I think I've decided on ordering the AEM CAI (call me crazy, but just don't like the big blue M. Then there's that pricetag...) and was just wondering if anyone's had any problems out of or would advise against getting it.

 

Only problem I could see has nothing to do with the brand. If you live in a real rainy area, then the CAI can suck up water. I've heard great things about AEM.

 

the newer models are great. when i was buying my intake in early 04 aem had a lot of problems for our cars.

 

try the new aem dryflow airfilter, it is supposed to be pretty good, with water and other things. http://www.aempower.com/press_events_detail.asp?aid=58

 

the k&n typhoon intake i have is made where it can be a short ram also for those nasty days.

 

When I bought my car I was asking the tech about CAI. He also owns a SRT-4. He said there was a guy where I live (Aiken, SC/Augusta, GA) that flooded his engine with the AEM. He even had the water sponge thing. Said the guy was boosting wide open while he hit a huge puddle. I scared of getting a CAI because of this, any kind. A friend of mine flooded his RSX-S with a AEM.

 

Only problem i can see is if you take your car and drive through a huge puddle then you are just asking for it, I had an AEM on my XA and never had any problems, if anything it gave it a little bit more ***** to it lol. But either way if your afraid of hitting a huge enough puddle at full boost then i dont think you should of been goin that fast anyways lol, either way its all in how careful you are

 

It certainly isn't because of the brand on the intake. That is a silly approach. Any cai would have had the same problems. Don't be stupid and drive through a forge at full throttle. (Heck - I know all about it as I drove through one with a short ram and flodded my b16 civic.) The water sponge thing you mention is a filter bypass, and should not be used on a turbo application, BTW.

I like the K&N for the convertability factor, but it is a 2.5" intake where all the others are 3". I would personally recomend an AEM short ram. You will get better throttle response, and great sound, with a lot less worry than a cai. But either way - there is no one who does more testing/development of intakes in the aftermarket world than AEM/DC.

 

Would the horsepower/torque difference between a short ram and cold air be very noticeable? If going w/ a short do I need to make sure it's a 3 inch? The AEM short ram can have an extension added, can it not?

 

Yes they do make an extension for the AEM short ram so that you can make it into a full CAI if you so choose, and swap back and forth as you wish.

I too have the AEM SRI, and absolutely love it. I had a K&N CAI on my Stratus, and Im much happier with the AEM SRI. The gains between the two are not so drastic that you would really care. There are a bit higher gains with the cold air intake.....but thats nothing to fret about, because the gains are not that much larger.

You get around 12.3hp with the CAI, and almost 10hp with the SRI. Not that big a deal if you ask me.