Because this is a pic of a 2000 model, I'll ask the question here.

The air is sucked in from the top. It goes down to the resonator box. Then back up pass the filter, then to the engine.

I would imagine the OEM resonator would collect all a layer of dust over time that can be sucked back up into the filter at any time.

Is this correct?

Do we need to open it up and clean it out?

I have never taken apart an OEM air intake resonator.

 

Negative, homie.

 

If you see the resonator, it is just a U-shaped bend. Nothing complex. At most, some tiny pebbles might get stuck at the bend, I just suck it out with a vacuum...

Besides, that's what you have the filter for.

 

Just leave it out and get a SRAM or CAI. Sine you live in AZ rain shouldn't be an issue or just get the bypass to prevent hydrolocking on the CAI. My 2cents

 

Leave it out, and have the airbox suck cold air from behind the bumper.

 

I just removed everything below the filter box on my 02 CLS........eff paying for a cai when the fender and engine bay sheet metal effectively isolate the intake from heat

 

As the others stated, you can safely rip it out. Did it in my car before getting an intake.

 

x2. Just out of curiousity: what are the advantages of taking the resonator box out?

 

Two things come to my mind

1) The air is pulled from down in the bumper rather than over top the battery, where cold air intakes are designed to fit so you get colder air
2) The resonator quiets the intake system down a bit, so removing it gives the stock intake a bit more tone.

 

Thanks. I will give it a try. Out here cars must pass a yearly check so we are somewhat limited in the modifications we can do...

 

Throw in a K&N Panel insert Filter, and Bobs your mothers brother.
This type of setup should "in theory" be better than a SRI shouldn't it.... I mean it would suck in cooler air.

 

Assuming you seal off the air box hole somehow, I would imagine it would perform better.

There's a member on HS that has the CF4 intake which is a wider intake pipe which would help even more.

 

I have a K&N OEM drop in filter and have removed my resonator. I love the deeper richer tone. I haven't sealed off the whole at all but yeah like TheMuffinMan said, there's someone here on the forums that actually used a dryer hose and made some contraption that LOOKED ghetto but probably performed pretty damn well. Do some searching if you're interested