a few questions...
 

I'm considering getting the AEM CAI. But I have a few concerns before I actually go out and get it for my 99 Accord LX coupe.

1) I live in upstate new york and in the winter it often gets slushy and snowy. Is this bad if I get a CAI? And what exactly does a bypass valve do, and does it have good results?

2) If I get the CAI for the 99 accord lx coupe, would I have to create a larger hole in the engine bay (this question was raised in the last thread, but I didn't come out of it with a clear answer)?

Thanks!
-gee

yes you need to make a larger hole in the inner fender. and go to aempower.com and they have to explain somehow the bypass valve

In case you don't feel like reading their site, basically the bypass valve is just as its name says. If too much suction is required to draw air through the filter, then the bypass valve will open up and continue providing air to the engine, bypassing the main filter. It's a one-way valve with its own filter (I believe it has its own filter), similar to what you'll find in the nosepiece of a diving mask, or in one end of a snorkel. Basically the reverse of a blow-off valve.

Peeps are sayin it'll drop you about 2-5 hp from whatever gain you get from the CAI, thus making the CAI with bypass a very slight improvement in power. Slush probably won't be nearly as much a problem as water puddles, but either could be an issue. I guess snow could be more of an issue than water, since it'll blow around more easily, but the bypass valve won't prevent that from happening. It'll take a good deal of pressure to open the bypass valve, basically you'd have to immerse a good portion of the intake into water before it opens up.

b

still kinda undecided
 

Thanks for all the info guys.... I'm still kinda having a hard time deciding whether or not its worth getting tho.

Should I play it safe and get a short intake? (do those give much)?

Cuz I want the CAI, but I really dont want it if there's a good chance itll suck in water or slush or snow in...

Anyone from the northeast have experience with one?

Thanks,
Gee

Just how much cutting is involved for a '99 or '01 LX to put in the AEM CAI?

b