just curious, how many of you that live in socal have the bypass valve installed on their cai? It doesn't rain much here (maybe once a year in san diego), but when it does rain, it pours. I'm sure you san diego people know what i'm talking about. I'm thinking of getting the pipe cut, and then just placing the bypass valve during the time it starts raining alot. Or do i only have to worry about puddles and the filter being submerged? From the looks of it, it seem the filter is pretty well protected.

 

You're right, when it rains it pours here. I live in Chino and the only problem with rain here is that all the streets around my house flood and I mean flood like a minature lake. I never had to worry about this before because my car was never my daily driver, but now it is going to be so I have decided to invest in the Comptech Icebox (well at least the box itself and the filter, i'm not going to spend any money on the elbow being that I dont see how that will enhance performance and I cannot justify spending like 150 on it). Who knows, maybe it controls the velocity in which the air tumbles into the throttle body, but then again, I'm sure the stock rubber hose does just fine.

 

I have yet to drive through an 8" deep puddle in San Diego, or Southern California for that matter. Your car will suck up water regardless of whether or not your filter is completely submerged, and wasn't the bypass valve thingy recalled?

PS - A friend hydro-locked the motor on his '98 Ranger when we drove threw a 1' deep puddle out in Octillo Wells. That was with a 6" lift and 33" tires, when we drove through the puddle the stream of water coming off of the tires sprayed right into the intake opening (located inside the fender, towards the top) and bam, 3 broken rods .

 

hm...maybe i shall invest in the comptech than. i would get the aem w/bypass valve but i heard you don't gain as much power with the bypass valve. Although i love the sound of aem, IMO power comes before sound.

 

the aem bypass valve is just another marketing gimmick to make more money off of people's paranoia. not worth the $30-40 in my opinion. id rather buy a carton of cigs