CAI in deep water

MVent · 03-18-2006, 04:38 PM

I recently put an AEM CAI on my car and had a question about avoiding deep water.
I know the general rule is if the water is more than a couple inches deep, find another way. Would it be possible to just turn the car off, roll through the water, give it a few seconds to let the water drain and then turn the car back on and keep going?

***lildisco*** · 03-18-2006, 04:40 PM

could, but you could just save yourself the hassel and get a bypass valve for around $60 and have your CAI and not worry about hydrolocking your engine.

MVent · 03-18-2006, 04:52 PM

I thoghut about the bypass valve but I don't really want to cut my intake to install it.

***viney266*** · 03-19-2006, 01:13 PM

The look fine once they are installed, installing it is the smart way to go... Yes, your idea would work, if you saw the "deep" water coming.

Duffman355 · 03-19-2006, 01:35 PM

What are you gonna do if you are going like 70 mph on the freeway and can't avoid the puddle? As long as your car can support a bypass valve, you might as well use it. Bypass valves can't be installed on a Duratec for example. I wanted one but couldn't use it.

Fingers · 03-19-2006, 01:56 PM

Turning your car off while driving is never a good idea. Reminder: you have power steering and vacuum assisted brakes. Not to mention a click too far to "Lock" instead of "Acc" will be a little more than catastrophic.

Do it right, or don't do it at all. Get a water bypass, or a higher positioned intake. Or better yet, keep it stock.

BFocusSVT · 03-19-2006, 06:44 PM

Buy a bypass valve, put it on or reap the consequences.

jaykirs · 03-19-2006, 07:13 PM

Here we go again LOL .. I have the AEM CAI and have had NO issues with it after over a year of use!! I have had no problems with water in the intake or anything but I do use common sence like avoiding deep puddles and not running at WOT while I know my filter is wet. If you are smart about it, you will have no problems and from what I have read, you have to submerge the filter completely to hydrolock the engine and if your idling it will just stop the engine, likely without hardware damage. Anyway, just my 2 peso's

BTW, I live in Houston Texas where we typically get quite a bit of rain so I do have first experience with it. For what it's worth?

hkysk8r07 · 03-19-2006, 10:23 PM

eh you should be fine. you gotta suck ou quite a bit of water. i got the AEM and the BPV but i've really only had to worry about it like twice but i don't even think the bypass opened up. but there wasn't any problems. just have some common sence. like if your bumper will touch the water, don't go thru, or gain some speed drop it in neutral and coast thru the puddle with your rpm's around idle and then wait a couple seconds before you get on the throttle again.

my 2003SVT · 03-19-2006, 10:55 PM

I have a BRAND NEW AEM BYPASS VALVE if anyone is looking for one!!!! PM me if interested!!!

azdamay · 03-19-2006, 11:03 PM

What are you going to do if you turn the car off, roll through the puddle, find the puddle is deeper than you thought, or longer than you thought, and the drag from trying to roll through all that water slows your car to a stop? Then you're stuck there and you're going to have to start the car in the middle of a huge deep puddle. Not to mention as Fingers pointed out you will lose power assist on the steering and (after the reserve is depleted) the brakes, and risk accidentally locking the steering wheel by turning the key too far. Seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

MVent · 03-20-2006, 06:41 AM

Yeah I thought about the water actually stopping me before I got across but I wouldn't be trying to cross any rivers. I'll just get the bypass valve and stop the beating I'm taking for even mentioning it.

03-18-2006, 04:38 PM	#1
MVent Focus Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Fan#: 17635 Location: Oklahoma City, OK, United States What I Drive: 2003 Infra-Red Focus SVT 3-Door Posts: 719 FF Reputation: 2 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (1)	CAI in deep water I recently put an AEM CAI on my car and had a question about avoiding deep water. I know the general rule is if the water is more than a couple inches deep, find another way. Would it be possible to just turn the car off, roll through the water, give it a few seconds to let the water drain and then turn the car back on and keep going? __________________ 14.9 @ 94.07 (2.228 60ft.) No, I'm not stock. "I feel lethal."

03-18-2006, 04:40 PM	#2
*lildisco* RespectMyAuthoritah! Join Date: Apr 2004 Fan#: 5761 Location: Cleveland, Ohio, Afghanistan What I Drive: 03 Red SE, 06 Lapis Blue Mazda6i Posts: 5,261 FF Reputation: 47 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (8)	could, but you could just save yourself the hassel and get a bypass valve for around $60 and have your CAI and not worry about hydrolocking your engine. __________________ "I flushed a bag of skittles down the toilet yesterday and watched a NASCAR race in 8 seconds flat." 06 Spring Into Focus Best Sedan/Wagon Winner

03-18-2006, 04:52 PM	#3
MVent Focus Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Fan#: 17635 Location: Oklahoma City, OK, United States What I Drive: 2003 Infra-Red Focus SVT 3-Door Posts: 719 FF Reputation: 2 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (1)	I thoghut about the bypass valve but I don't really want to cut my intake to install it. __________________ 14.9 @ 94.07 (2.228 60ft.) No, I'm not stock. "I feel lethal."

03-19-2006, 01:13 PM	#4
*viney266* Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Fan#: 93 Location: westminster, maryland, MD What I Drive: focus ztw ,zx3,mustang, motorcycles Posts: 22,673 FF Reputation: 103 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (3)	The look fine once they are installed, installing it is the smart way to go... Yes, your idea would work, if you saw the "deep" water coming. __________________ Speed is only a matter of money; how fast do you want to go? Ninja Mod

03-19-2006, 01:35 PM	#5
Duffman355 I say dude a lot Join Date: Jan 2006 Fan#: 31282 Location: Grosse Pointe, Michigan What I Drive: 2007 Silver ST Posts: 11,635 FF Reputation: 41 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (1)	What are you gonna do if you are going like 70 mph on the freeway and can't avoid the puddle? As long as your car can support a bypass valve, you might as well use it. Bypass valves can't be installed on a Duratec for example. I wanted one but couldn't use it. __________________ ST Crew #11 / SSR #5 Official Mayo Hater #1 Randomie's Lover #8

03-19-2006, 01:56 PM	#6
Fingers Banned Join Date: Jul 2005 Fan#: 25457 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 100 FF Reputation: 1 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (0)	Turning your car off while driving is never a good idea. Reminder: you have power steering and vacuum assisted brakes. Not to mention a click too far to "Lock" instead of "Acc" will be a little more than catastrophic. Do it right, or don't do it at all. Get a water bypass, or a higher positioned intake. Or better yet, keep it stock.

03-19-2006, 06:44 PM	#7
BFocusSVT Focus Enthusiast Join Date: Feb 2005 Fan#: 18910 Location: Miami, FL What I Drive: 2003 Focus SVT ZX5 Posts: 284 FF Reputation: 1 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (8)	Buy a bypass valve, put it on or reap the consequences.

03-19-2006, 07:13 PM	#8
jaykirs Focus Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2004 Fan#: 13947 Location: Houston, Texas What I Drive: 2004 Infra-Red ZX3 SVT Posts: 3,837 FF Reputation: 1 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (1)	Here we go again LOL .. I have the AEM CAI and have had NO issues with it after over a year of use!! I have had no problems with water in the intake or anything but I do use common sence like avoiding deep puddles and not running at WOT while I know my filter is wet. If you are smart about it, you will have no problems and from what I have read, you have to submerge the filter completely to hydrolock the engine and if your idling it will just stop the engine, likely without hardware damage. Anyway, just my 2 peso's BTW, I live in Houston Texas where we typically get quite a bit of rain so I do have first experience with it. For what it's worth? __________________ 04‘ SVTF #204 of 1978 SVT Squad #66 Understeer scares the driver, oversteer scares the passenger.

03-19-2006, 10:23 PM	#9
hkysk8r07 Focus Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Fan#: 5957 Location: Santa Barbara, CA/ Stamford, CT What I Drive: 00 I-R ZX3/ 07 Reflex Silver GTI Posts: 1,497 FF Reputation: 1 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (11)	eh you should be fine. you gotta suck ou quite a bit of water. i got the AEM and the BPV but i've really only had to worry about it like twice but i don't even think the bypass opened up. but there wasn't any problems. just have some common sence. like if your bumper will touch the water, don't go thru, or gain some speed drop it in neutral and coast thru the puddle with your rpm's around idle and then wait a couple seconds before you get on the throttle again. __________________ 00 focus zx3 07 VW GTI

03-19-2006, 10:55 PM	#10
my 2003SVT Focus Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2005 Fan#: 24448 Location: LaCrosse, WI What I Drive: 2003 black SVT EURO Posts: 326 FF Reputation: 1 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (18)	I have a BRAND NEW AEM BYPASS VALVE if anyone is looking for one!!!! PM me if interested!!! __________________ AEM CAI, FC offroad pipe, FC 65mm TB, carbon fiber SVT emblems, Smoke side markers, Euro grill, Eibach sportlines w/pro dampers, Alpine CDA9856 head unit w/30G ipod, FC upper strut bar, SD coil w/ Live wires, eyelids, SVT squad #143 BLACK 2003 SVT EURO 3DR

03-19-2006, 11:03 PM	#11
azdamay Titular Wit Here Join Date: Sep 2005 Fan#: 27396 Location: Vallejo, CA What I Drive: 2004 GTO Posts: 3,666 FF Reputation: 4 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (0)	What are you going to do if you turn the car off, roll through the puddle, find the puddle is deeper than you thought, or longer than you thought, and the drag from trying to roll through all that water slows your car to a stop? Then you're stuck there and you're going to have to start the car in the middle of a huge deep puddle. Not to mention as Fingers pointed out you will lose power assist on the steering and (after the reserve is depleted) the brakes, and risk accidentally locking the steering wheel by turning the key too far. Seems like a recipe for disaster to me. __________________ "Yes, it could easily be any one of those things, but did you also consider that it might be... the stripper chained to my wrist!"

03-20-2006, 06:41 AM	#12
MVent Focus Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Fan#: 17635 Location: Oklahoma City, OK, United States What I Drive: 2003 Infra-Red Focus SVT 3-Door Posts: 719 FF Reputation: 2 Buy-Sell-Trade Rating: (1)	Yeah I thought about the water actually stopping me before I got across but I wouldn't be trying to cross any rivers. I'll just get the bypass valve and stop the beating I'm taking for even mentioning it. __________________ 14.9 @ 94.07 (2.228 60ft.) No, I'm not stock. "I feel lethal."

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