Performance Intake (CAIs, etc) Debate

[Ecto1]

I stumbled over this recently while wading through threads on the CAI debate. Its interesting reading. From Mishimoto.

https://www.mishimoto.com/engineering/2020/09/air-intake-myths-part-1/

https://www.mishimoto.com/engineering/2020/09/air-intake-myths-part-2/

A few tid-bits:

"As emissions and gas mileage requirements have become more strict in the past several years, we’ve seen powertrain control systems shift to a strategy that targets a specific torque output while maintaining safe air-fuel ratios. These complex systems utilize controls like variable camshaft timing, ignition timing, and turbo dynamics to control the amount of air that’s pulled (or pushed) into the engine. The upside of all those controls is improved base efficiency and gas mileage, but the trade-off comes when trying to improve performance. Because the PCMs in these vehicles are so strictly programmed, any improvements, including any that may improve gas mileage, will be negated by the computer to reach the specified torque output and AFR."

"On modern turbocharged vehicles, an intake likely won’t make power without an ECU tune. Turbocharged engines operate within a much smaller margin of error, so the ECU is programmed to hit a target torque within a target air/fuel ratio and not deviate from those specs unless there’s an issue. No matter how much better the intake flows, the engine won’t pull in the air unless it’s told to by the ECU."

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[Duston@Lethal]

The stock intake on the EB cars flows quite well, I remember back in the day they performed extremely well until a little over 400 wheel. Normally that's why we see EB owners choosing an intercooler over an intake, as an intercooler actually allows the vehicle to make the power it should be making consistently.

 

[Coyote Chase]

I stumbled over this recently while wading through threads on the CAI debate. Its interesting reading. From Mishimoto.

https://www.mishimoto.com/engineering/2020/09/air-intake-myths-part-1/

https://www.mishimoto.com/engineering/2020/09/air-intake-myths-part-2/

A few tid-bits:

"As emissions and gas mileage requirements have become more strict in the past several years, we’ve seen powertrain control systems shift to a strategy that targets a specific torque output while maintaining safe air-fuel ratios. These complex systems utilize controls like variable camshaft timing, ignition timing, and turbo dynamics to control the amount of air that’s pulled (or pushed) into the engine. The upside of all those controls is improved base efficiency and gas mileage, but the trade-off comes when trying to improve performance. Because the PCMs in these vehicles are so strictly programmed, any improvements, including any that may improve gas mileage, will be negated by the computer to reach the specified torque output and AFR."

"On modern turbocharged vehicles, an intake likely won’t make power without an ECU tune. Turbocharged engines operate within a much smaller margin of error, so the ECU is programmed to hit a target torque within a target air/fuel ratio and not deviate from those specs unless there’s an issue. No matter how much better the intake flows, the engine won’t pull in the air unless it’s told to by the ECU."

I run a non-oem air intake, primary because I want to use the area where the factory intake is located for cooling of my Intercooler, oil cooler and radiator. And it seems to work, all the temperatures I monitor are within spec at 1320 feet, where before I was heat soaking at 1000 feet and could feel my car slowing down. Now, I'm still accelerating as I pass though the traps.

I collect my intake air from the corners of my bottom grille.

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