I'm seriously interested in getting the K&N CAI but I live in the Bay Area and when it rains it pours. has anyone that has this installed driven through puddles or seriously wet roads? with the filter so close to the road how likely is it to get soaked? can someone set my mind at ease about this?

chris

 

I don't know if the K&N has this, but AEM has a check valve that doesn't allow excess water to flow up the intake. I would make sure this intake system has this before buying it if you get a lot of rain where you are.

 

I think that is only aem... but I am not sure how much you soak up or how it protected it is since I have not seen it in a tc in person so I couldnt tell ya.

 

aem has the bypass, k&n has jacket...

 

This is from Injen.com's FAQ:

"Will water enter my engine if I install a cold air intake?
No, although water can enter the engine if the filter becomes submerged in water. Rain splashes and small puddles generally do not cause hydrolock. If the filter becomes submerged in water it could cause hydrolock and cause damage to the engine. We do not recommend driving through deep puddles and or floods. Most filters lie 12-14 inches above the ground. You may add a device to prevent hydrolock but cutting the intake system for installation will void our manufacturers warranty."

 

in other words, it almost always never will but sometimes it might, but probably not. I'm starting to think that short ram is the way to go.

chris

 

i am very torn... seriously like 50/50. I really dont like the weapon R, but it's obviously safer.

Plus if you were to install a bypass valve for the K&N, it would void the manufacturer warranty for the intake!

 

is the K&N typhoon a CAI? How are the gains with it? Is this the only CAI out (if it is a CAI) for the tC?

 

put the aem bypass valve on or just convert to short ram for the winter

 

The typhoon is real cold air intake... it pulls air from by the wheel well as opposed to from the hot engine compartment. Current gains are 6 hp and about 6 tq. i think.. Doesnt sound like much but everybody that owns the K&N loves it.

There is also a "Weapon R" secret weapon intake for the tC, but those are about the only two aftermarket intakes that i know about. I'm sure injen will be here soon too tho

 

i have the weapon r-i got it cuz i was sick of waiting for the aem from toyota. in my area the puddles suck-the streets are curved so that by the sidewalks is slants down. so when it rains hard the entire sidewalk area gets covered in puddles. potholes aren't so nice either in my area. that's why i got the weapon r+ram air kit. i was just gonna sell it once the aem intake became available b/c i got(or rather, my parents made me get) the extended warranty from toyota. aem was supposed to be cold air with a bypass valve to keep water out. the weapon r is pretty awesom actually, sounds really mean with the trd exhaust. the scion dealership by my house installed the weapon r for me-although it's not technically covered under warranty, they'll take care of any problems for me if any ever arise. they've also been installing the k&n for their customers as well.

 

I have the k&n cold air and just drove from ft. walton to jacksonville in about the worst rain i've seen in quite some time. Ran through some serious puddles trucks spittin water back at me and still haven't had a problem

 

i have a question i read a post hear and it said taht if i didnt install new pipes that i would only get 1/2 of the gains from the CAI. Is this true and what does he mean by new pipes? Or this guy just full of it

 

I wouldnt worry too much about it. I had a AEM CAI on my GSR and I never really found a use for the bypass valve. I dont think you are dumb enough to drive through a really deep puddle. The bypass valve also kills the sound of the CAI, it sounds a lot nicer without the bypass valve.

 

Toyota Scion TC designers and engineers were smart to place the Intake on the drivers side. It's on the passengers side that most of the puddles are because of the incline from the middle of the road down to the side.

Big Puddles is what you need to worry about, esp.. if you are lowered.

The only Hydrolock that I have ever heard of from a Cold Air Intake was from my buddy who drove fast through a 'Huge' puddle during a hard rain. He was also lowered about 3 inches. He said that he even saw it and didn't think to go easy through it...

 

I have the K&N... it comes with a Drycharger which is basically a waterproof jacket/sleeve you put around the filter without affecting the airflow. driven thru some crazy rain before and i even took out the plastic piece where the not-so-fake-anymore air dam is to let in more air... i haven't gotten any problems yet.

 

umm says who?
if i'm not mistaken... the K&N intake is two pieces... the bypass valve would just replace the joint.

and even supposing that K&N did stipulate that that would void the warrenty, how would they even know you used the bypass valve? (also what the heck would the warrenty for then intake be for? other than defects? I don't see any reason the bypass would affect anything covered in an intake warranty)

anyhow that said... you don't necessarily need a bypass valve... but theres nothing really stopping you from putting one on...

 

i have seen behind the bumper and the intake is enclosed in plastic and you will get water on your filter but not enough to go up your cai and get into your engine so dont worry about that..the bypass valve is worthless like everyone else is saying but i lik ehow the kn comes with the jacket i dont have the kn cai but i have ordered it and cant wait its going to sound good with my alphawerks headers....cai is more power afficient than the weapon r i have heard but i would go with the cai...