i added a cold air intake on my MCS last week, and its just not the same anymore. it feels like it takes an extra second for the turbo to kick in. the way the whole car drives feels more disjointed. sure it makes abit more power in the upper revs 4,500+ but seriously who spends that much time there when driving to work ect. plus i find that i have to get on the gas more and drive the car even harder now, that cant be good long term. the sound is nice (except for the weird creaking and chattering noises at idle now) but the driving experience is not what it used to be. shoot me a message if anybody might be interested in buying a $300 cold air intake system used only 1 week for $200.

 

what brand... or is this DIY

 

Most people don't talk about Randy Webb anymore, but he posted something a while back that was pretty interesting. He said that after a bit of testing, there weren't any noticeable gains between a foam panel filter and a CAI on the R56. I don't want to argue the point, because I haven't tried a CAI yet due to a limited mod budget, but I have installed a foam panel and would recommend trying it if you are not happy with your CAI.

 

I have been thinking about this and still have yet to buy a cai because I cannot rationalize increasing intake temp and getting better power across the curve. The stock box is running at about 4 to 5f above ambient so it is about as cold as air will ever get. I understand that cai will potentially flow more air but air is going to be warmer. I know there are dynos but logic and physics are hard to ignore. Just my 2 cents.

 

Is all of your plumbing snuggly reconnected?

Sounds like most of the intakes I've heard discussed will only give you any benefits in power @ higher RPMs, but haven't heard of that degree of perceived negatives @ low RPMs previously.

This is one of the early mods I'm planning after my new MCS gets here (after tires and some little bling stuffs), but was thinking I'd be adventurous and roll my own. What kind of intake is it?

 

what intake system are you using?

I have no problems at all with my Alta, if anything it makes the car more responsive across the entire rpm range.

 

Might get better thoughts in the 2nd Generation forum.

- Matt

 

A CAI shouldn't make much difference at rest. I am not an expert, but it would stand to make sense that the air charge value of a CAI will only occur as the air is moving from outside to inside (ie: the car must be moving). I am sure there are more considerations and I haven't thought much about the physics, but I am sure that we will hear from those who have studied this issue in more depth.

 

reason i don't want to mention the brand is because i don't feel it is not a lack of quality on their part but more the way the R56 engine reacts to adding a cold air intake in general.

the cool sound is there but the driving experience seem compromised.

BTW are there any long term effects on an engine adding a CAI? i want my car to go the distance and no so much concerned about racing and mods.

 

so your assuming that there is no possible way you could have made any mistakes on the install?

 

I concur with Amazingrando. The rattling is a good indicator something isn't quite right under the hood. The MAF sensor just downstream of the CAI could be giving bad feedback due to dirt, loose connector, or (hopefully not) damage, or there is a leak somewhere there shouldn't be. Recheck everything in the area that could have been affected by the install (and all the air hoses for that matter). I think theres something you can use to wipe oil or dirt off the MAF sensor but don't recall. If that doesn't change anything put the OEM airbox back on and see if it's still running sluggish.

Did you disconnect the battery when you did the install? If not try that when you troubleshoot as well.

The CAI was the first mod I did and I did not have any of the drawbacks you are talking about. I wouldn't say I had an amazing performance improvement but the cars power didn't dive off as quickly at high RPM, the sound was awesome and I had no increased delay in responsiveness.

 

Without knowing the brand it's hard to give a confident answer, but assuming the filter and system are effective at keeping dirt out and you properly maintain and clean it, the engine will only have improved efficiency as a result. Dont put too many miles on it or push it hard until you resolve this issue.

Definitely get in touch with the manufacturer and get their feedback and tips as they know what you should be getting from their system best.

Best of luck! I think when you get this figured out you'll be happy with the bang for the buck you get out of a CAI

 

check all connections, maybe even a crack somewhere. I know when I was showing a buddy my engine area once, "he said what does this do?" He handed me my foam filter that had vibrated lose from the hose attachment

 

lol, nice story D!

I installed Alta's CAI and have suffered no negatives as a result. The car is a bit more responsive and I absolutely love the BOV like sound.

I had a loose hose once (before I had a CAI) that had disconnected itself from the turbo which effectively killed all turbo functionality for the car, I definitely noticed that change!

It seems reasonable to think that you may have encountered some sort of similar problem during the install (ie something got loose)?

It may even be unrelated to the CAI.

In Alta's instructions they specifically talk about making sure you've wiped off any excess oil prior to attaching the foam filter or you may cause problems by getting the MAF sensor covered in oil since the turbo actively sucks air in.

 

this is no scientific data but personal experience... i use to always purchase intakes for my cars, and trust me i had a few, love the way it made the car sound and associated more noise = more power. However, when i traded the car in at the dealer and on that drive there when i put the stock intake back on, the car ALWAYS felt better at "low-end" and just more responsive.

Those of you driving with an intake for a while should just try and switch back to the stock intake and see if you feel the difference

 

I have a Home made CAI and i do feel more power, specially at high rpm, but at lower rpm the engine seems to have a little more power too. The car seems a little torquier than before, cuz now i can stay on 6th gear at a lower mph than before.

If you feel there is a little lag, maybe you should just have the sport button on all the time. I always drive with mine OFF.