Air Intake

[bubbacc]

Copied from the Saturn Web site ... listed as an option ($495) available for the Sky ...

"Air Intake
Increasing cold air intake, this accessory improves the SKY's performance by allowing the engine to breathe more easily."

What exactly does it do? increase power? improve fuel economy? or what?

[eldeeko]

Originally Posted by bubbacc

Copied from the Saturn Web site ... listed as an option ($495) available for the Sky ..."Air Intake
Increasing cold air intake, this accessory improves the SKY's performance by allowing the engine to breathe more easily."
What exactly does it do? increase power? inprove fuel economy? or what?

It is supposed to do both, but for $495 there should be a little man sitting on your hood with an air hose while you drive. The aftermarket one's that I have seen are about 1/2 that price, and even that is high. All it does is bring in cooler air from either in front of or next to the radiator. Cool air = higher pressure = more oxygen/air to mix with fuel. Or something along that order.

[tiger20005]

I was actually going to post this thread earlier because this is a very nice option! I have an air intake on my 01 Toyota Solara and before I installed it my car had a very low sound to it but after installing it my car ran mush better and actually put out a nice deeper pitch when flooring it. I liek the way my car handled aftre getting the intake so now I will definitely get an intake for my SKY at some point. Now question is do I wait for Injen (very repitable air intake company) to make a model that fits the SKY and only pay tops $200-$250 or get the factory one? The are quite simple to install and I did it in minutes and I am not the best at car mechanics but when I go it, it was obvious how to install it. Also as a side note they say since it allows your engine to breathe better it also boosts you a couple to a few horsepower...so maybe with it teh car will be like 180hp. All I am saying is there was quite the noticable difference in my Toyota after the intake.

P.S. Here is just the beginning of many threads on should we get an exhaust too? Catback!? The mods will probably be endless in about a year's time...

[soslowgtp]

On the solstice a CAI (Cold Air Intake) is good for an extra 10hp across the entire rpm range, meaning you will notice a difference when you hit the gas. Also it will change the pitch, some people like it, others don't, it's juat a personal thing. Lastly IF you drive it the same you will get better gas milage because the air will be slightly cooler, but mostly because of the fact that the air will flow straighter and quicker which means the VE (Volumetric Efficieny) of the engine will go up.

[skl8260]

I've been looking at this one (I assume it would fit both Kappas) --> http://kappasphere.com/handler.cfm?c...nction=product

[CdnSkyGuy]

It should work...I am going to order one before the end of the month to get in on that free filter deal.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by skl8260

I've been looking at this one (I assume it would fit both Kappas) --> http://kappasphere.com/handler.cfm?c...nction=product

Yes, our intake was designed to work on both the Solstice the Sky. It is one of our best sellers. Added +10 whp and +10 ft-lbs of torque.

Neil

[Kinsey]

You may want to check with Saturn before putting in a CAI. Most CAI's void any warrenty on the engine. Reason is because the CAI puts the air filter down lower to the ground and can suck water into the engine. THAT IS A BAD THING! I have had one in my last two cars and it caused bad things to happen until they were removed. So before spending the money and putting one in I would check with Saturn and see if it voids their warrenty. Trust me even if you put it in and it fries the engine and you take it out....they still know. If you live in a desert though.... GO FOR IT!!

[soslowgtp]

a CAI does NOT technically void any warranty.... if it causes something to fail the mfg can chose not tocover the affected part..... CAI don't typically suck in water unless submerged.... what happens on alot of cars is that the oil from the filter covers the MAF sensor in a film so the car doen't run right.... a little throttle body cleaner normally fixes it fine

[Ernest]

If the manufacturer offers the option, it shouldn't affect the warranty if it is installed by authorized Saturn service techs at a dealer, right?

ERNEST

[CdnSkyGuy]

It is not hard to put the stock one back on if the engine goes Kaput.

[rick112]

I've read the 10+ hp increase as well. I would think that if Saturn is offering CAI then at least their version shouldn't void any Warranty. And of course you should have a Warranty from the manufacturer of the part if you go for an aftermarket part.

[soslowgtp]

if you buy the car with it you get the full warranty, if you have adealer install it later you get the remaining warranty or 12 months 12000 miles on the part, might be 24 / 24k. If you buy it and intall it yourself you might be screwed, On some GM performance parts they offer a warranty for the part only if you install it, other itmes they offer no warranty. Also if you install it they could blame just about anything wrong with the engine on you not installing it right, even if you did.... so don't do it yourself unless you trust your dealership.

[brentil]

Originally Posted by soslowgtp

if you buy the car with it you get the full warranty, if you have adealer install it later you get the remaining warranty or 12 months 12000 miles on the part, might be 24 / 24k. If you buy it and intall it yourself you might be screwed, On some GM performance parts they offer a warranty for the part only if you install it, other itmes they offer no warranty. Also if you install it they could blame just about anything wrong with the engine on you not installing it right, even if you did.... so don't do it yourself unless you trust your dealership.

I don't think you can buy it from the factory, it's just an accessory you're buying the dealer installs.

[Kinsey]

I was told by my mitsubishi tech that if water would happen to get into the engine from the cai, the warrenty will be voided and I would have to pay for a whole new engine to be put in. He also said that the techs can tell if you take out the cai and put the stock back in. Basically because they know it was water that caused the engine to fry and there is only one way for water to get in it. It is true though that you have to go through quite a bit of water for this to happen. One problem I noticed is that if you live where you get a decent amount of snow, it really screws with filter because snow gets attached to it. As with anything you do to the car that can change performance, it is good to check with the dealer first. I know with my car, the first thing I am doing is putting the exhaust system they offer at www.Kappasphere.com on it. That will increase hp pretty well and give the sky a sweeet sound.

[teh-cut]

I'll wait for the intakes to start being whored out by the aftermarket and ebay for 40 bucks.

I brought a new turbo 2 years ago that cost as much as that intake


Dealers will say all sort of crap about warranties and the aftermarket. By law (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) they can't just void out your whole warranty. If a particular aftermarket part you put on CAUSES a related factory part to fail the dealer can not honor the warranty for that particular part IF they can prove your part is what caused the failure. However, since most consumers don't know this you sometimes have to fight for them to honor the law.

[soslowgtp]

Originally Posted by brentil

I don't think you can buy it from the factory, it's just an accessory you're buying the dealer installs.

I should have been more clear, I just meant if you ordered it at the same time as the car, so that the dealership would install if before delivery to you.

[lbsst14]

A Cold Air Intake or CAI brings colder & denser air into the engine, thus increasing horsepower and torque. Usually the increase is anywhere between 8 – 15 WHP (Wheel Horse Power) depending on how the engine responds to bolt on modifications. You also need to consider the general design of the engine and its position within the engine bay, as the CAI becomes more or less effective depending on how far it can get away from the "heat" of the engine, plus the direct nature of the pipe going directly into the engine (vs. a pipe that twists and turns its way through the engine bay like you see in late model Honda Civics).


Some engines have a very restrictive air intake, so the CAI really does make a notable improvement.


Most CAI are sold by aftermarket companies, and usually go from $100 - $200. Go on e-bay and you can see some “homemade” CAI’s that are about $80 and offer comparable performance but lack the visual WOW that a Injen or AEM CAI might have.

Also, you will have a much more noticeable engine “roar” with a CAI, as you are usually replacing several plastic parts designed to “quiet” engine sounds with a straight metal pipe.

However, there are several downsides to a CAI. The first being the risk of Hydrolock. Since CAI’s are near the front and bottom of the engine there is the risk that the air filter (or the opening where air is being sucked in for the engine) might become submerged in water via a puddle. This then results in water being sucked inside the engine and into the combustion chamber. Since water does not “compress”, this can cause the engine rods to snap, or the engine block itself to crack.

From personal experience I can tell you that this is a REAL possibility. I equipped my car with an aftermarket CAI for over a year, enjoyed the performance it brought, but was shocked when I drove through a medium sized puddle and had my car suddenly die on me. I had snapped a rod, and I can tell you it was no fun paying the bill to have my car fixed.

I now use a Short Ram Intake, which is the same as a CAI except it does not extend outside of the engine bay, which protects your engine from the risk of Hydrolock. It does not perform as well as a CAI as the air it sucks in is not as cold (as the filter never extends outside of the engine bay), so it only brings a 8 WHP gain.


Now, as far as this relates to the Saturn Sky… is this a Factory option being offered by Saturn, or a local dealer? If the factory is offering this as an option then it would have to be covered under warranty, just as a Turbo in the Redline version would be covered under warranty. You would probably be protected if you Hydrolocked your car.

Also, I can see Saturn charging $400 + for a CAI for several reasons. The first being that a $200 CAI from an aftermarket company would void the warranty… a $400 one right from GM would not. If we are talking about an option you can add onto the MSRP of the vehicle and then finance, then $400 sounds like a good deal. Pont number 2 is that the NA (Naturally Aspirated or Non-Turboed) Sky owners might want a performance boost so that they are not totally left in the dust by the Redline Turboed Sky’s… and a CAI might just be the type of mod most Sky owners would be willing to do if it was covered under the warranty. Remember that a CAI is a VERY EASY mod, especially compared with other NA mods (Exhaust, Headers, Cams, and so on. The only easier mod would be a racing chip), so it could be a relatively cheap way of boosting performance closer to the redline level.

[soslowgtp]

Hydro lock normally only happens when the filter is mostly or completly submerged.

Also yes GM is offering an intake for the sky, it is either $275 or $400 depending on how you select it on the saturn website.

[teh-cut]

An aftermarket intake does not void your warranty. Well unless of course you come in to your dealer with a hydrolocked motor and a soaking wet cold air intake.

I can't see it providing much more then a few horepower on a N/A 4 banger. The reviews for the pontiac's intake aren't so hot

Well, just thought I would offer my opinion on the GM Performance Parts cold air intake kit.

I received my kit on Monday and installed it later that night. It's really easy to install, in case anyone is concerned.

A few things I thought I'd mention....

- When driving around like a normal person (conservatively), it doesn't sound bad at all. It actually sounds better. The harsh motor sounds are basically gone. At idle, it actually has a deeper tone as well.

- At wide open throttle... the car sounds like complete ass. Honest to God, it's emberassing. It's really loud, but not deep and mean sounding... it really really sounds like something you'd see from a 16 year old with a lowered and riced 1993 Honda Civic DX sedan. I mean, it's REALLY bad....

Dude, I'm serious... I don't know how in the WORLD some of you guys could think that sounds cool. For those that think it sounds good, I've got to ask... what do you normally drive?

I'm used to adding performance parts on cars with displacements of at least 2.8 liters or more...

It sounds aweful... I can't express it enough. It sounds JUST like a riced out Honda Civic. I'm too emberassed to even floor it. If I do race anyone... I sure as hell better get out of there because I don't know if I could stand the emberassment of getting stuck next to the person at the next light.


Is there ANYTHING that I can do to get rid of that hiddeous "WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" sound that it makes when I floor it?

On a positive note, I am getting much better fuel economy. And NORMAL driving around actually feels a bit smoother. To be honest, I seriously doubt that I'm getting 10hp. The KappaSphere one must be a whole lot better than the GM one, because at wide open throttle, I don't feel a bit of difference. I haven't bothered to reset my ECM though... so who knows....

It does feel smoother when I drive around normally though... fwiw...


I would really like to hear from anyone that is equally dissapointed in the noise. I should have figured.. I don't know why I thought that this 4 cyl would be different from all others???

I'm really hoping that there's some sort of silencer that I can add on to preven the reverberation in the intake. What does that bulb looking thing do... the coupler between the long pipe and the smaller pipe? Does that help make it sound like ass? Because if so, I may replace it with a straight piece.



Thanks,

[twirp]

I believe the price is a little high, $500 will go a very long way towards a extended warranty. What have some of the previous Saturn owners like Ernest paid for a extended warranty? I was quoted " about a grand" for 5 year 50K mile 100 deductable. Im sure K&N, MTI, & RK sport as well as others will be offering the same thing later at 1/2 the cost . I do recommend here in Texas if you buy one look for one that has a CARB # meaning it complies with all emission laws.As far as voiding the warranty, Saturn has to prove it was the modification that voids the warranty, they just can't point and say oh you changed your air filter, thats why you spun a bearing.

[soslowgtp]

Originally Posted by teh-cut

An aftermarket intake does not void your warranty. Well unless of course you come in to your dealer with a hydrolocked motor and a soaking wet cold air intake.

I can't see it providing much more then a few horepower on a N/A 4 banger. The reviews for the pontiac's intake aren't so hot

There are several dyno runs showing 10 hp.... Also that review was from someone who is used to large V8's I believe.... not I4's ..... Basically it's a personal preferance, there are alot of people who like how it sounds, you can't take one person who doesn't like 4 bangers and say they are the market for the car & say the CAI sucks.