Ok this may be a dumb question...but if cai's are so worthless and dumb why is there such a big market for them? and why are they so expensive? I mean you think something that is so dumb and worthless would be cheaper and not well known...idk just a thought.

 

Jeeps are well aspirated stock, and also run hotter than most vehicles. Not to mention have less underhood air flow than most vehicles too.

A CAI in a Nissan would be more beneficial than a XJ.

 

So if im understanding this right, cia's are usefull...just not on an xj? Wish i woulda knew that before i spent $200 on one...

 

So you want a box in there that will hold all the water that comes in?

 

Because people like shiney things, and like to think they're actually gaining performance, and are willing to spend money. That is why they sell them for the 500% proffit.

 

Haha got ya Well they got me... I have seen a ton of them on vehicle's and heard no bad about them so ounce i got some extra money and a decent vehicle i figured i'd get one...i even posted it in the "ask a question" thread and noone had anything bad to say about them so i thought they where a decent buy...guess im another one of them dorks with a shiney thing under the hood that doesn't do anything Maybe i can post it up on craigslist and see if i can get someone else to buy it and take the money and just get a better filter for a third of the price i paid for this

 

Unfortunately if we were back in say the 1940s this statement would probably make sense, no offense, but unfortunately we live in a world where slapping a cadillac badge on a chevy suv makes it luxury, and merely charging more for something gives the person willing to pay for it more status... look at the rim market.

I gotta hand it to these companies and all the people doing free advertising for them though because they've really made something out of nothing. a plastic tube, a "heat" collector, an exposed $2 filter and a sprinkle of magic dust that somehow allows it to suck in "cold" air... hahahaha. But if it makes you feel good buying one, that's all that really counts in today's world I guess. Me, I'll save my money for actual engineered products. I don't care who you are, you won't feel a net hp gain of 3hp unless you're driving a lawnmower, and why the heck would you pay so much for it?! Most people feel a gain just because they swapped an old dirty or worn part with a new clean one, it's not the part... my theory on injector upgrades too.

 

I did the injector change, and I can tell you first hand that I did notice slightly better throttle response, but nothing else. If I didn't get the injectors for free, I would not have messed with them. I only have time and a can of brake cleaner invested.

 

Ya i understand what your saying, and im not affended one bit. I didnt buy the part for looks at all. I mean i hear all this stuff about more power, bet mpg and all that non-sense and i figured that'd be pretty nice to have. No way would i ever spend $200 so my engine will look cool. I can find many other parts to make my jeep look cool than a cai.lol As i stated i would have never bought the damn thing if i knew it didn't do anything besides look good.

 

We're getting off topic here, but I'd like to throw a couple points out there. The CAI's can give you a few horse power because they allow the engine to breath more easily. The less energy the engine has to use to get air in and out, the more power it has to put to the wheels. CAI are popular because they do work, and they're easy to do. Is 3 or 4 hp worth the money to me? NO! The thing to keep in mind is that even if you can get air into the engine easier, you still have to get it out. This means that you have to also put a free flowing exhaust system on. A good exhaust doesn't do much good with out opening up the intake, and opening up the intake doesn't do much good with out good exhaust. To get the full potential out of either, you need both. You can keep going then like bored throttle bodies etc. It's just not worth it to me. I probably couldn't tell the difference by the "seat of my pants" anyway.

As for the comment about the air box holding water.... Think of it this way. With cold air intake the water can splash up in the engine compartment just from hitting a big puddle and go straight onto and through the filter. With the air box in place the water has to first get into the box before it can sit there. It has to be going in the right direction after bouncing off something to even get in the small hold in the front of the air box. Then it has to take a turn and go up in order to get to the filter. VERY, VERY hard to do unless you submerge it, in which case you have bigger problems! Any little bit of water that may be able to get in the air box will just sit in the bottom and evaporate.

 

Yeah, same here, definitely noticed a difference but I tested my originals after taking them out and they were a bit clogged. We went to the JY to get my cousin a set and they were free ; ) ....but wished I hadn't paid for mine.

 

I have put CAI's into nearly every car I've owned, thats like one of the first cheap upgrades you can do to improve hp and it even makes the exhaust sound more raw.

But your correct, in this jeep I knew I was gonna be taking in mud/water/rock/dust/sand and whatever other elements all over it at some point and that's horrible for an oil-based cone style filter. So what I did was grab a stock box-style k&n filter to replace that crappy paper one and dropped it in. I also took out the the tube thing that protrudes into the air box (I'm assuming is to reduce turbulence, but I'm lookin for flow, so it's gone now!) I havnt really noticed a big difference but its better for maintenance and I know it helps some for gas mileage especially since I'm on the freeway everyday. I get around 17-20mpg on my 98 2.5l 5-speed Xj, and that's including the crazy driving I might have an occasional itch for :P

 

It's a learning process, I put a cheap one on back in the day. Most stock air boxes are designed to reduce noise, CAIs do allow a car with a very restrictive intake to breathe better, but as stated, it has to then be taken advantage of. MAF makes a difference here too. I just don't see the "hope" for an increase and opening your filter up more to debris and water as being worth the pricetag. I don't think they look better either. All that said, if you have an extremely choked intake, need a new filter anyway, don't mind the extra noise, like the bling factor, want to list it in your signature, and have money to burn, go for it!

Now let's get over CAIs and get back to more practical mods like this one:

 

Ya im only 19 so i have a lot to learn.lol But im doing the hard way...(learning from experiance and money) rather than learning from other peoples mistakes But anyway i bought the damn thing so i might as well get some use out of it I love that practical mod to that jeep btw i think i just may do that to mine....

 

The stock air box has small holes in the bottom so water doesnt pool...
Also don't by a CAI your letting in more dust. They may flow better but they also let more crap in.