[fkeillor]

Here is a question for all the gearheads here at skyRoadster.com.
If I get the Cold Air Induction and the Limited-slip differential added to my new Sky how will these options effect my MPG. Will I get better:willy: or worse MPG. Thanks in advance for you info.

 

[tiger20005]

I don't know about this car but I can speak from experience that I installed one on my Toyota Solara and it actually gave me better MPG, unless I really wanted to hear it rev in which case it gave me worse. Standard driving gave me better MPG that is. Keep your foot of the accelerator and I am sure you should see results. Again my take on it, not sure what more mechanicly inclined people would say... SKY + CAI = :thumbs:

 

[ishot3bucks]

My other "car" is a doge ram...11 mpg/city....who cares, the SKY will feel like I'm stealing at the pump!

 

[tiger20005]

Me too brother! I can't believe how friggin much it takes to fill my Yota now! :banghead:

 

[nscrbug]

Explain to a girl...

Can someone explain what exactly this CAI does? I know it improves performance somewhat...but how? And if you get it installed, does the car have to have something else done to it? For example, when I had my engine modified on my Harley, I had to have the ECM re-mapped. Does something like that have to be done with this CAI thing? Realistically, how much more performance (HP) would one expect to see with this added?

 

[TexSon]

Can someone explain what exactly this CAI does? I know it improves performance somewhat...but how? And if you get it installed, does the car have to have something else done to it? For example, when I had my engine modified on my Harley, I had to have the ECM re-mapped. Does something like that have to be done with this CAI thing? Realistically, how much more performance (HP) would one expect to see with this added?

CAI - Cold air intake. An engine runs better with colder air, it is more dense, so you get a better air to fuel mix which improves performance and fuel economy. A good CAI will also provide for smoother or less restrictive air intake, but there is some level of discussion as to how much that provides any benefit without a similar increase in exhaust. If you take in 400cfm, but can only put out 300cfm, you start reducing performance.

They usually advertize about 10-20% increase in performance but on a dynometer you usually see a bit less than that, but still there is usually an increase. The question then becomes is the $400+ cost for the intake worth the small increase in power and fuel economy? And that is often more personal opinion than real fact.

 

[dmbdlatc]

I'll take a stab at it. It picks up air from forward of the engine compartment, instead of from the engine compartment itself. The air forward of the engine compartment should be cooler. Cooler air is more dense, thus you get more air (by weight) into the engine to be used for combustion.

There is an optimum fuel to air ratio for the engine to run correctly. You can't get more power out of the engine by adding just fuel because you upset the ratio of fuel to air.

More fuel means more power IF you can keep the fuel/air ratio correct. So to get more power you add more FUEL AND AIR. The cold air kit gets more air in there because the air it supplies is denser, so the engine fuel controller can, inturn, add more fuel for more power.

OK, gear heads. I just put on my flame suit. Go ahead and rip into me for not getting it perfect.

 

[tiger20005]

Okay the laymens terms on a CAI is that it will provide your engine more air intake (cooler air to add). It is like if you went snorkling and you used a straw then switched back to a snorkle. This is the same way a CAI works! It does increase performance because it does not prohibit less air into your engine. Your engine will stay cooler therefore run much more optimal. The suggestion that the directions on my Toyota is that I reset the ECM (which was done by pulling negative off battery and reseating it). My guess is this had to do with the O2 Sensor being installed inside the actualy intake piping. I guess it gave it a chance to rething what it was working with. The car started a little rough but then took on a new sound and performance shortly afterwards. It gave it a slight noticeable difference. This should add around 10hp to your SKY. It also will make the sound of your car more like a racecar, but not like a "Ricer" sound but more masculine. IMO WELL WORTH THE $$$. Hope this helps, but maybe someone who is a mechanic can go into greater details!

 

[nscrbug]

Thanks for the explanation, guys! It sure seems like it might be worth looking into. :thumbs:

 

[dmbdlatc]

There might be a remote posiblity that the LSD could do something to the MPG. But I'm not sure how.

 

[MCW Sky]

Lsd

There might be a remote posiblity that the LSD could do something to the MPG. But I'm not sure how.

I would imagine that the LSD components add only a very small amount of weght - so the additional drag caused by the rolling friction on the tires should be negligible. Since the purpose of the LSD is to improve traction you might see a slight improvement in MPG if you spend a lot of time in areas of low traction. In other words if you and I both drive 1000 miles on the odometer and you have LSD and get good traction all the time and I do not have LSD and spend a certain amount of time with the wheels spinning then I am taking more revs of the engine, more time, etc to cover the same 1000 miles on the odometer - but then I haven't necessarily atually traveled 1000 miles either. Not sure if that helps.

 

[brentil]

I don't think the LSD impacts fuel economy in any way. We've got mixed reports on the CAI so far. Some say more some say less.

 

[fkeillor]

Thanks everyone for you expertise on the CAI and LSD. I knew the answeres would be out the in SkyRoadster land. This forum is such a wealth of knowledge. Have a question, ask it and you will get the answere.

 

[Ernest]

The CAI on the SKY is mounted higher, les apt to get water. Inside the grille about half way up. Asked mechanic about chances of hydro lock, showed that is was up wenough to not worry. It really cleans up the engine compartment, nice big Stainless Steel Chrome airtube, and it really sounds good.