should be ok.

To answer your question, if an ample amount of water did get into the engine, you would risk Hydrolocking it... Not Good [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-nono.gif[/IMG]

Search the threads, this question has been asked way too many times.

 
Rep Power: 361

yeah ud actually have to get the whole filter sumerged...
but ull hear some sucking noises. and ur engine will probably start knocking then stall and die

 
Rep Power: 0

if your looking for a reason it will kill your engine, think this way...much easier to compress air, than to compress water, the piston and valves just dont like water, too much pressure

 
Rep Power: 0

ahh, the infamous bypas valve! aem's answer to undercoating. this peice is only useful if your gonna submerge your filter completely in water, like if you own a jeep and your goin 4x4n through rivers. the bypass valve is the biggest waste of $100(cnd). much better things to spend a $100 on!

 
Rep Power: 0

if water entered thru your intake, it would be sucked into the throttle body and forced into the cylinder when the intake valve opens. it would get mixed with fuel and air and when the piston comes up to compress it (water isnt compressable like fuel and air, or else we could run our cars on water) it could only go so far and then you'll get a bent rod(s)....inturn causing your motor to lock up. happened to my g/f 6 mos ago

 
Rep Power: 369

Just from examining where my Injen filter is compared to the AEM, I would have bought the bypass if I had the AEM. The Injen filter is behind the bumper, and last time I checked, it was pretty high and dry (at least enough so water would not be able to enter in any significant quantity), so I didn't bother with a bypass. Either way, just be careful, because there are a few horror stories floating around pertaining to both intakes and hydrolock with or without a bypass. Just don't drive through biga$$ puddles or into the lake.

 
Rep Power: 0

so taking the cai off won't cause any suspicions? unless he also carries the stock airbox and resonator, i think the mechanics will notice something's missing.

 
Rep Power: 0

A bypass valve is a waste of money unless the filter is submerged. I've driven on a 100 mile trip in the pouring rain (non-stop) with my slammed Civic with an AEM CAI and no bypass valve going through puddles and the like. I pulled over to check the air filter at a gas station and it was a little wet but nothing serious and nor did the engine experience any hydro-locking sounds.

 
Rep Power: 0

Hmmm, well, they are only like 30 bucks if you do your shopping right. I paid only 36 dollars shipped for mine, but decided to go with a short ram later, so got rid of it.

I dont agree that it is a waste. Think of it this way. Your town floods suddenly, and you are stuck with two options...

You have to move your car to safer place, but the water is too high already to drive. So, you leave the car...then the flood gets worse and takes it away on you.

Then you would say "I should have had an air bypass valve installed!" [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

i've got the bypass valve on my AEM CAI and sometimes when i'm driving in heavy rain, i'll hear a noise from the intake side of
the car. I just figure it's the Bypass valve going to work. Can anyone tell me for shure. Thanks

 
Rep Power: 0

i have stock airbox and i hear sounds (like water or something) from the intake side too...only when weather gets wet. i went to dealer and ask and the said it's normal, nothings wrong.

i drove 2 cars from the dealer(when u leave them my car for tuning) and they both are 2k1 civics and they both have that little water sound from the intake side.

 
Rep Power: 0

Sigh... im not going to bother to real all that, so If its been covered, bite me. If not, LISTEN UP.

Hydrolocking (the term used for sucking water into the engine via the intake) a car is rare, even with CAIs, and lowered cars. A filter needs to be COMPLETLY submerged for the vacume to ingest a volume of water large enough to enter and damage the internals of an ingine.
Example: Every time it rains or I wash my car, the filter gets completly soaked. Yet when I run my car after its washed or WHEN its raining, nothing happens. Why? Because A) Theres not a large enough volume of water to do anything, and B) that wouldnt matter anyway, because at the ammounts were talking about any liquid water would be vaporized before entering the intake in the first place due to heat from the engine.
"But Joe!" you may ask, "wouldnt the water vapor hurt the engine too?"
No. Water in its liquid form will jack **** up because its rather non-compressable. An engine works on COMPRESSING and expanding gases, and therefore when a uncompressable substance enters the chambers, bad stuff can happen. This isnt so with water vapor, because it is just that. Vapor. A gas form which is eaisly compressed. Will this stall the car perhaps? Sure. Its called vapor lock, but thats eaisly fixed by just waiting with the engine off, and doesnt cause and serious perminant dammage.

As for the "bypass filter".. that things a crock. Cooked up to give people a false sense of safty while increasing sales for AEM. In fact, if you hydrolock your engine with the bypass valve installed AEM will NOT cover it. Why would THAT be? Perhaps because it doesnt work all the time?

My advice to you is, unless you plan on driving through 3' rivers in your lowered civic with CAI, DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. If you are, you shouldnt be driving that car with those mods in the first place because you are a moron. And therefore I dont care what you do or what happens to your car.

 
Rep Power: 0

BTW, you will KNOW if you suck up water into the engine. cause its not going to run.

 
Rep Power: 0

"Sure. Its called vapor lock"

Wrongo.

 
Rep Power: 0

there are multiple forms of vapor lock my friend.