Enhancing the power of your vehicle is a subject that preoccupies most tuners. You can do this in numerous ways. However, one of the simplest and most affordable ways is also one of the best. Adding a cold air intake can give you dramatic improvement in performance. While an intake won’t add hundreds of horsepower to your engine, the gains are definitely noticeable. What is a cold air intake? How do you install one? Let’s take a more in depth look at the topic (a visit to AndysAutoSport.com will help you find the intake you want).
Airflow is vital to engine performance. Your OEM intake allows air to be filtered and then pulled into the engine, where it mixes with fuel and allows it to combust. This explosion pushes your engine’s pistons down, forcing the shaft to turn. This, in turn, provides power to the transmission, which makes your car go. However, OEM intakes are less than ideal for many reasons. First, they are inefficient. Second, they provide warm air, which does not enhance combustion. Third, they add additional weight to the engine compartment (though on a little bit in the big picture).
Adding a cold air intake allows you to bypass these problems. What does a custom intake consist of? A tube (usually metal), a new filter (usually cone-shaped) and various pipes and tubes for recirculation and ports for airflow sensors make up the system. The entire contraption is much less complicated than the OEM system and lacks the bulky air box that once housed the air filter.
How does a cold air intake work? The operation is actually very simple. The filter is located on the passenger side of the engine, usually about half way down the engine block. This allows cold air from outside the engine compartment to enter the engine. Why is cold air important? Warm air is expanded, which does not allow as much oxygen into the cylinders. Cold air, on the other hand, is dense, filled with more explosion fueling oxygen. The more oxygen you can mix with your fuel, the larger the resulting explosion and the faster your piston move up and down.
There is one caveat to adding a cold air intake to your vehicle. Because the filter is no longer protected by a housing, and due to its new location, it is possible for water to be sucked into the intake. Water in your engine results in engine-killing detonation. While this is rare, you should still exercise car when driving through areas with high water concentration (such as puddles and potholes).
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