CAI Options?

[nghtshd88]

Is it worth it to add a CAI to the Ls? Think I only saw K&N at $320 for the 03-06 3.9 where as the 00-02 has $65 option on ebay. Ended up with a spare SCT x4 and a Torrie Tune that I want to use for my Ls and figured why not? Broke one of the tabs on my airbox anyway. Not sure of any air is escaping. The tune and SCT already being close to $400 sure if I want to drop another $300 for an intake if its not going to much more.

 

[HRLNKN]

Just do a forum search for "K&N intake". There's alotta stuff on this forum. K&N made 2 different intakes for this engine: the 57-2562 with the larger black plastic tube, & the 69-3520TP chrome tube version. Can't remember if they gave much for gains without a tune, but that kinda info should be in the threads about them. Good luck & happy hunting

 

[joegr]

Just to point out... The factory intake is cold air, and it likely better performance wise than the others.

 

[nghtshd88]

Just to point out... The factory intake is cold air, and it likely better performance wise than the others.

Thought I would benefit from what I thought would be a better design and gain a little. If not then I won't bother. First time ive ever heard that the factory intake is better.

 

[joegr]

... First time ive ever heard that the factory intake is better.

Seriously?
Most cars have (and have had for a while) good cold air intakes. The manufacturer's want to have as high of horsepower and mileage specs as they can. The cost is very small. My BMW's factory intake was very good. Even my Hyundai's factory intake is good. Why wouldn't they be?

 

[HRLNKN]

Factory intakes are usually better for a stock car, in general. Folks usually change it out for noise. Unless you're changing the parameters of the factory tune, the car's going to have only limited benefits from performance upgrades, again in general

 

[Gagurass]

So it seems consensus is the aftermarket cold air intakes are merely for sound and looks.

If I already have a loud exhaust setup would I even hear the K&N CAI? Would it be better with a tune than the stock CAI with a tune?

My car gets 14 mpg combined but I have always had a heavy foot. Wondering if a tune would help mpg much..,and wondering if previous owner did a tune as this thing seems a little too quick to be stock computer.

 

[AmsterDutch]

So it seems consensus is the aftermarket cold air intakes are merely for sound and looks.

If I already have a loud exhaust setup would I even hear the K&N CAI? Would it be better with a tune than the stock CAI with a tune?

My car gets 14 mpg combined but I have always had a heavy foot. Wondering if a tune would help mpg much..,and wondering if previous owner did a tune as this thing seems a little too quick to be stock computer.

Do you use premium gasoline?

 

[Gagurass]

Do you use premium gasoline?

Only use 93 lmao not risking a misfire.

When I had a 99 M3 couple years back my gas mileage on that was also horrendously low so wondering if its just a me problem or something im getting wrong...

 

[Attila]

It's going to make your gas mileage worse, because you will floor it more often.

And save your money. The K&N thing is just a piece of plastic tube with a cone filter. I put a piece of 3" PVC between the maf and throttle body and left the stock airbox in.

The nicest thing about it is that the giant tumor that comes off the stock intake is gone and you can see down into the front lower section of the engine bay

 

[AmsterDutch]

Only use 93 lmao not risking a misfire.

When I had a 99 M3 couple years back my gas mileage on that was also horrendously low so wondering if its just a me problem or something im getting wrong...

Is your torque converter locking up at 55mph? You could try changing your fuel filter and injectors also

 

[Gagurass]

Is your torque converter locking up at 55mph? You could try changing your fuel filter and injectors also

Car drives perfectly I do not think it is the torque converter but how would I know? I am also going off of what the on board computer is telling me as it seems pretty accurate but I know some people dont trust it.

 

[joegr]

...My car gets 14 mpg combined but I have always had a heavy foot. Wondering if a tune would help mpg much..,and wondering if previous owner did a tune as this thing seems a little too quick to be stock computer.

Do you idle a lot?
Lots of stop and go traffic?
Lots of drive-thru?
V6 or V8?
Gen I or Gen II?

 

[Gagurass]

Do you idle a lot?
Lots of stop and go traffic?
Lots of drive-thru?
V6 or V8?
Gen I or Gen II?

2005 v8 ultimate

I live in New Jersey so its some traffic but not too bad. I do love me some drive through

I reset the mpg yesterday and driving normally, not even too spirited it kept around 14 but dropped to 13 once i started going uphill.

I also make sure to keep it in D4 if going under 50 and D5 beyond as some posters advise.

When the snowstorm surprised us and crippled the state last month I burned exactly half a tank sitting in traffic with the heat on for 9 hours. Irrelevent I know but sharing my trauma helps haha

 

[AmsterDutch]

2005 v8 ultimate

I live in New Jersey so its some traffic but not too bad. I do love me some drive through

I reset the mpg yesterday and driving normally, not even too spirited it kept around 14 but dropped to 13 once i started going uphill.

I also make sure to keep it in D4 if going under 50 and D5 beyond as some posters advise.

When the snowstorm surprised us and crippled the state last month I burned exactly half a tank sitting in traffic with the heat on for 9 hours. Irrelevent I know but sharing my trauma helps haha

You could try a good hot soak with Seafoam spray in the throttle body if you own a Gen 1 the spray will loosen some nasty junk from idling in traffic but damn your gas mileage is horrible even my 2001 V8 was getting around 21 -23 mpg without the torque converter engaging

 

[joegr]

...I also make sure to keep it in D4 if going under 50 and D5 beyond as some posters advise...

Why, so that you can burn more gasoline and put more wear on the engine? Seriously, that's what you are doing. No wonder the MPG is so low. What do you think the advantage is? Less shifting? The added stress hurts it more than the shifting.

I have two gen II V8s. The one I drive stays at around 19 to 20 MPG. My wife's stays at around 16/17. When we switch cars, the mileage stays with the driver, not the car. Her drive has more stops, more idling, and a stop or two at the drive thru. Mine has more interstate miles. Also, if it's all short trips you will burn more gasoline. The engine guzzles it when warming up from a cold start.

 

[Gagurass]

Why, so that you can burn more gasoline and put more wear on the engine? Seriously, that's what you are doing. No wonder the MPG is so low. What do you think the advantage is? Less shifting? The added stress hurts it more than the shifting.

JOE! You are the expert man so I will forget that piece of misinformation. From now on I’ll keep it in 5 and see if the mpg improves, are there any benefits at all for switching between? Does the car launch faster in 4 or 5? I’m going to test it myself next week and post a video on youtube to prove some haters wrong. Some Chrysler kids got upset when I said that my LS kept up with a new Durango SRT from the light

Also Dutch I will try that seafoam out as well anything to save some mpgs its getting a bit ridiculous. From fixing the misfire twice (cheap coils first time) to having an exhaust shop put on my magnaflow cats...WE NEED RESULTS.

 

[joegr]

...Does the car launch faster in 4 or 5? ...

Starting from anywhere between 0 and 40/50/60 MPH, no difference (it's going to downshift below 4 anyway).
Starting from over 50/60, it saves the time that the downshift from 5 to 4 takes.


When overdrive transmissions first came out, they were mechanically shifted and sometimes did a lot of shifting in and out of overdrive at certain speeds and conditions. People learned that it was sometimes better to lock overdrive out. That was then, and this is now. Now there is no reason to do that, and a few reasons not to.