Does CAI improve mileage on an otherwise stock XLT

[tsantsa]

I have a 2000 XLT 5.0. My bro in law had a 97 awhile back and he said one thing that helped him was to add a cold air intake. Does this actually improve mileage at all on its own? Or would I have to couple that with new exhaust? (recommendations are always welcome!)

 

[Paraphoe]

It should, but very slightly. I wouldn't expect any noticeable gains. The exhaust will help, but even then, expecting an improvement of more than maybe 1-2 MPG is unreasonable, IMHO.

 

[tsantsa]

With even just 1mpg gain, in time it should pay for itself @$3/gallon, right?

Whats a cost efficient CAI that does increase mileage about 1mpg?

 

[Paraphoe]

K&N is the most common/highly recommended one. Personally, I prefer just forgoing the expensive full tube kits like that and the MAC and just buying the filter and an adapter. I'm currently running an AMSOIL oil free filter with an adapter I bought from KKM motor sports years ago. Filter was only $66.

 

[Joe Dirt]

CAI's are like money and friends. Don't loan money to friends unless you're comfortable with never getting it back. Don't buy a CAI unless you're comfortable never seeing a return on your investment.

At +1 MPG (assuming you never have a tank below that) will take a long time to make up $100+

 

[Afboy143]

I like a CAI especially on cold days. Look at the stock breathing tube, then look at a cold air intake. The difference is huge. Plus, you can't replace the sucking in noise when you punch it. CAI makes the truck a tad bit louder too.

I would spend money on all the hype of a K&N. Go with MAC or build your own with an AMSOil filter. Youll be set

 

[Joe Dirt]

Plus, you can't replace the sucking in noise when you punch it.

...you just negated the mileage gains

As for the noise, you can create that by removing a silencer. I haven't messed with my Ex to know if there is one there, but it was a common mod on the SHO's to remove the 'Saxacone' silencer to get that noise.

 

[2TimingTom]

If you get a CAI, don't go telling everyone you bought it for the mpg savings. It's suppose to be done for better flowing, denser air that should, in theory, result in more power.

Like others have said, you can get basically 90% the way there and spending 1/3 the cost by just running a better filter.

 

[mustangsrus]

The difference is huge. Plus, you can't replace the sucking in noise when you punch it. CAI makes the truck a tad bit louder too.

lol yea the sucking sound is great LOL ! i got a CAI on my exploder too & it made a noticeable difference but idk about the MPG increase though

 

[Afboy143]

...you just negated the mileage gains

As for the noise, you can create that by removing a silencer. I haven't messed with my Ex to know if there is one there, but it was a common mod on the SHO's to remove the 'Saxacone' silencer to get that noise.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Get the CAI. CAI is for power. Usually if you have more power, that means for MPG if you don't punch it to take advantage of the power. You'll notice a nice gain. I did- especially after going with AMSOil filter. Im telling you, I swear by their air filters now

 

[colintrax]

You get the mpg gain from increased efficincey. Putting it to the floor means you won't notice anything the rest of the time you'll be saving money. Don't buy a kit though, buy the spectre stuff and build one. I did and got 2 mpg increase.

 

[GETMYBELTSON]

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Get the CAI. CAI is for power. Usually if you have more power, that means for MPG if you don't punch it to take advantage of the power. You'll notice a nice gain. I did- especially after going with AMSOil filter. Im telling you, I swear by their air filters now

Usually if you have more power, that means more MPG? Are you kidding me?

You do understand that if the engine gets more air that the MAF/fuel injectors put in more fuel right? Or are you just making things up?

 

[Joe Dirt]

^ That's why ^ people who want increased MPG create "warm air" intakes... That does work...

 

[Afboy143]

I guess I should have clarified a bit more- and someone correct me if I'm on the wrong path with this train of thought.

Power adders are usually seen as MPG adders as well as they increase the efficiency of the motor. If the engine doesn’t have to work as hard to achieve something it did previously, it puts more power to the wheels. If you don’t take advantage of this power aka not putting the pedal to the floor, you usually end up with more mpg due to increase efficiency.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Even thought the CAI might introduce more air = more fuel, no one ever complains “oh my- my CAI dropped my mpg!”.

CAI’s, throttle bodies, electric fans, exhaust systems, larger MAF,ect ect- all power adders but if you don’t harness that power, you get a jump in MPG due to increased efficiency

 

[matt0248]

I gained almost 2 MPH from my CAI only. On highway trips of course. I went from getting 16-17 on the highway to 18. With exhaust I can at times get over 21 on the highway.

 

[Afboy143]

And Joe- I tend to disagree with your statement. A warm air intake would decrease efficiency, thus resulting in the motor to work harder to achieve it’s goal. Harder working would probably result in more fuel needed. Also, after moving 20mph or so, there is so much air flow going on under the hood that a warm air would turn into a cold air intake no matter what.

Warm air=smaller bang. Colder air=bigger bang. Bigger bang=more thrust on that piston=more power to the wheels. I live in Florida so I know all too well the effects of driving during the day versus at night. The warm isn’t nearly as hot at night.

I remember back in my HHO building days, the gasoline engine only uses about 20% of the fuel that is dumped into the motor as power. The rest is blow by or otherwise not used and left for the cats to burn up. HHO, or hydrogen, aids in allowing more of the boom to occur, transferring more power to the wheels. This increased efficiency thus increased MPG.

 

[Joe Dirt]

The theory of a warm air intake is this- Warm air from inside the engine bay is used opposed to air taken from the generally more restrictive stock intake. Warmer air is less dense, and thus contains less oxygen to burn fuel in. The car's ECU compensates by opening the throttle wider to admit more air. This, in turn, decreases the resistance the engine must overcome to suck air in. The net effect is for the engine to intake the same amount of oxygen (and thus burn the same amount of fuel, producing the same power) but with less friction losses, allowing for a gain in fuel economy, at the expense of top-end power.

HERE is a very good thread about a WAI vs. CAI

 

[2TimingTom]

A warm air intake would decrease efficiency, thus resulting in the motor to work harder to achieve it’s goal.

Warm air intakes utilize all of the same components as a cold air intake to increase efficiency- except for the air source.

A warm air intake will consist of a nice, free flowing filter. A smooth intake pipe. Just like a CAI.

And as Joe pointed out, a given volume of warm air is less dense than the equivalent volume of cold air. The vehicle's computer knows the temp of the incoming air and adjusts the injector pulses accordingly to maintain a stoichiometric mixture in closed loop ECU operation. Less air=less fuel.

If you can take air from directly behind the radiator, it will always be warmer than ambient air (assuming the vehicle is up to operating temp)- even at highway speed.

There's a guy on the Saturn forum that added a resistor to his air intake temp sensor to further trick the ECU into thinking the air was hotter than it actually was. I'm not sure if he did anything to the O2 sensor, but he was getting close to 50 mpgs out of a 16 valve DOHC motor (or was it a SOHC?). Anyway, I had a DOHC Saturn and the best I ever got was 37. Usually I got around 30-32.

 

[Afboy143]

Wow you learn something new everyday. And to think all this time I thought CAI’s were the best for MPG. It makes sense after reading everything and I do stand corrected; however, I don’t think I personally will be swapping out my CAI as my truck is already slow as it is

To me, if the engine has to work harder you would think it would require more fuel. Instead, the engine just becomes weaker and doesn’t perform up to “par”. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[GETMYBELTSON]

A little FYI, your cold air intakes are increasing MPG because instead of sucking in cold air from the fender (like the stock intake box) it pulls in warm air from the engine bay. So you actually lose power in that aspect. However, some 'cold air intakes' increase power by throwing off the MAF sensor due to the bend being in a different spot (which changes the airs path ever so slightly) which means the MAF is reading the amount of air incorrectly and thus causing a lean condition.

CAIs are great for throwing your money away (other than looks). Now if you built a plexi glass shield around it so it could only pull air up from the intake box's fender wall hole, then you might actually see a legit gain in HP (and a decrease in MPG on the flip side), but that is also assuming that the stock intake setup is actually restrictive (I really don't think it is).