Cold air intake/feed

Associate
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17 Sep 2012
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North-West
Hey guys,

I have had a cone air filter fitted on my Clio MK2 2003 for around 6 months now and everything is going great.

However I have read that it is recommended that you have a cold air intake/feed which just consists of some plexi-pipe aiming at the cone filter for the best results.

Just took a chance here to see if we have any car tuners here :D

Is this really true? Cheers.
 
Associate
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28 Aug 2012
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supposedly it makes little to no difference. but if you can duct in some cold air from outside the engine bay it can only help. a bit. a small bit. :)
 
Caporegime
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What Clio? If you use it on track the hot engine bay could reduce power slightly so you might benefit from a cold air feed, but for normal use no point.

I don't know what the Clio race cars use. They seem to be the benchmark for mods that are worth doing.
 
Soldato
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13 Mar 2004
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16,649
A lot of ecus have a strategy to pulling timing to safety when intake temp gets up. All depends on your ecu though

Intake temp will definitely effect fuel ratio though due to the calculation for air density
 
Soldato
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What clio?

MK2 Cup Race cars used the fog lights for ducting into the brakes, and the LHS headlight for engine intake.

jwaw.jpg
 
Soldato
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Which makes sense assuming that's the intake side.

On a road car I can't imagine the stock intake takes much of a different route. Will come in through the grille, then bend a bit. Can't see this making a significant difference...on a road car
 
Man of Honour
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Falling...
A lot of the time it'll suffer heat soak from the engine too unless it's enclosed with good heat shielding. Also, they've been designed for the car to have a certain air flow (and well engineered usually) so you'd think they get right. Besides, an air filter without an ecu remap will just make a nice noise rather than anything else.

Now, if you change the whole system, plenum chamber, throttle bodies, upper (and possibly lower) inlet manifolds then you cant start making a more tangible difference.

That's my opinion on it at any rate. I'm probably wrong (I usually am :p).
 
Associate
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Trent Vegas
supposedly it makes little to no difference. but if you can duct in some cold air from outside the engine bay it can only help. a bit. a small bit. :)
That's what Mighty Car Mods say.... put it on the dyno and it makes no difference to the power with a CAI on it.

As above though; it can't hurt, and it probably does reduce heat-soak over time.
 
Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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UK
That's what Mighty Car Mods say.... put it on the dyno and it makes no difference to the power with a CAI on it.

As above though; it can't hurt, and it probably does reduce heat-soak over time.

Rolling road testing doesn't replicate a daily life cycle over yearly conditions though.
 
Soldato
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The Land of Roundabouts
Nothing wrong with CAI's but they pretty much pointless for everyday use. I wouldn't spend any real money on installing one. But theres not harm in having one, just be wary of scooping up water!

Heatsoak only really affects inter-coolers or cars sat in traffic in the blazing heat with poor cooling systems.
There's enough airflow under the bonnet to keep the air from getting hot enough to actually make a difference.
 
Associate
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22 Jan 2006
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London
If you do install one, I wouldn't put it low down (ie. where the fog lights are) as you'll get a lot more water/moisture on wet days workings its way up the tubing to the filter.
 
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