Cai

[Housor]

So the other day i was talking to my dad about my car and then i told him i kinda wanted to get a CAI for my car. I don't know if he said this just because he doesn't want me to get it or if he is correct but he said "nope! can't do that, will freeze your engine in winter" i'm sort of engine retarted but he was a mechanic for 13 years...what do you guys think

[350F]

I think he doesn't know what he is talking about :lol:

My car is stock, but plenty of people on here are running CAI's with no problem. And every honda you see flying by you on the highway has one too....and they don't have any problems.

Check these guys out for a CAI.
http://www.doctorspeed.com/grand_am/

[Dargasonus]

no it wont

[HornetGT141]

Cold air makes the engine happy, that is the whole reason for adding a CAI, you'll be fine. :D

[pontiacguy20025]

your car will be fine or else they would be tons of articles about freezing engines due to a cold air intake.

[Adam88]

Car will actually be better, more HP, you would get better gas mileage, sounds better, and it won't make your car freeze.

[Housor]

k thank alot i think he just dosen't want me to have any more hp then its got... he's like that thanks guys:)

[Brandon]

freeze? in texas?i know im not in the coldest part of the country, but i run a stage 3 cold air intake and havent had any problems.... and we get around 0 degrees here in the dead of winter.... i know otehrs have a cai and have it worse in the cold department then i do too... :)

[coupe]

Yup either your dad dosent know donkey balls about engines/mechanics or he dosent want you to put money into the car.

Since you live in texas im curious what he thinks freezing even means and how he thinks it will freeze the engine.

[Adam88]

If you do end up getting a CAI id suggest always letting your car warm up for 3-5 minutes before driving it ( which should always be done regardless IMO ) because if your engine goes out for any reason hes gonna give you hell for it even though the CAI has nothing to do with it... thats how most parents are=\ ( Even in so-cal I let my car warm up for about 5 mins even when its 95-100 out )

[Jchiasson]

Originally posted by Housor
So the other day i was talking to my dad about my car and then i told him i kinda wanted to get a CAI for my car. I don't know if he said this just because he doesn't want me to get it or if he is correct but he said "nope! can't do that, will freeze your engine in winter" i'm sort of engine retarted but he was a mechanic for 13 years...what do you guys think Gees man your from Dallas, how cold can it get? Sounds like your Dad is old school, get one you won't be disappointed.

[pontiacguy20025]

^^^yup thats a must for me. Ever since i started to fix up my car, i always let it warm up 5-10mins. Your cars engine is just like the human body, you dont want to run a 100meter dash without warming up. Dallas coldest temps is maybe around mid 20s? Cold air is good for the engine. Dont worry, just buy the intake.

[Jchiasson]

Originally posted by pontiacguy20025
^^^yup thats a must for me. Ever since i started to fix up my car, i always let it warm up 5-10mins. Wrong, warming up an engine as you say is actually worse on an engine. With todays modern engines, all the controls and such, it is easier on the engine if you start it, wait 30 seconds to a minute then drive it normally. By normally I mean with in speed limits, don't goose it, take it easy until your up to temp.

[pontiacguy20025]

Sounds good, i must try. The reason why i let it warm up that long is because ever since i changed to the full exhaust i feel shift shock more. Is that normal?

[Housor]

Originally posted by Jchiasson
Gees man your from Dallas, how cold can it get? Sounds like your Dad is old school, get one you won't be disappointed.

LOL i'm not form Dallas thats my name i live way up in canada were it gets damn cold!

[Jchiasson]

D'oh, my bad!
Edit: Even then freezing is a thing of the past. What used to happen on carburetor engines is you would get ice forming with in the throttle and it would block the ports starving your engone of fuel. With modern day engines, that is a thing of the past. Now being from Sask, you might want to hang on to the OEM peices, and switch back in the winter. Make it a maintenance item like when you switch to winter tires. Won't take long to switch once you;ve done it a couple times.

[Adam88]

Hows it worse on the engine to let it warm up? I normally wait until its pretty close to the mid point marker, then the Idol smooths out to about 500-600 rpm instead of 900ish, which is what it is at from a cold start... Id think that driving from a cold start is worse because it causes your engine to heat up more rapidly, and when something goes from very cold to very hot really quickly it cracks....

[Adam88]

BTW from personal experience Id recommend checking out MP racing if you going for a CAI

[Jchiasson]

Your idle rpm when cold is raised partially because the engine is told to up the idle, but also because in the cold the air/fuel mixture is rich compared to normal. Once you have oil pressure throughout the system, the over rich mixture washes the oil from the cylinder walls causing excess wear on rings etc.

[Housor]

I know it says this in the faqs but for the cai you do not have to even touch the ram air correct?

[ChevelleSSLS6]

maybe an old carb'd engine... condensation in the carb venturi... airplanes had issues with this, old cars once in a while, but f.i. I had no problem with a CAI- filter right behind the fog light openeing. And I live in Michigan.

[350F]

I can understand letting your car warm up in the winter when its freezing cold(and you don't want to be in it). But if you care about your gas mileage at all thats one of the worst ways to kill it. Just drive your car easy until its a little warmed up. Personally I never go over 2000rpms anyways so it doesn't matter to me :lol: 29mpg with 70% city driving FTW.

[Tommyboy55]

I would install CAI, but seeing you are in the middle of deep freeze country, you could always move filter up into engine compartment in winter. It will still get plenty of cold air. Hell at -40, you'd have to hug the engine to get any heat from it, specially if there is a wind. Maybe that might appeaze your dad. Most old timers in Saskabush still run with cardboard with a few holes in front of their rads, trying to get more heat. Old school logic, hard to beat it out of a farmer, LOL. Sorry, I grew up in Alberta, used to cold and picking on people from Saskabush (pig framers)....... Have fun.....

[coupe]

You do not have to let your engine warm up. Just start it and go, you wont hurt a thing.