The great CAI debate! I think i've read just about every thread on this forum about CAI's and opinions vary. Some love them and notice mpg and low end power gains while others hated them or just dont think its worth it to buy one. IMO I think it all depends what you expect to gain with one. I just ordered a True Flow XDI, I want to see for myself whether or not they really do wake up the little V6's our JK's have. I plan on getting some sort of aftermarket exhaust system real soon too, maybe the both of those combined with some headers might make a difference. If nothing else i'll get a cool grumble sound from the CAI when I step on the gas or down shift

 

Hay dude, keep us posted on the XDI. If I WAS gonna get one, that'd be it.

 

Will do! I know you are kind of on the fence about them but you said in that thread I started if you were gonna get one that would be it, so I took that and kind of ran with it. After a little research it seems that this might be the best one to test out. As soon as I get it installed and test it out a bit i'll post somethin.

 

Well damn. Thanks for havin so much faith in my opinion. LOL I hope you like it. If you do, I might just get off the fence.

 

damn it boy I thought we all had an air intake??? who knew??? If ya are talking aftermarket CAI, the C is supposed to mean COLD. yeah, cold air would help. but where are you getting the COLD air from??? superheated under the hood air???? now if ya was to put a snorkel on that jeep and replace the stock air filter with a drop in K&N you might get a little boost in power and mpg but probably not enough to feel in the seat of yer pants. at least you'd have the snorkel and not be plagued with hydrolock issues. until ya get too deep for yer snorkle cause sumbody dared ya to go through sumthing you knew you should not have.

 

so i enjoy the occasional large puddle driving. the kind that when i go through, it splashes onto the windshield and almost over the whole jeep. other than that, i live in seattle, and it rains almost 300 days of the year. you think the intake would be ok here?

i was thinking CAI. no offroading to be done soon... cuz i can't afford any major upgrades until later. so for now im running all stock, and i was looking for any sort of kick in the butt for the jeep. was also thinkin of goin with a chip, but thats later down the line

 

Some people have driven through really deep water for stock and been ok, others have hydrolocked from splashing through a foot of water, anything can happen (or not happen)

 

I'm not a big fan of the snorkels, just dont like the look, no offense to anyone. True Flow has a little bit more protection than the rest of the CAI's and if I go off road it isnt into mud or water holes. I paid good money for the jeep and plan on having it for a while so i'd rather just avoid those places. Plus its a pain in the ass to clean up afterwards even if it is fun as hell I've got a few other mods in mind too, still explorin the exhaust systems, AEV Heat Reduction Hood is a possibility. I'm a little leery of the mesh vents especially the one on the passenger side because its right where the filter for the CAI is going to be. Might make a trip to New Brunswick next weekend and have a look at one. Im not expecting the mods to make it into a rocket, if I wanted a rocket I would have bought the GC SRT8. A few bucks for a few extra ponies is worth it to me.

 

i have the AFE CAI and havent really noticed any real gains in MPG. i do notice a little more throttle response in the mid range, say 3-4k and a real throaty sound. thats about it.

im debating a snorkel, but have the cargo master congo cage so im not sure how that will work out?

 

Agree. "CAI" is nothing more than marketing hype. Most Cai's as have been marketed, are nothing more than a tube with a filter that resides under the hood, the same place the stock air box resides. There is no cold air there.
I jumped on the bandwagon back in 96 with my 94XJ. Pulled out the airbox and installed a CAI. But the reason I did was to give me room for an ARB compressor, and by installing a CAI, I did have the room, so that was a good thing. As for the CAI, in addition to giving me the room for the compressor, and making an annoying whistle, I must say it did nothing for enhancing any engine power. I've had it on now for going on 13 years, and the only thing it has done for me was to allow me to get under the hood more. That is to remove the filter to clean and relube it every 2 months or so. And of course clean out my TB, cause the thing allows more dust in than the stock box and filter did.
Would I put one on the JK? No way. I'm older and wiser now.
I'm not saying that a CAI, will not net some HP power increases, as it most likely will. That is if one has a Rice Burner that has an engine that can rap up like a motorcycle, and the CAI is somehow getting air from outside the engine bay.
The key to getting a bit more HP is cold dense air. NO CAI sold today wil allow that without it being modified. A snorkel yes, as that will allow the air to be taken from outside the engine bay, but even then the HP increase will not be significient.
Come on guys. Think about it. The engines of today are electronically controlled and built from the factory to give the best overall performance as they are.
CAI's are a marketing gimic, and if you want to spend your hard earned $$$ on one. Have at it.