Hey all, I wanted to thanks the guys at ScionLife for providing the intake and this website. Without this site I would not have bought a Scion. Thanks guys!

After glancing at the instructions I felt confident that I could let the neighborhood kids handle the installation. Markus is seven and Andrew is nine, and both have a reasonable grasp of how to follow instructions. I sat back and let the kids take over.

AEM Cold-Air Intake Installation Guide


Read Instructions
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/01.jpg
Both kids voted to commit the instructions to memory before touching the car. Markus couldn't figure out what some of the car part names referred to, but was sure that he could figure it out once he started taking things apart. Andrew was more concerned about the large hole in the top of the intake pipe. Hows this gonna keep the air in?


Check Parts
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/02.jpg
Our kit came with two sections of polished piping, a filter, assorted silicon pipe fittings and hose clamps, a small bag of miscellaneous hardware and instructions.


Open Hood
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/03.jpg
My tC's engine compartment was definitely NOT going to turn any heads. The large, ugly plastic intake pipe and filter box is the opposite of bling. The kids agreed that adding some shiny metal would make the car much better.


Remove Front Left Wheel
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/04.jpg
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Markus got to work loosening the lugnuts, then Andrew located the arrow under the coupe's sill to properly locate the jack. After jacking the car up it was a snap to remove the pre-loosened lugs, and the wheel was set aside.


Remove Engine Cover
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/06.jpg
Markus knew the directions by heart, so he jumped right in and started removing the engine cover. After the installation was complete he realized that it was never in the way, and probably didn't have to be removed. But since it was only two bolts and it can scratch easily he thought it was still a good idea.


Loosen Components
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/07.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/08.jpg
The instructions were very detailed, and easily led the two through each little detail of the installation. To remove the old intake they had to unsnap a small hose and pull out the PCV hose.


Remove MAF
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/09.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/10.jpg
The Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF) had to be removed from the old intake so it can get installed on the new one. Andrew's little fingers had trouble unplugging the sensor, but once that was done it was easy to remove the two screws and pull the sensor out. He knows that MAF sensors are very fragile, so he set it aside carefully so it wouldn't get damaged.


Detach Sensor
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/11.jpg
Another little sensor is attached to the old intake, so it was pulled straight up to snap it out, then the bracket was unscrewed with a single philips screw. It was kind of hard to pull the sensor out of its holder, so I had to put down my cold beer and take control of this step.


Remove OEM Intake
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/12.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/13.jpg
Finally! The two latches holding the filter cover on were released and the old intake was pulled from the throttle body. The clamp holding the old intake onto the throttlebody was tight, and difficult to reach with tools, so the kids called me over again! Luckily I could use my fingers to squeeze the clamp so the intake came right off. I then immediately settled back into my observation chair and opened a second beer.


Compare Parts
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/14.jpg
With the old intake out it was easy to compare the two. Markus was very pleased at the lightness of the new AEM unit, and its obvious reduction in airflow resistance. He also liked that it was shiny, as previously noted. Andrew was unhappy that he had to hold the old crappy intake system, and moments after the picture was snapped he proceeded to throw it into his years where his year-old pitbull used it as a chew toy.


Remove Remaining OEM Components
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/15.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/16.jpg
A couple more old parts still had to come out. The bottom of the filter box was removed with three 10mm bolts and the lower intake section had two plastic philips screws holding it in. The top screw was simple, but the lower screw took some finesse. This is where seven-year-old hands come in handy. The fusebox cover was removed and a stubby philips screwdriver made removal of the intake section much easier. Then it simply pulled out and went into the trash.


Loosen and Move Fender Liner
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http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/18.jpg
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http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/20.jpg
Time to get the inner fender liner out of the way. A screw and plastic pop rivet in the wheel well and three screws under the car loosened the part of the liner that was in our way. We folded it back and hooked it behind the brake to keep it from slapping ou hands while we worked.


Remove Headlight Ground Bolt
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/21.jpg
Down in the wheel well we stuck our heads and camera into the small area under the headlight to locate the headlight ground bolt. It needed to be removed to make room for a future intake mounting bolt. The 10mm bolt was not visible, but the kids could feel it behind the sheet metal. It was easy to find because it had two white wires running to a metal ring terminal that was bolted to the body.


Prepare for Intake Installation
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http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/23.jpg
Markus screwed in the two rubber intake mounts, popped the silicone adapter onto the throttlebody (with two hose clamps on it) and wrapped the plastic spiral wrap onto the rubber hose, as per the AEM instructions.


Install Long Intake Section
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/24.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/25.jpg
Next Markus slid the new intake section into the hole in the inner fender, lined it up with the adapter on the throttlebody and slid the tabs into the newly-installed rubber mounting bolts.


Reinstall OEM Components
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http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/27.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/28.jpg
The PCV valve hose, MAF sensor and that other little sensor all had to go back together. The hose slipped right on using the old clamp, the MAF sensor screwed back in with new screws (supplied) and the other sensor went on with a new screw and locking washer.



Intall Lower Intake and Filter
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/29.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/30.jpg
Back in the wheel well Andrew was stumped on how to properly install the rubber mounting bolt for the lower intake. I pushed him aside, installed the mounting bolt and laughed in his face! Then Markus tried to install the lower intake, and had a lot of trouble. Andrew figured out that I had installed the mounting bolt wrong and fixed it. It turns out that the rubber mount should be installed on the backside of the sheet metal, from where the original bolt came out. I had installed it on the side of the sheet metal that I could see. Quick fix. With it installed correctly the lower intake tube went right on with an adapter and a couple of hose clamps. The braket screwed onto the mount and the folter tightened right onto the end of the intake. Easy!


Reinstall Fender Liner and Wheel
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/31.jpg
Andrew reinstalled the fender liner using the reverse process, reinstalled the wheel, removed the jack stands and lowered the car back to earth.


Tighten, Inspect Work and Test System
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http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/33.jpg
The little guys then tightened all of the upper hose clamps, checked everything over for tightness and fit. They made sure all tools had been removed from the car and then called me over to start it up. The car fired right up and no check engine light! We went for a zip around the block and the kids definitely felt that the intake made a huge difference. The sound of the engine was much more evident, with quick throttle blips taking on a new menacing tone. Full throttle was far more gutteral with multiple harmonics pleasing the ear.


Tools Needed
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/34.jpg
Remember in the beginning when we told you to read the instructions first? Well, if you did then you will see this before you start! Now that we were done with the install we could easily show you which tools we needed.

Relax
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/35.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/36.jpg
All done! Now sit back and enjoy a cold one! Of course, these are children, so they got to enjoy a couple of Henry Weinhard's finest Root Beers!

There is NO excuse for not being able to do this install yourself!

:)

Now THAT'S the best tech article ever!

Now THAT'S the best tech article ever!

+1 :clap: :clap: :clap:

Those kids proably no more than the Toyota Techs do and could do a better job. :rofl:

:clap: :clap:

Now I KNOW that I can do this! :rofl:

Now THAT'S the best tech article ever!

X3 this should be stickied, seriously.

Good stuff, what is their hourly rate? $65hr?

this was by far the most excellent, radical how-to i have ever seen, and believe me, between owning a tC and a air-bagged, fully cut-up truck, I've read many. Now, to more important stuff, do you notice a real performance difference thats actually felt rather than just heard?

i'd like to hear to hear about the performance as well...how does that puppy run?

haha, this is awesome.

wait a second, you put a kid under your car without using a jackstand!
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/18.jpg

I love the latest round of creative tech articles.

Good work.

and someone wanted a shop to install their intake. crazy adults these days!

Starting them young is awesome. Keep up the good work.

Awasome, made me laugh a looot. :lol:

that is the first tech article that i have read every line of.. nice article

Child labor? Children working in less than ideal working conditions for minimal pay. You should be ashamed of yourself :P

Nice write up. I can't believe you would let kids around your car. But as long as you trust them and they have respect for cars. They are now ScionLife celebrities.

Child labor laws is right. Markus cheated....looks like he had some help from Jedi Master Yoda! :silly:

man ur kids know more than you lol but good little tech on the aem intake!

:rolling:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I oughta call those kids up and have them do my Injen CAI. :P

Awesome!

lol thats some ____. good job

Awesome tech article. Maybe I can commission those guys to paint my sound dampening stuff on my interior sometime. :lol:

You're in Seattle? Cool. You hit up any of the meet&greets in Lake City or the Northend?

Good write up! I am about to purchase mine but want to hear from those that have this CAI. Has anyone had any problems with water getting sucked up and damaging the engine? I recently got my car lowered and want to purchase and install mine soon. But how much damage will it cause if it gets wet by rain or by a power washer at a car wash? My main concern is the engine getting damaged due to the filter being fairly close to the ground...exposed or unexposed.

Good write up! I am about to purchase mine but want to hear from those that have this CAI. Has anyone had any problems with water getting sucked up and damaging the engine? I recently got my car lowered and want to purchase and install mine soon. But how much damage will it cause if it gets wet by rain or by a power washer at a car wash? My main concern is the engine getting damaged due to the filter being fairly close to the ground...exposed or unexposed.

A few drops of water won't do anything, but if the filter was completely dipped in water, then it would. If you're so worried about this, get the AEM Bypass Valve

Haaaaaa. :rofl: Oh man this was hilarious. I cant wait to have kids. lol Good job on the write up.

well at least they finished it up with root beer!!!

that is the first tech article that i have read every line of.. nice article

+1 : :rofl:

great article. maybe now there'll be less threads on "how do I install an intake" :\

:rofl:

Can they install a turbo next? haha

Can those kids do an engine swap for me :)? Yeah i can't wait to have kids, i'll be like "Don't come back in until that turbos done! Yeah i guess your Gf can stay over but she has to detail the car first"

Can those kids do an engine swap for me :)? Yeah i can't wait to have kids, i'll be like "Don't come back in until that turbos done! Yeah i guess your Gf can stay over but she has to detail the car first"

All the normal kids have dish washing, sweeping, etc chores, but yours have installing the turbo, tuning the turbo, detailing, etc chores. :rofl:

"I can't come over and play, I have to install my dad's turbo." :P

:lol: @ kid under the car with no jackstands, :rofl: !!!

Do any one know the AEM pipe diameter?

child labor laws are over rated anyways :-P let me know if they are available for adoption :-D awesome job tho u just saved a few of us a bit of money (and not on car insurance by switching to Geico)

and i remember posting in all those "i can't install an intake" threads...now they should feel like little kiddies

:lol: @ kid under the car with no jackstands, :rofl: !!!

That could have gotten ugly... :relief:

Those kids are Awesome. I didnt get into cars untill I hit HighSchool, then I absored the scene like a sponge. It's a lifestyle for some, and others just a mode of transportation.

have them do a spring install!

how often due you check the filter

I bow before the best tut ever created. :P

how often do check or replace the intake filter

Informative yet entertaining! :clap:
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/aem_intake2_tc/35.jpg
:rofl: :P

One of the best tech thread ever.

Did you notice that this thread made it on to AEM's website? Just FYI. Nice thread too.

Those Kids are my heros!!!! How are they at Turbo installs, hmmmm?

ok so yea, i had my intake installed for about a month now, but what sucks is that my CEL is on now, i checked all the connections for the pipe, everything looks connected. its a short ram intake for my scion tC... can anyone help me out? i tried to unplug the ECU and plugged it back in, still on. checked the gas cap too. i know i can pull the batt and reset it but i dont want it to come back up again. please help thanks!

Hahaha niice DIY. I'm going to use this when I get mine :D:D

what did you do to the ground wire from the headlight after you had installed the intake? did you just mount it to the same bolt after the CAI was installed?

^X2

Is it me or do I not see jack stands for this install! :no: Anyway Very cool thread! :clap:



John

I was wondering the same thing about the headlight grounding bolt.

:rofl: :relief: :silly: :bow: :bow:

Any info on the filters? Theres a lot of talk about the aem dry filter. It lasts the same 20K as the regular filters. But can the dry ones be cleaned? They are expensive, but they are supposed to be better huh?

Best article ever...hand down... :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

best i've read man!

Awesome DIY! LOL.

very nice write up.

lol, great write up...

tat is hilarious....

Maybe the jack stands are under the axles.

man, this diy is so famous on SL, haha....got to love it!

I can't believe I just noticed this... I'm amazed.

COOL! i got a quick question, i installed the same CAI in my tC. Have u noticed a ticking sound coming from the MAF sensor? if so, is that normal, because i hear it in mine, not very loud though.

child labor!! naw i m kidding... cute offsprings you have there. and a wonderful learning experience.

I just installed my Fujita CAI, a little different here and there from the AEM intake but it wasn't really easy. Whoevers kids they are, start saving money for MIT!!! Those kids have serious brains to figure an install like that out, and a seriously bright future.

Will this diy work for fujita intake??

lol same will it work for the trd?

Good work "Patter Familia" :)

I laugh every single time i've looked at this. haha. its awesome.