RAM Air VS. Cold Air

Hey, can you guys help me out. What is the differance between ram and cold air intakes. I know that cold air is more expensive, but thats about it. What one gives your car more power, makes it louder, or is there not really any differances.

-I would appreciate any feedback
Thanks for your time

Well the cold air intake (cai) goes under the engine and brings in cold air, hence the name. The short ram intake is up by the engine and brings in hotter air. The engine is better with cold air. So the cai will give you more power and better throttle response. That's why the cai is more expensive, because it works better. You get what you pay for basically. The short ram intakes don't do much at all for power, but it will change the sound of your exhaust.

the only problem you might have with the cold air intake is the possibility of the filter sucking in water. in order for that to happen the filter has to be completely submerged in water.

another thing to keep in mind is that short ram is sitting right next to the engine and may bring in hotter air than stock and may kill your performance

Originally posted by jeef
another thing to keep in mind is that short ram is sitting right next to the engine and may bring in hotter air than stock and may kill your performance

Yes, that's why the factory pulls air from outside the engine bay just like those super high-tech CAI's :)

Originally posted by texan
Yes, that's why the factory pulls air from outside the engine bay just like those super high-tech CAI's :)

:eek:
Sssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Dont tell everybody! The CAI suppliers will go out of business.

:D :D

but unlike a cai the stock intake is usley ribbed (for her pleasure) and causes turbulance in the intake and thus less power.... hence the advantage of CAI or even Ram intakes :bandit:



Drive it like ya stole it !!!!

Originally posted by JDM_SIR_II
but unlike a cai the stock intake is usley ribbed (for her pleasure) and causes turbulance in the intake and thus less power.... hence the advantage of CAI or even Ram intakes :bandit:



Drive it like ya stole it !!!!

If you looked inside the stock piping, it's only ribbed on the outside. At least that's the way it was on the three different makes and models I've installed intake systems on.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t24091.html


Here's a link to the pictures of my CAI w/the bypass valve to eliminate the water induction into the engine.

i live in michigan and sometimes there can be flash flooding in my area, if i had a cai how deep would a puddle have to be for the intake to take in water? as deep as my car is off the ground? and is there any alternative positions you can place the intake where it would be less likely to suck up water? one last question, do those bypass valves defeat the purpose of having a cai because they limit airflow?

you have to have the intake completly submerged for it to matter... and yes the valve almost completly eliminates the purpose of the cai... its a very small gain as is...

the bypass valve actually is just another part of tube till you need it. it doesn't draw in air at anytime till it is needed. It has flaps and they are closed when the cai is working usually but when water is coming up the intake it sucks the bypass valve open stopping the water from flowing up more and allowing your engine to breath without death and honestly who cares about performance when you are ina puddle that is up to your intake?

Originally posted by spy54
the bypass valve actually is just another part of tube till you need it. it doesn't draw in air at anytime till it is needed. It has flaps and they are closed when the cai is working usually but when water is coming up the intake it sucks the bypass valve open stopping the water from flowing up more and allowing your engine to breath without death and honestly who cares about performance when you are ina puddle that is up to your intake?

i was asking if it limits performance in regular conditions, because having a valve there must create resistance of some kind, anyone know of an article or something that tests a cai w/ and w/o a bypass valve?

You dont need a bypass valve, just be smart and dont drive into a flooded road.

You dont need a bypass valve, just cut a hole throught the top of your hood and point the CAI out the hood. That way you have a snorkel (to get respect from the 4X4 crowd) and you have ram-air (to get respect from the muscle crowd).

That is all.

:finger:
Ram-air or short ram?

they told you what short ram is but if you were meaning ram-air, that refers to some kind of a scoop under or in the front of a car. Ducting to "ram" the charge of air flow coming into the engine

Ram-air is by far the best air induction system to run.
Then cold-air
last short-ram

why would you need a snorkle if its rain that makes the flood...? i mean your gonna get water in better that way than having the intake normal right?

the amount of water or moisture that you get from CAI is just same as amount you would get from having the engine turned off and on in cold tempretures u know CONDENSATION. so just dont matter unless you are driving in water... but if you do that i dont think you are smart enough to know what CAI is or is even thinking about it.

Hey, i just wanted to show u guys how stupid some people can be
check out those two pictures and the first one if u wanna. It shows that this kid is calling his intake a cold air. Now obviously, he knows nothing about cars. This kid goes to my school, and annoys the hell outta everyone cuz hes a cocky annoying poser.
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/432867/3
I know its a VW, but this kid is just a douche bag
What he did was this, take out the stock air box and put a K&N filter cone on the stock tube. He is calling this a cold air but obviously its more like a short ram and what was listed before, short rams are the worst type of intake. It really isn't all that much of a short ram either, it still has the stock tube that is rivited. All it does is just make ur engine and exhaust sound different. They also can blow hot air in the engine, which is worse than stock.
Please, voice your opinion on how stupid this kid really is

so in order to get water into your engine, the cai has to be completely submerged in the water? lets say you hit a pot hole on your left tire that was filled with water and it splashed everywhere. would you cai then suck in some water? what if you made an aluminum sheet cover thing and put it on the bottom on your bumper, to elimate the cai sucking up water. would that work?

Supposedly driving in rain wont really affect ur CAI or engine. Its just a little bit of water compared to a pond of water. People hydrolock their engines cuz they drive through a flood with a CAI and dont have those bypass valves. Basically driving in rain is safe but not driving through a river.