RedAndBlackMiniS: Is any of that CARB approved? Bit of a challenge for those of us in California that don't want to deal with swapping parts to get smogged.

 

Not sure what you do for work, but science was always my strongest suit. Your whole " a turbo is a CAI on steroids" is laughable at best. I fully understand the operating principles of both an intake and turbo. How are you assimilating an exhaust driven compressor to an open cone filter? So you don't get confused, a turbo is the thing that spins and "compresses" the air that is drawn in. It is then pushed through something called the intercooler, which "cools" the air, further increasing air density. That air is then pushed into the engine, at a dense and high pressure flow. Air intakes however, don't do any of the compression, or cooling that turbos and intercoolers do. I'm sure that BMW/MINI, and every other automaker, has spent millions of dollars tuning their engines for the highest performance, efficiency, and repeatable high temperature runs, where aftermarket intake companies don't have that much money to spend on each model they create intakes for. Each intake tract is specifically designed to have optimal air flow, so the air is in the optimal frequency for that specific engine.

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I am a scientist - so I don't wear it as a suit - I live it.

 

ChiliRedR56raleigh: I totally get your last point: manufacturers have a holistic approach to providing power, efficiency, value and reliability to a vehicle.

On the other hand, there are plenty of factory tweaked versions of a manufacturer's standard vehicles. Same engine but with more efficient (and expensive to make?) parts and higher performance. For instance, MINI makes the JCW air box that pops into the existing 2007 MCS. Probably doesn't provide a huge improvement alone, but wouldn't you expect them to provide some improvement?

 

I had a DDM and I didn't receive any extra hp or anything. I also lost low end power. I changed it back to stock form using a k&n panel filter. For TC MINIs CAI's are a waste of money. But if noise is what people want, good for them. They'll lose low end power though.

 

Without a tune those boltons you have now, you didn't increase your hp by much or if any. Dyno test it before you get a tune. On MINIs your power comes 95% from the tune.

 

Thanks Rob for backing me up. Mr. Scientist thanks he knows all about the "thermodynamics" of the MINI's engine. Clearly he doesn't know jack. Any professional who works on cars and is honest, will say that CAI's are noise makers, unless they are sealed, and only bring in cold air.

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So you had boost pressure loss today?

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The people that caused Chernobyl were also scientists, and they "lived it" all the way to causing the worst nuclear disaster of all time. You may think you know everything about how a CAI works, but you are wrong. Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

The MINI JCW AIRBOX is exactly what you said, an air box. It's not an open, cone filter like we are talking about. If you think about the stock intake, it's more likely to provide constant cold air, because when you are driving the air is being pushed into the airbox by way of the intake plumbing that runs to the front, at the mouth of the hood, whereas the air that gets sucked in by way of an open filter, gets heated by passing over and around the hot components of the engine. Also, that same air that is being pushed in from they fresh air feed line, just gets blown out all over the engine bay, since nothing is there to contain that cool air - like in a stock airbox.

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Yup only in the high rpms.

 

Have you just now had it occur, or just noticed after reading my post earlier that is doing it? It would be odd for it to just all of a sudden start today, when it's a known problem with those tubes.

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I noticed it this morning on my eay to work. Last night it was running fine and now its not. No codes or anything, I'm thinking there might be a boost leak somewhere. But I'm not certain.

 

Hmmm that's strange. Don't you hate it how things can pop up overnight like that. You should check though to see exactly what RPM it's cutting boost back, and then compare that to the dyno results listed on ALTA's website for their boost tube and see if it correlates.

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It cuts out at about 4500 it runs like a non mcs

 

Huge difference between Chernobyl and CAI - also the error was caused by a technician, not a scientist. I never claimed to know everything, I don't know somebody who knows a BMW mechanic. I do know I can look at empirical evidence and make a determination. It is simple thermodynamics - Delta T applies to internal combustion.

 

Have you had the HPFP replaced? I lost all power and the car was like driving a Prius. But I had CEL come on and it was definitely in limp mode.

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Call me a noob if you wish, but correct me if I'm wrong HPFP (high pressure fuel pump)?

 

Scientist told the techs it was safe to do the emergency shut down procedure, even though they were way off with their calculations. My whole point was that you scientists sometimes think you know everything when you don't. It's been proven over and over that in a real world application, the air is not cool like when using the OEM box. Several members will say that when they installed their intakes that they ended up losing power across the rev range. If the open intake philosophy was the most efficient at creating power, increasing fuel economy, etc...every automaker would make that their first design change, and include that in every car from A-Z.

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Yep, I just had mine done last week. They have been plagued with issues.

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well not quite....

automakers often sacrifice performance for comfort/ cost/ emissions/ ect......you cant automatically assume that just because the consumer auto industry designs the cars the way they do, that they are automatically the best they can be.

regarding CAIs......from my experience, with a more freer flowing system, you DO loose some low end torque...and you do gain some top end HP.

i know in my car, i have a CAI and a larger exhaust.....i have noticed that my 'power band' has seemed to shift up ~700 RPM in the RPM range, which for me is fine, because i do mostly highway driving and spend most of my time above 3K, so the loss of low end torque isnt vital to me.

so are CAI good or bad? well thats really depends on what you are looking for, and how you drive your car.......just because they dont do what people think they are going to do doesnt make them 'bad'....its just not what they need.

 

I was thinking about taking it in tomorrow and having it looked at but I don't want to spend money on that and not have it be the problem. Plus idk if my extended warranty will cover it. Worst case if its not covered I spend $200 on a new one and do it my self

 

Isn't the HPFP covered for 10years or 120K miles?

 

If it is then great

 

You can take it the autozone or any place and they will scan it for free and tell you what the code is, if there is one. That way you don't have to worry about paying for it, if there isn't anything there.

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