Cold air kit slowed my car down?

[diamondotg]

I installed a homemade 3 inch cold air kit on my car today and it seems like its slower.I made it so that the filter is behind the bumper.It sounds awsome but its no faster what happend?

 

[Dabigguy]

Any scan tool data? Your car may be getting a lot more, dense, cool air causing it to run lean or if you used flex ducting, it could be getting sucked closed by the engine under boost.

 

[diamondotg]

No i dont have a scan tool yet and i used all hard pipeing

 

[Dabigguy]

When was the last time your butt dyno was calibrated? It may be due for recalibration.

Do yourself a favor and invest in some sort of scan tool for our cars. It will tell what is and isn't going on with your car. You need one if you make ANY modification to the engine. Something as simple as installing a cold air kit could cause your car to run leaner due to the colder, denser air entering the engine. If your car goes too lean under boost, you could blow a head gasket.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

what diameter piping did you use? what filter? what kind of turbo are you using? what boost levels? is your car slower all the way around, or just lays down up top?

 

[Duts87ss]

Under normal driving, the ECM should be able to handle any extra air provided by just a cold air intake. Under heavy load, when the ECM goes into PE mode, you may very well be getting a bit lean; especially if you've made other mods to the car without any ECM tuning. If the car is all stock, other than your new intake ducting, you should be completely fine.

 

[diamondotg]

All 3 inch pipeing,stock turbo,15 pounds of boost,drives good part throttle but lays over full throttle

 

[Joe 1320]

Check fuel pressure and volume, get a scan tool and check 02 millivolts under load.

 

[Junior Samples]

When was the last time your butt dyno was calibrated? It may be due for recalibration.

Do yourself a favor and invest in some sort of scan tool

:biggrin:
Dont listen to folks telling you to buy scan tools..its all hype.. just throw more money at it.

Start by getting rid of your maf, ground out the pin conectors, it will trick the ECM into thinking its running speed density. and you need more boost.. crank your actuator arm about 7 more turns in then take it out and put it to the wood.

Dont forget to report back!

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I agree with the fueling issue. Though, you could have put too many bends in it and/or created a bit of turbulence, and the flow can't keep up with the turbo possibly. Or, if it's the fueling thing, she's getting a bit of timing pulled... Though how much colder is it by your tire, versus inside the engine bay? I haven't seen too many other people here install commercially made cold air kits, and had a problem with it afterwards. I'm thinking it's the design of the kit you set up. can you post any pics?

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
A cold air system is a good idea. When you open the hood after a run,the heat just pours out. That said, I think you are running very lean. You need to get the car fatter, by hook or by crook. The hook would be larger injectors or something, the crook would be E85 or race gas.You will like the way it runs,when this all spins out.Good luck!

 

[Dabigguy]

Hi,
A cold air system is a good idea. When you open the hood after a run,the heat just pours out. That said, I think you are running very lean. You need to get the car fatter, by hook or by crook. The hook would be larger injectors or something, the crook would be E85 or race gas.You will like the way it runs,when this all spins out.Good luck!

We don't know what his car is doing. First things first, buy or borrow a scan tool to see what's going on. If you throw parts at it or add more fuel, his next post may be "My engine threw a rod, what caused that?"

 

[Dabigguy]

Location? Maybe you're near someone willing to let you use their scan tool? Pics of the intake MAY help, but you really need to see what's going on inside your engine.

 

[disco stu]

Seen this before. The extra bends and were an airflow restriction.

 

[TurboMonte 2]

Sure, after you come to a stop there's nothing to keep it from getting hot under the hood--oops,,, then ingesting that hot air for idle...

Most cold air kits are hype--when your're moving, the air @ filter inside engine compartment is not really all that different than intake in-front/down low (n.e. "cold air concept...")... In reality, the added resistance to air flow/pressure drop MORE than negates any gain (while moving) from any decrease in IAT...

Added turbulence does not necessarily mean added pressure-drop--depending on which flow region you are in (laminar or turbulent)...if you're in laminar flow region, then added turbulence can decrease overall friction-factor & hence decrease pressure drop...

 

[Pronto]

Probably a dozen issues going on that he doesn't know about. No scan tool, boom.

 

[Dreamcar86]

Without a scan tool you are flying blind and guessing. Just had a talk with Jason Cramer about this subject the other day. More and more people are jumping into these cars and start throwing parts at them looking for quicker ET's and do not have scan tools or gauges to know what the car is doing.

Scan tools are a must on a forced induction engine. Then you can post numbers to see what is causing the problem(s).

 

[diamondotg]

Thanks for all the imput guys ordered scanmaster awaiting delivery then will post some numbers

 

[Grumpy]

More and more people are jumping into these cars and start throwing parts at them looking for quicker ET's and do not have scan tools or gauges to know what the car is doing.

this has been goin on since the beginning of time with cars . Buicks are no different.. 9 sec parts running 12s

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Sure, after you come to a stop there's nothing to keep it from getting hot under the hood--oops,,, then ingesting that hot air for idle...

Most cold air kits are hype--when your're moving, the air @ filter inside engine compartment is not really all that different than intake in-front/down low (n.e. "cold air concept...")... In reality, the added resistance to air flow/pressure drop MORE than negates any gain (while moving) from any decrease in IAT...

Added turbulence does not necessarily mean added pressure-drop--depending on which flow region you are in (laminar or turbulent)...if you're in laminar flow region, then added turbulence can decrease overall friction-factor & hence decrease pressure drop...

I second that emotion. Though, noone wants to believe me lol. I try to tell my friends, and they're like "nooo!" Ok then, blow your money lol. PLENTY of 11 second cars on here, running a maf pipe, with a filter jammed onto the end of it, chillin' in the engine bay. I do it, and my car runs fine..