AEM AIR INTAKES
01-22-2002, 07:18 PM
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AEM AIR INTAKES
Alright , I am new to the board and this is probably listed somewhere . But I have a question concerning AEM air intakes for 99-2000 Honda civics , I have a 2000 Civic EX . My first question is , Has anyone ever had problems with water damage (Except tryng to cross a river with it) . I have noticed that there is a space between the headlamp assembly and the bumper cover itself . Does this allow too much water to get access to the filter considering thats where AEM placed it . Anyones personal expierence would be helpful . Thanks
01-22-2002, 07:20 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
May I be the first to welcome you to the board, and may I also be the first to point out the Search button.
https://honda-tech.com/zerosearch
Enjoy your stay!
https://honda-tech.com/zerosearch
Enjoy your stay!
01-22-2002, 07:27 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
I checked out the search option and I wasn't able to find anything on this . Has anyone had problems with these intakes at all ?
[Modified by you2envious, 4:49 AM 1/23/2002]
[Modified by you2envious, 4:49 AM 1/23/2002]
01-22-2002, 07:58 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
They're easy to install, a good first mod. Hydrolocking isn't really something you'd have to worry about. It does happen, but not often. I know plenty of people who don't have a bypass valve and they haven't had any problems at all.
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01-22-2002, 08:08 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
That's actually a good question.
I've had an AEM CAI with the bypass valve before. I never had any problems with it. A friend of mine has one without the bypass valve and nothing has ever happened with his.
I now have a new car and am looking into buying another CAI. The bypass valve protects your engine in case you drive in deep water. My question is whether or not the AEM filter works well enough to keep moisture out of the engine. The reason I ask is because when I removed the AEM from my old car, the filter was damp and it had not rained recently. Is that normal and can it eventually harm the engine? I am now thinking of spending the extra $ for the Comptech Ice Box simple because it seems to be a safer design. Am I totally wrong about this?
I've had an AEM CAI with the bypass valve before. I never had any problems with it. A friend of mine has one without the bypass valve and nothing has ever happened with his.
I now have a new car and am looking into buying another CAI. The bypass valve protects your engine in case you drive in deep water. My question is whether or not the AEM filter works well enough to keep moisture out of the engine. The reason I ask is because when I removed the AEM from my old car, the filter was damp and it had not rained recently. Is that normal and can it eventually harm the engine? I am now thinking of spending the extra $ for the Comptech Ice Box simple because it seems to be a safer design. Am I totally wrong about this?
01-22-2002, 10:30 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
it does not matter only if you submerge the filter into water just to play it safe don't drive it hard in the rain and don't drive through any pudle that are deep just be more alert in wet weather 
01-22-2002, 10:59 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (RosebloodSol)
Sometimes i feel that the problems with the AEM cold air intake are only myths
cuz i have yet to hear a horror story about water being sucked in by the intake
who knows??
cuz i have yet to hear a horror story about water being sucked in by the intake
who knows??
01-23-2002, 03:35 AM
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Crossing the river is not the problem..... it rain and little water that gets the filter wet.
A CAI resides behind the bumber and when it rains, itgets little splashes of water. Filter gets wet then little water is sucked in. This little water is not enough to activiate a the bypass because the bypass only works when it is completely submerged in water or when there is enough vacum created (water is heavier than air) in the intake track after the bypass. Not enough to kill the engine but enough to ruin air fuel mixtures.
This has been featured in speedvision a few months back. They hook up the Bypass valve to an NSX and submered the intake in a bucket of water. The bypass valve work and does not let water in but as soon as they lift the intake out of the bucket, the transition from "by-passed" to "normal" intake lets traces of water get sucked in.
Is this bad, I would think so.
This has been featured in speedvision a few months back. They hook up the Bypass valve to an NSX and submered the intake in a bucket of water. The bypass valve work and does not let water in but as soon as they lift the intake out of the bucket, the transition from "by-passed" to "normal" intake lets traces of water get sucked in.
Is this bad, I would think so.
01-23-2002, 05:09 AM
#13
HT White Ops
Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (you2envious)
Has anyone ever had problems with water damage...
Source: Knight Engineering Web Site [Iceman Intakes]
Recently there has been renewed discussion on the hazards of ingesting water into engines through their intake systems. The danger is very real, and unfortunately the possibility of ingesting water is true of all systems, whether the system is a production or after-market product. Simply stated, where a vacuum exists, anything fitting through the intake openings will be sucked in-dirty air, foreign objects and yes, water.
A significant difference between production and after-market air intake systems, relative to water ingesting concerns, is the physical location of the air-induction points. Another is the wide assortment of cavities, and other contortions that air are forced to follow while fighting its way towards the engine. In short, the factors that restrict airflow in production systems also help to block and/or trap water to a greater degree than after-market systems. But, as you know, production systems that are high and "dry" are also hot, restrictive, and not very efficient overall. Which brings us back to our chief objective - increasing engine performance through improved intake systems.
We deliver on our claim that our systems are the highest performers on the market. We wish that we could also claim that they miraculously part water from air. But, they don't. Neither does any other after-market intake system that draws air saturated with water. For manufacturers to claim otherwise, or, mislead you by not addressing the problem, makes them both wrong and liable. For anyone to believe that such "waterproof" systems exist (with or without attached gadgets), and not take appropriate care of his or her engine, is worse. Heed the warning!
Knight Engineering recognized and acted on the potential problem of ingesting water into the engine during certain unfavorable weather conditions from the time we first introduced the ICEMAN COOL AIR SYSTEM to the market. After countless hours of research, design, testing, and re-testing duct designs, by-pass and flapper valve, water traps, etc., (that continues to date).
We find that for now the surest way of eliminating the ingestion problem without sacrificing performance is to eliminate the source - I.e. the water. In short, don't drive through it.
Along the way we also found that introducing any of the devices mentioned above directly into the intake system obstructs the airflow, resulting in a substantial loss of power. What's the point of streamlining and accelerating airflow through redesigned intake systems, and then placing a stop or yield-right-way sign in its path?
However, we recognize that there are situations where you must drive to safe haven. If so, then do right for yourself and your engine by not going after your personal 1/4-mile time in getting there. For other than such situations, do one better and switch to your street configuration for the rainy season or expected inclement weather, as discussed below.
At Knight Engineering we design every cool air system to provide you the highest performance obtainable. The natural assumption is that you will call on you engine to deliver its utmost performance under racing conditions, so preventing water ingestion is not the primary objective. However, we also acknowledged that everyday driving conditions are not always ideal. That is why we developed a very effective way to alleviate the problem by greatly reducing the risk of ingesting water with a quick change to our street configuration. The beauty of it is that you get the added protection against the elements, plus the top performing street kit available, without sacrificing the extra power developed by the competition kit when in that mode. In short, the better of two worlds. It is ironic that Knight Engineering is up front in warning its valued customers about water ingestion, that discussion revolves around the ICEMAN COOL AIR SYSTEMS, as if we were the only product susceptible to the problem. But that’s cool. Informed customers have always been the essence of our success.
Not to make light of the issue but in summary, it's about your baby's performance! You feel its pulse, take its temp, oil its joints, wipe its bottom, feed it its octane formula, take it for a ride, teach it to run fast, and clear its breathing passages (with an ICEMAN). And, now you may even have to keep it from wetting itself? The horror!
Recently there has been renewed discussion on the hazards of ingesting water into engines through their intake systems. The danger is very real, and unfortunately the possibility of ingesting water is true of all systems, whether the system is a production or after-market product. Simply stated, where a vacuum exists, anything fitting through the intake openings will be sucked in-dirty air, foreign objects and yes, water.
A significant difference between production and after-market air intake systems, relative to water ingesting concerns, is the physical location of the air-induction points. Another is the wide assortment of cavities, and other contortions that air are forced to follow while fighting its way towards the engine. In short, the factors that restrict airflow in production systems also help to block and/or trap water to a greater degree than after-market systems. But, as you know, production systems that are high and "dry" are also hot, restrictive, and not very efficient overall. Which brings us back to our chief objective - increasing engine performance through improved intake systems.
We deliver on our claim that our systems are the highest performers on the market. We wish that we could also claim that they miraculously part water from air. But, they don't. Neither does any other after-market intake system that draws air saturated with water. For manufacturers to claim otherwise, or, mislead you by not addressing the problem, makes them both wrong and liable. For anyone to believe that such "waterproof" systems exist (with or without attached gadgets), and not take appropriate care of his or her engine, is worse. Heed the warning!
Knight Engineering recognized and acted on the potential problem of ingesting water into the engine during certain unfavorable weather conditions from the time we first introduced the ICEMAN COOL AIR SYSTEM to the market. After countless hours of research, design, testing, and re-testing duct designs, by-pass and flapper valve, water traps, etc., (that continues to date).
We find that for now the surest way of eliminating the ingestion problem without sacrificing performance is to eliminate the source - I.e. the water. In short, don't drive through it.
Along the way we also found that introducing any of the devices mentioned above directly into the intake system obstructs the airflow, resulting in a substantial loss of power. What's the point of streamlining and accelerating airflow through redesigned intake systems, and then placing a stop or yield-right-way sign in its path?
However, we recognize that there are situations where you must drive to safe haven. If so, then do right for yourself and your engine by not going after your personal 1/4-mile time in getting there. For other than such situations, do one better and switch to your street configuration for the rainy season or expected inclement weather, as discussed below.
At Knight Engineering we design every cool air system to provide you the highest performance obtainable. The natural assumption is that you will call on you engine to deliver its utmost performance under racing conditions, so preventing water ingestion is not the primary objective. However, we also acknowledged that everyday driving conditions are not always ideal. That is why we developed a very effective way to alleviate the problem by greatly reducing the risk of ingesting water with a quick change to our street configuration. The beauty of it is that you get the added protection against the elements, plus the top performing street kit available, without sacrificing the extra power developed by the competition kit when in that mode. In short, the better of two worlds. It is ironic that Knight Engineering is up front in warning its valued customers about water ingestion, that discussion revolves around the ICEMAN COOL AIR SYSTEMS, as if we were the only product susceptible to the problem. But that’s cool. Informed customers have always been the essence of our success.
Not to make light of the issue but in summary, it's about your baby's performance! You feel its pulse, take its temp, oil its joints, wipe its bottom, feed it its octane formula, take it for a ride, teach it to run fast, and clear its breathing passages (with an ICEMAN). And, now you may even have to keep it from wetting itself? The horror!
01-24-2002, 06:34 PM
#15
HT White Ops
Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (bagelw)
So is the Comptech IceBox any better at protecting the engine from small amounts of water or moisture?
Source: Knight Engineering Web Site [Iceman Intakes]
Recently there has been renewed discussion on the hazards of ingesting water into engines through their intake systems. The danger is very real, and unfortunately <u>the possibility of ingesting water is true of all systems, whether the system is a production or after-market product. Simply stated, where a vacuum exists, anything fitting through the intake openings will be sucked in-dirty air, foreign objects and yes, water...</u>
Recently there has been renewed discussion on the hazards of ingesting water into engines through their intake systems. The danger is very real, and unfortunately <u>the possibility of ingesting water is true of all systems, whether the system is a production or after-market product. Simply stated, where a vacuum exists, anything fitting through the intake openings will be sucked in-dirty air, foreign objects and yes, water...</u>
01-24-2002, 09:37 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (DragonCTR69)
Don't drive through standing puddles of water. Problem solved! I have over 80k miles with my AEM CAI and my car is still running. Perhaps I'm just very lucky. You make the call.
I do live in Cali, it's like a dessert here.
I do live in Cali, it's like a dessert here.
01-24-2002, 09:51 PM
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Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (Cheap Bastard)
Just as a side note, most people that hydro lock go through a tremendous amount of water. A little bit of water does no harm, but swamp and lake activity is no good at all. If people want to go through these gigantic puddles and what not, maybe you should sabe some money and buy a hummer. All intakes are good if the driver isn't an idiot.
01-25-2002, 02:10 PM
#18
HT White Ops
Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (DragonCTR69)
...None here can say that the risk is the same with all systems...
SOURCE: Sport Compact Car Magazine
"The only thing guaranteed is that water will not compress."
"The only thing guaranteed is that water will not compress."
01-25-2002, 02:18 PM
#19
HT White Ops
OH BULLpoo poo !!!
Originally posted by ek_mr5
Just as a side note, most people that hydro lock go through a tremendous amount of water. A little bit of water does no harm...
Just as a side note, most people that hydro lock go through a tremendous amount of water. A little bit of water does no harm...
SOURCE: "TESTED: AEM AIR-BYPASS VALVE," SCC Magazine
OK, so what's the big deal? Think about what happens next. Say you have a 2.0-liter engine, so each cylinder displaces 500cc. <u>If just one of those cylinders sucked in just 100cc of water (100cc is only 5 percent of what's in a 2-liter bottle, if you are having problems thinking metrically) the end would be very, very near</u>. If this engine has 10.0:1 compression, for example, the combustion chamber would be reduced to <u>just 55.5cc when the piston is at top dead center</u>. As the piston goes up the compression stroke with <u>100cc of water</u> in the cylinder, impending doom is near. Air will happily compress as the piston moves up, but water will not. <u>As soon as the combustion chamber is reduced to 100cc, the piston will stop</u>. No matter what. And then the engine will stop... if you are lucky...
OK, so what's the big deal? Think about what happens next. Say you have a 2.0-liter engine, so each cylinder displaces 500cc. <u>If just one of those cylinders sucked in just 100cc of water (100cc is only 5 percent of what's in a 2-liter bottle, if you are having problems thinking metrically) the end would be very, very near</u>. If this engine has 10.0:1 compression, for example, the combustion chamber would be reduced to <u>just 55.5cc when the piston is at top dead center</u>. As the piston goes up the compression stroke with <u>100cc of water</u> in the cylinder, impending doom is near. Air will happily compress as the piston moves up, but water will not. <u>As soon as the combustion chamber is reduced to 100cc, the piston will stop</u>. No matter what. And then the engine will stop... if you are lucky...
[Modified by BlackDeuceCoupe, 3:27 PM 1/25/2002]
01-25-2002, 05:39 PM
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Re: OH BULLpoo poo !!! (BlackDeuceCoupe)
alittle tip....if you are driving through a heavy rain storm....pull over, turn the car off, unscrew your intake from the throttle body, and just run an open throttle body untill you can get to a garage or till the rain stops
01-25-2002, 06:21 PM
#21
Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (DragonCTR69)
i really think people that try driving in water deep enough to submerge a CAI are missing a few brain cells beside s if ur intake is deep enough to be submerged..so is ur exhaust
beside s if ur intake is deep enough to be submerged..so is ur exhaust
01-28-2002, 07:31 PM
#22
HT White Ops
Re: AEM AIR INTAKES (deepnite)
i really think people that try driving in water deep enough to submerge a CAI are missing a few brain cells beside s if ur intake is deep enough to be submerged..so is ur exhaust
beside s if ur intake is deep enough to be submerged..so is ur exhaust
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