Hey everyone,

I just want to give a quick warning to anyone who has the AEM dealer intake to keep an eye on it very carefully (I believe the TRD intake currently available is the same thing). You should probably also add this experience as another reason not to get the dealer offered intake system.

Here's why:
I was speaking to Jennay about some clattering noise on my car when it was stopped at a light (had been like that for months). She suggested I check out the intake support that's welded to the intake. The welding has been known to break, causing the intake to rattle.

I finally got around to looking at my car in the daylight, yesterday. I discovered on my intake, instead of the weld breaking, a 1-inch piece of the intake tubing had torn off at the support area, leaving a huge hole which unknown amounts of dirt and other contaminents could travel through. Luckily the AEM pipe is a two part piece, so I simply moved the filter from the lower pipe to the upper pipe, effectively creating a short ram-style intake.

My question to all the gurus out there is:
What should I do now?

I plan on getting a different intake. But I'm a little bit worried about what could've gotten into the engine during the time the hole was around. The inside of the intake tubing was a bit dirty, and I pulled the MAF and saw there were some bits of dirt there as well.

If anyone has any suggetions/tips on how to clean the MAF and how to protect my engine from the junk that must be in there now, it'd be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to take my car back to the dealer and see what they say about it.

 

I was going to get an aem next week and now I may wait.

 

Take it to the dealer and have them replace it, or if they will, return it to stock and the other intake yourself. Have them clean the MAF too.

 

Just get the one-piece CAI that AEM makes. It's a much simpler design than the Toyota/TRD offered AEM unit and includes the new MAF sensor friendly dry-flow filter. The part number is 21-567.

I bought mine from ---> www.tirerack.com


Chimmy3......I've always had good luck cleaning MAF sensors with a soft cotton cloth soaked with a little glass cleaner.

 

If your going to change your intake later I wsould take it to the dealer now so they can see that it was their intake that broke and let all kinds of dirt into your motor. This way your warranty will still be good, just in case some thing does go wrong.Someone else had a problem and the dealer wouldn't cover because the aftermarket intake let dirt( aluminum dust) into the motor.

this just might save you a bunch of money and hassel if you do have problems down the road.

 

did you get the bypass for water

 

No I didn't get the bypass. This unit is not quite as long so the filter is a little higher up. If you find yourself in water deep enough to completely submerge the filter with this setup, you'll probably have bigger issues than just potential hydro-lock .

If you do want to install install a bypass valve on this particaular unit, you'll need to cut it, as it's a one piece design. The Tire Rack sells the valve too.

 

what cut it. what about just normal rain fall and hitting the filter

 

"What cut it".....not sure what your asking.

A wet filter caused by rainfall, snow, car washes, ect. will not cause hydro-lock.

 

why isn't just dropping a k&n filter in the car making enough power for people I own an Xa I noticed there is a very thin cloth like filter above the main filter in the airbox should this be removed when you put in a k&N what is it there for it doesn't look removable I looked at it briefly though and with engines that make such little horsepower without forced induction and so much heat i would be worried about heatsoak of an AEM or TRD cold air intake also the everpresent effect of roadgrime and standing water on the road if somone has detailed knowledge about the stock airbox and can answer my question about the cloth filter that is above the main airfilter could you private message me the answer it would be greatly appreciated I just thought that a stock airbox with the right filter might make as much power as a cold air intake thats actually getting heatsoaked and so many people seem to be having problems with would love to hear advice cause I was thinking about buying one. message me.

 

Not sure what the thin cloth filter this for.....maybe additional filtering or to increase or decrease turbulance?

As for heat-soak? Well that's the reality with any intake, including the stock unit. I still think the there is some benefit do the lower restriction of most aftermaket intakes compared to the stocker.

 

Just take it to the dealership and have them replace it. That what you're warranty is for. Personally I like the Injen SRI over all but that's just me. The TRD intake and the AEM are basically the same but not all dealers offer the AEM now. Only people inside of SET (Southeast Toyota) have the AEM and TRD option. TMS decided to not carry the AEM any more/