Placebo Effect?

[Semi]

I recently installed an aftermarket intake tube claiming 5% more air intake with an aem dry filter.

The intake tube was mishimoto and claimed 15 horse and 15 torque. I have to admit I'm skeptical on the numbers but I wouldn't have swapped it if I didn't believe there was some benefit.

I don't run I sport mode, just can't be hassled but I'll be damned if I'm not slipping around like traction control is off. Even 15 horse on a car with this many stock horses, you wouldn't think it noticeable.

That said, many many people here claim their best mod is a tune and I've been skeptical just how much horse power that would really provide?

What do you think. In my head or does the little bit of power benefit actually noticeable?

Sponsored

 

[Ace]

Changing the air intake will have no effect without software tuning. But when you tune your car, the intake will give a slight powerbump

 

[JCFoster]

I personally think it's placebo effect. I think cold air intakes are nothing more than a marketing gimmick, unless your upgrading everything else from the tune, intake, exhaust etc. I think you'll get the same results with just an upgraded air filter for the average driver.

When I was a teen a cold air intake was flipping the air filter lid over. It just made more noise.

 

[Dirtyblueshirt]

I wouldn't say it's all placebo. I added my CAI from Roush and catback exhaust from Magnaflow. The combined addition did add roughly 33 rwhp and 70 lb-ft torque, documented on dyno pulls (different locations, same model dyno).

 

[Hashbrownn]

cold air intake on a GT? maybe 5HP bump without a tune..
I'm gonna say mostly a placebo effect from louder intake noise?

 

[PJR202]

Probably placebo. My car feels faster after an oil change, every damned time.

 

[FranzVonHoffer]

cold air intake on a GT? maybe 5HP bump without a tune..
I'm gonna say mostly a placebo effect from louder intake noise?

Yeah, I'd say without a tune most people opt for this more for the noise than any performance gain. Stock boxes are really good now days.

 

[buymycar]

Have the same thing installed. Feel a bit more, but not sure how much extra 15hp can feel on a car already making 400+hp. One the flip side there is a guy on here showing excellent gains on the dyno after install. He got 19whp and 20+lbft when comparing to the right before install.

 

[Austinj427]

This was a huge topic of discussion for the 11-14 cars.

The short of it is, the stock intake box/tube can outflow the intake manifold. Any gains you see on a dyno is usually a result of having the hood open and air being blown into it.

It's also common for companies to dyno a car without a fan and a stock intake, and after they swap out for an aftermarket intake, they throw a fan in front of the car. This happened a lot with the RS community.

 

[PJR202]

This was a huge topic of discussion for the 11-14 cars.

The short of it is, the stock intake box/tube can outflow the intake manifold. Any gains you see on a dyno is usually a result of having the hood open and air being blown into it.

It's also common for companies to dyno a car without a fan and a stock intake, and after they swap out for an aftermarket intake, they throw a fan in front of the car. This happened a lot with the RS community.

I never even would have considered this. Good info.

 

[Ebm]

Most cold air intakes on the market either don't flow as well as your stock intake or are more like hot air intakes or both!

You have a cold air intake from the factory, why downgrade?

 

[furiousfuria]

Just got to read up about it and decide for yourself :shrug:

http://blog.streetsideauto.com/auto-parts/cold-air-intakes-work/

I bought one because A.) It looks way better than the ugly stock one B.) I'm planning on getting tuned in the future and hoping to get just a tad bit more power with it. I did not expect to get any extra HP from it without a tune

 

[ForYourOwnGood]

OP is talking about the elbow, not the intake. The elbow can gain a little power due to the shape and lack of baffles. Definitely not a placebo especially combined with a better flowing replacement filter with more surface area, I know the mishimoto was redesigned a few times to get the shape and volume correct for what the engine likes. The biggest effect of these changes is tip-in response which will cause more wheelspin.

 

[WildHorse]

The stock intake is all about sound suppression, not flow. So it's one or the other, there's no inbetween.

 

[Semi]

You know it's funny, the exhaust didn't get louder so far as I can tell. Honestly I thought it toned down a bit.

Sponsored