Question:
do you have to install a tuner chip when running a cold air intake?
Bill V
2011-04-24 23:18:35 UTC
i mean of course you dont have too but whats the point of a CAI if the airflow sensor cant adjust how much air is going in, wouldnt you just get like a deeper sound with just the CAI installed? and if you do have to run a tuner to get the best results out of a CAI how do you go about doing that?
Seven answers:
?
2011-04-25 02:00:45 UTC
please stop thinking like you know what you are doing. look on your car, it has an air filter at the end of a long tube that goes to the inner fender. This is a true cold air filter. A plastic sewer pipe with an air filter stuck on the end sitting in the engine bay, is not a cold air filter. these things have been proven fakes, and do not make 50 hp on a stock engine. The computer runs the car from the input of the sensors, you do not adjust or tweak sensors so the computer pumps itself up 50 hp. it does not work that way. There have been many complaints about non working cai and another bunch of hog wash is putting a super dooper power chip. more B S sorry, no stock engine, magically gets 100 hp from a plastic tube, and a chip Before you waste 500 or more dollars on garbage. ask your mechanic like I did and see what he thinks of this junk, before you buy. that's a lot of gas money, my mechanic said if it ain't broke, dint fix it. sorry keep your money in your pocket, its safer there.
Andy
2011-04-25 08:17:52 UTC
Well i don't like to call anyone wrong(especially the ASE master techs) but they are not 100% correct.Whether you need a tuner or not depends on the intake.Most do not require a chip or an OBD tuner.But some do.For example,on my 06 Mustang GT i have a C&L intake.It has a much larger MAF sensor housing than a stock intake.Larger to the point where the car will only run in limp home mode without the tuner program installed.If flows so much more air the stock computer can't compensate for it.The tuner just plugs into the OBD port under the dash.It stores the stock factory settings,then uploads the custom tune for the intake.It takes about 15 minutes to do then you just unplug it.Mine came with 3 different programs depending on what gas you use.
?
2011-04-25 21:18:03 UTC
A louder intake will result, but you cant expect any phenomenal gains in performance. You see, it's like this: Your engine has a specific displacement size. Due to this, there is only a certain amount of air input that it will naturally consume. Once you have met that requirement, the rest is just sound. That requirement is met at the stock level, but there is a plenum like shape designed from when the engine is engineered to create a reserved and ready quantity of air available immediately, and not have to be placed (or drawn into the intake) This increases curb idle acceleration from a stop. A straight intake will cause a bogging out when you punch it from an idle. Once the maximum velocity is reached for the engine to have a given amount atmosphere and fuel put through it for combustion, it does not matter how big the intake is, You could use one the size that the Queen Mary uses theoretically and it absolutely will not got any better. So, if you have an over sized intake without changing the engine to an increased requirement. the result will be the same or worse with the exception of the sound being louder. The only real benefit from these type of intakes are noted when you begin to start literally pumping the air in by a forced charge such as supercharging, or turbocharged engines. Cold air intake, upper pipe, lower pipe free flow filtration and so on; on a naturally aspirated engine IS pretty much for the most part just a waste of money unless you are doing it for the sound effect. Put a pump on that intake or run a different atmosphere like nitrous oxide (33% nitrogen 66% oxygen) instead of natural air (~80/20) then you are going to have your intake doing the work it was intended to do.



As far as the requirement of a chip, in most cases I would say no. However, if you are purchasing a kit that contains control devices other than air temperature, such as a Mass Airflow Sensor, this will have a drastic effect and is more likely that a matching chip may be required.











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This is a bit off topic but is certainly worthy to mention. About ASE Technicians. You may or may not believe what I am going to say, but every ASE tech will say it is the truth wherever you go.



An ASE Tech is a rare and unique individual that has a high level of intellect in his field



In response to some answerers regarding The Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. In order to be certified as an ASE technician, you must undergo an incredible amount of testing that covers just about every possible status of an engine and / or vehicle. It is not uncommon for even some of the finest mechanics to undergo this testing for DECADES and still not pass and get certified. That's because all you have to do is get only a very little bit incorrect and you will not pass and get certified. It is simply not possible to wing it, get lucky, cheat, or know the test before hand. Also during study there may be similar (and sometimes intentionally misleading) questions, but never the same exact question is asked on test to test. I am certified Master Automotive Technician with the Educator endorsement, and let me tell you something, I took the California BAR exam in 1984 and passed it. I can say without even the slightest doubt that I know with a factual basis that the ASE Automotive Technician Test A1, and A8 is far more difficult than any BAR exam, much more intricate, and you must finish it in a fraction of the time that the BAR requires. Hopefully, this will give some folks an idea of what a certified auto tech really knows about automobiles, and that they are worth the price it costs to either hire them, or as a customer, go to a repair center that employs them. Chances are that if you don't, you will be replacing lots of good parts on your car that you did not need to because the technician was not good enough to know how to find the actual holistic cause of your automobiles malfunction. An ASE tech at whatever level is trained with ethics and taught in a fashion so that you are not cheated by replacing items you did not need to. It makes up ten fold for the little bit higher hourly rate (which is a set standard). Non certified facilities drop these rates so that they will remain competitive but you actually wind up paying far more because they need to replace more in order to solve the same problem or perform the same repair.
2011-04-25 01:46:50 UTC
No, you don't have to install a tuning chip. A cold air intake is designed to draw in air that hasn't had a chance to really heat up due to the heat inside the engine bay, hence cold air. Cold air is denser than hot air, so you get a little more volumetric efficiency out of the air going into the motor. They are also a more free-flowing design than the factory intake, which also leads to more air getting into the motor. Your MAF sensor should be able to adjust accordingly.

I highly recommend putting headers and a high flow cat-back exhaust system on the vehicle. With the cold air intake, you have a lot of air being breathed in, it would definitely benefit the motor to let it breathe out just as easily. It's also relatively easy to find a set of headers that works with the factory O2 sensors, so getting the car to run right should not be an issue at all.



If you do decide to put a turbocharger or other big power adder on your motor, that would be a perfect time to get it tuned by a reputable tuning shop. With the basic bolt on's you are currently installing, however, it is completely unnecessary.
salemcripple
2011-04-25 03:30:13 UTC
No, you don't have to chip your ECM in order to run a custom intake. As said before, if you want to get the most out of it, you should get a free flowing exhaust. Also as mentioned before, the factory charge tube (intake) is a cold air set up, but it's very restrictive, that's where after markets are better. At most you will gain 5 or so horsepower (plus it sounds really cool :-)). I would advice AGAINST chipping your stock ECM. It rarely works right, and could fry it! Your best option is to have it re-programed, or to buy an after market unit that can be programed the way you want.
Gary
2011-04-24 23:58:55 UTC
Cold air intake just cools air going into intake, nothing more, will pick up a few HP, Suggest a free flow muffler. seeing air going in needs to go out equally. Air flow or MAF sensor reads air to provide correct gas input.
Scott W
2011-04-25 02:19:21 UTC
nope dont have too. You should get that deep throaty sound and maybe up hp by like 5


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