What Are Cold Air Intake Kits?
A cold air intake provides cool, clean and dry air for the engine, with an air intake hose delivering fresh filtered air to the combustion chamber.These products are different to short ram intakes, which work to increase power by reducing the amount of restriction on the air.
These are strongly preferred over non-cold systems as cold air is oxygen-rich, allowing for more output. The purpose of these is predominantly to deliver more oxygen – and therefore denser air – into the combustion chamber. This means higher power for the vehicle. Additionally, removal of the air box and use of smoother tubes gives the engine uninterrupted airflow.
How do cold air intake kits work?
From the smallest of scooters to largest of seacraft, any and every internal combustion engine needs two basic things to function: oxygen and fuel. But there is a proper way to achieve and maximise internal combustion to convert to speed and durability.
It’s not as simple as combining oxygen and fuel, then feeding it into the exhaust. A low-restriction filter and custom-engineered tubing system combine to deliver a higher volume of air to the engine. This sees an increase of up to 50% more airflow than a stock system with a pod filter. More airflow to the throttle body translates to more power to the drivetrain.
Major Advantages of cold air alternatives
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More Horsepower – These intakes are designed to flow more efficiently than your car's factory airflow assembly. The simple process of redirecting the filter to draw cooler air promotes a horsepower gain of about 5 to 20HP in most cars. Cooler air has a higher concentration of oxygen. Since oxygen is a natural fuel source for burning, the more oxygen, the bigger the combustion – and therefore there’s more horsepower gain.
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Increased Acceleration – Once upgraded, you will notice a significant increase in your vehicle's responsiveness. Since cold air is denser than warm air, there's more air to go around for combustion, resulting in quicker acceleration responses.
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Improved Gas Mileage – These systems are designed to alter the air-to-gas ratio, which requires less fuel to power the vehicle. This may increase efficiency from 3 to 5 mpg, which can help you save considerably over time depending on your car.
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Enhanced Sound – Your car’s sound will be louder and more aggressive with an upgrade. However, rather than an increase in volume, you can expect changes to the sound of your engine instead. You will be able to hear the sound of air flowing into the intake – especially when you rev up the car and release the throttle.
Aftermarket installation tips
We also recommend looking into electronic boost controllers, which control the boost level produced in the manifold of a turbocharged or supercharged engine by affecting the air pressure delivered to the pneumatic and mechanical blow-off/ diverter valves.
Give us a call for advice and tailored product recommendations based on your make, model and performance goals.
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