what do you guys think about the AEM CAI? I just picked up my 06 sti about 5 months ago an im thinkin about getting 1. lemme know what you guys think.

 

What up Bigmikesti. There are numerous posts on CAI's. Do a earch on air intake debate. You will find your answers there. Personally i would do another mod that has HP value first. Exhaust, DP, AP etc. Get tuned with CAI on. Thats the way to go.

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thanks for the reply.

 

Of all the CAIs, the AEM and APS models make the only sense, because they are actually long enough to draw cool air from outside the engine compartment (they use the space inside the fender well that is left after you remove the stock airbox and snorkel.) Any "CAI" that ends right after the MAF or is pulling air from under the hood is not by any stretch of the imagination getting cold air.

 

I agree. But the Short ram intakes are the same length and bend of the stock airbox. Thus emulating the stock airbox shape. Thats why i got my k&n short ram because it looked the closest to stock as far as shape goes. Seems to work great. But i would like to get the fender well one eventually. Colder air is better.

 

I think most people get it is for the sound... u can actually hear the air getting suked in and the sound of the stock bov is greatly increased...just my opinion

 

true.....true

 

but wouldnt the fact that the air going through a turbo contradict the fact that its a "cold air intake"... the turbo is crazy hot, so drawing air from your fender i dont think will make a difference, however a better intercooler would help with a temperature drop, personally i think a "cold air intake" is a waste of money since on a turbo car its not really helping with drawing in cooler air

and to asnwer the original post, save your money and keep the stock airbox, just buy a subaru STi filter and spend the money somewhere else for power, like tbe

 

cai = bad...

ask anyone who has put one on the dyno to tune...

 

There is certainly some truth to that, and there is a 100+post sticky about this particular debate. One reason to go to an intake that draws cold air from the fender would be to get rid of the "snorkel" and restrictive airway that the stock airbox has, and to maintain a specific diameter from beginning to end of the airway to minimize turbulence.

Another property of air is the increase of density due to cooler temperature. If the intake charge is a bit denser, you will get more air hitting the turbo. The air will indeed get heated by the "cold" (often 800 degrees!) side of the turbo, but the intake itself up to that point will be carrying slightly denser air. Only CAI intakes are long enough to actually draw air from the fender well; "Ram" and "pod" intakes are the ones that don't do this.

The advantage of such an intake path won't show up well on a dyno; the car is stationary, not traveling at speed, and just having a fan blowing on the intercooler doesn't replicate a moving vehicle. That being said, I can't imagine a CAI would be more than 3-5hp. Certainly an intercooler would be a better upgrade, but an intercooler is $700-$1200 and a CAI is at most $160 and thus the two aren't comparable upgrade paths.