

First, they already take in cold air from outside the engine compartment. Aftermarket cold air intakes actually reduce performanceįactory intake systems are already designed to give maximum performance. You’re still limited by the size of the throttle body and the size of the valves. You can’t overcome those restrictions by using a larger intake pipe or larger exhaust pipe. What they fail to tell you is that the throttle body and valves are the biggest restrictions in the engine. If you make no other changes to your stock factory vehicle, a cold air intake will NOT deliver better gas mileage or more power.Īftermarket cold air intake manufacturers want you to believe that the factory intake is substandard because it restricts airflow into your engine. That’s not a fair comparison because just about every fuel-injected vehicle made in the last 20 years comes from the factory with a tuned cold air intake. For example, they often compare the results of their aftermarket cold air intake to a factory intake thats’ drawing air from under the hood. But they also make a lot of “slight-of-hand” comparisons. I’m coming at this strictly from a technician’s point of view with the knowledge I’ve gained from engine designers.Ĭold air intake manufacturers make lots of promises. I don’t sell parts so I have nothing to gain. They usually sell racing parts, so of course, they’re going to want to sell you an aftermarket cold air intake. Every source that says they add a lot of power to your vehicle is a source that has a horse in the race. Here’s a tip to sorting out all the conflicting information you’ll be watching and reading. If you’re reading this, you’re already wondering if an aftermarket cold air intake is better than the factory intake. Repair Topics > Rip-Offs and Scams > Do Cold Air Intakes work? Do Cold Air Intakes work? Cold air intake myths and legends
