[l3chner]

Im trying to decide wether to buy a CAI or a SRI for my '06 D20 ZX3.
I live in PA and if any of you live nearby, you know that we see rain year-round, and snow (sometimes lots of it) in the winter. My main question is... "Is there a big difference in gains between a CAI and a SRI?" This car is my everyday driver, so if you guys tell me that the CAI produces way bigger gains versus the SRI, then Ill just get the CAI and add in a bypass valve (for added peace of mind) to account for weather. Ill also eventually be getting an FSwerks street performance exhaust so account for that when thinking of your answers.

P.S. Obviously I know that a CAI will give me better gains because the air is colder, Im just wondering how much better the gains are compared to a SRI.

[ffrocks]

 

[rambleon84]

You are going to have people tell you both but ultimately its up to you. If you are worried at all just go SRI. I have a CAI and I get plenty of rain and snow here in Ohio and have not had any issues. I avoid anything that looks like a big puddle and its in the back of my mind that there is always the chance of it sucking up water. That being said I have driven in some down pour situations and have been fine.

I doubt there will be any noticeable difference between the two as far as power goes.

 

[l3chner]

You are going to have people tell you both but ultimately its up to you. If you are worried at all just go SRI. I have a CAI and I get plenty of rain and snow here in Ohio and have not had any issues. I avoid anything that looks like a big puddle and its in the back of my mind that there is always the chance of it sucking up water. That being said I have driven in some down pour situations and have been fine.

I doubt there will be any noticeable difference between the two as far as power goes.

well thats why id get a bypass valve. so i wouldnt have to be worried at all. http://www.modified.com/tech/0104scc_aem_air_bypass_valve/index.html
Im just wondering if the exhaust ill be getting will work better with one of the two. a SRI is definately cheaper, but i wouldnt mind spending an extra $150 to have a decent amount of extra power from a CAI. but thats what i need to find out. because if the exhaust has no effect at all then id definately get the SRI.

 

[DueceCoupe]

From what I read and ultimately went with is:
The SRI for My daily driver and the CAI for My Sunday Fun driver Focus ST.
Most people will tell You that CAI will see higher gains,but where do those gains show up in the power band?
My ST seems to like the upper RPM band while the SRI likes being torquey off the line.
Also I have always questioned the CAI sucking cool air in the Summer,when its pulling AIR from right above the mega heated highway.
Its a question of what is right for You:
How and why are you looking for the extra power?
Light to Light Fun?
Quarter mile drags?
Or just pulling the hills better?
Make the drive down to Reading Pa and we can drive in both of mine and see what You prefer.
I feel that any exhaust/intake combination will result in added power especially with a tune.
I may be wrong about where the power is being made in the power band,have never done the research,but that's what it feels like to Me.

 

[jmiller_1974]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There is no significant difference in gains between the two, short rams tend to take in warmer air from the top of the engine bay, whereas the CAI will tend to draw slightly cooler air from under the engine bay, but not cool enough to make a difference, contrary to popular butt dyno readings. As for hydrolock, You would basically need to drive through more than a foot of water to even begin to cause a problem. As was mentioned, a bypass valve(coupled with a prefilter bag) will more or less eliminate that, but You really shouldn't be driving any car in that kind of weather, right?

I have had both on My ST, and neither have given Me even the slightest issue in respect to heat soak or hydrolock. Not saying they don't exist, but I haven't experienced either.

 

[DueceCoupe]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There is no significant difference in gains between the two, short rams tend to take in warmer air from the top of the engine bay, whereas the CAI will tend to draw slightly cooler air from under the engine bay, but not cool enough to make a difference, contrary to popular butt dyno readings. As for hydrolock, You would basically need to drive through more than a foot of water to even begin to cause a problem. As was mentioned, a bypass valve(coupled with a prefilter bag) will more or less eliminate that, but You really shouldn't be driving any car in that kind of weather, right?

I have had both on My ST, and neither have given Me even the slightest issue in respect to heat soak or hydrolock. Not saying they don't exist, but I haven't experienced either.

Could you tell a difference in where the power is made between the two?
I have SRI on zetec,CAI on Duratec.....

 

[jmiller_1974]

The CAI powerband peak with the 2.3L is in the expected 3000-4800 rpm range, whereas the SRI does indeed seem to enjoy more of the lower end(2600ish-4000ish) push, from what I remember. I'll be able to tell more soon, as things begin to cool off(this will be My first winter with the CAI, last year I was still on My DIY SRI)

 

[l3chner]

well as for what kind of power i want, id like to be able to take hills better below 4k rpm. and itd be nice to beat this [][][][][][][] pt cruiser off the line that i see at least once a week lol. sounds lame because its a pt cruiser, but whatever model he has is oddly a beast compared to my stock D20.

EDIT: looks like PTs run 2.4s

 

[Jgrove998]

I ran a CAI for 3 years with no problems.

This topic has been covered A LOT....check the sticked threads and use the search button [thumb]

 

[rambleon84]

EDIT: looks like PTs run 2.4s

yeah and some run 230hp 2.4L turbo lol.. your 2.0l n/a will struggle with that

 

[l3chner]

yeah and some run 230hp 2.4L turbo lol.. your 2.0l n/a will struggle with that

i dont think that his is turbo. he tries way too hard for him to have all that under the hood. lol. if i was him and had a 2.4 turbo, i wouldnt even bother with me.

 

[drostedrummer89]

For duratecs there is not any significant difference in power or safety in sri vs cai. Its more style/ personal preference. Cold air makes me feel better.

Matt
Posted via FF Mobile

 

[l3chner]

so then i guess a CAI would be more beneficial in a car with a raised rev limit? And dont they increase that in tunes? Because if thats the case then im getting the CAI
Posted via FF Mobile

 

[streetxracerx102]

I have the Steeda SRI and I'm in Ohio. I actually just drove through PA and had no issue making it up (most) hills going 70 in 5th gear. Occasionally I'd come to a hill that I needed to downshift on, but not often. I went with the SRI because of my fears of hydrolock. I'd rather have heatsoak and lose power than hydrolock and blow up my engine. Though I have never experienced heatsoak with the SRI. The FSWerks CAI is $199, but then you'd spend money on the bypass valve, and do you really want to cut that up to install the bypass valve anyway? If you're truly concerned with hydrolock, go SRI. $230, and no bypass valve.

While I hear over and over again, hydrolock is very, very rare, I know a few people that it's happened to. Just remember, if you hydrolock and it was a result of a modification you did to your car, the insurance company and / or warranty won't cover it.

 

[Mattalicious]

FSWERKS sells an "Outerwear Pre-Filter" to put over their Cold-Air unit to prevent this. Problem solved. :O

 

[Red Jay 918]

not to thread jack but i have a question pertaining to this topic.. i was reading some of the posts about heatsoak and read what it was. i also looked at some of what you guys said about the differences between CAI and SRI. my question is if i had an SRI that retained the factory ram air tubing, that'd still be sucking in cold air right??