Cold Air Intakes for tC 2G & 2.5G that don't throw Check Engine Light...
 

OK so just curious about what (if any) CAI for 2011+ tC won't throw a CEL? I ask because I bought a Takeda CAI about a year or so ago for my 2012 tC. After about a month or so the check engine light came on throwing a MAF code of running too rich. Reset it and after a while came back on so I sold the intake and did some research and bought a AEM Eti CAI because as stated is not suppose to throw the CEL. All was good for about 3 or 4 months and all of a sudden that ugly orange light popped back up :flame: again a running too rich code. Actually a different one but close to the same. I called AEM and they sent me a different MAF sensor and I installed and all was good until I bought my 2014 10 series tC and installed the AEM CAI on it and after a short time the CEL came on so i called AEM back only for them to tell me that that intake for the tC had been recalled because of people having trouble with it and they refunded me for it. Long story short I've never had so much trouble with finding a aftermarket part and I'm wanting to buy CAI that 100% won't throw a code so I was about to buy the TRD CAI but I thought first I would ask if anyone had a CAI for their 2G tC that works good for them.

Thanks

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AEM had great customer service my the way and I still do have a AEM CAI on my 2012 Civic Si with no problems at all just to throw that out there.

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I hear Injen and H&R Intakes do not throw CELs. The Injen is CAI as an option (or you can switch to short ram for those flooded days).

I was going to get an Injen one myself.

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Yeah I've thought about the Injen. Not near as expensive as the TRD either with the same if not better results. I honestly just figured it would throw a code too since it is basically almost identical design as the other two systems.
The TRD is a air box intake similar to the factory intake as I'm sure you already know. I know a lot of people on here have the Injen, anyone had it for a while with no troubles at all?

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to this day i have not seen one person complain about the injen having the CEL. but i will try it first hand when i get the chance to afford it and once my free maintenance warranty expires.

the injen short ram wont through a CEL code, my boss has had his on for a few months now and hasn't said anything about it to me.

K&N doesn't give any error codes. It's short ram only, but I enjoy it just as much as my AEM CAI.

Injen CAI on mine for over a year with no problems whatsoever. No codes.

I have a Takeda with no codes :biggrin:

Thanks fellas. That helps. I'm leaning toward the injen then. Im sure I can find something extra to do the the price difference from what i was going to spend on the trd and the injen. So let me ask this then because i might go on a killing spree if i bought a third intake and i had the same issue out of it :gun: lol is there anyone that has had any issues or of their injen?

Try searching the forums for Injen intake threads. then skim the posts to see any CELs from the Intake. that would be my best approach.

You can get the Injen intake for cheaper if you buy it used from someone :biggrin:

My boss was selling his because he didn't want to void his warranty and because he told me that there is something in newer cars intake that his doesn't have that doesn't allow it to pass smog in California, that's all that I know of though.


Sent from JARVIS

+1

Had it for well over 2 years.

The car throws CELs for aftermarket intakes because they flow so much better than the stock one. When an intake is able to suck in air through a larger area, the air flows slower (making the MAF think there isn't as much passing through...causing the car to think it's running rich when it isn't).

Think about blowing air out through a straw vs. a paper towel roll. The air flows at a much higher velocity through the straw, but obviously you are getting more volume of air at a time through the paper towel roll.

You won't hear a single horror story about CEL with the Injen...that that comes at a cost. It doesn't give CEL because it manipulates the airflow around the MAF to trick it into thinking the air is moving through the intake at a faster speed than it really is (simulating OEM intake conditions to avoid a CEL). In actuality, however, this causes a potential lean situation. Your car is getting more air at a time, but isn't adjusting its fuel flow to match. So what are you really accomplishing then?

That's why I went with Takeda. It keeps the MAF honest and allows the car to make a little better use of the extra air it is receiving. Probably explains why its dyno numbers are better than any other intake for this car. Not that I give a damn about "dyno results" but I think it kinda helps explain what I'm saying.

if Injen intakes cause a lean situation then why doesnt the CEL pop up for running too lean?
I would think the amount would be a non-issue. but i have no experience with intakes. just trying to understand it more myself.

also yes they are not CARB approved mods so you should take them off before inspection. just replace with stock box and you should pass w/o issues. i can't see why you would have any trouble if you switch back to stock, then switch back to the CAI after inspection.
CARB issues only arise in California and several other states like New Jersey and New York.

The CEL won't pop up for running too lean because your MAF is living in a dream world. The car relies on that sensor to know the true state of it's AFR.

i think it says on the Injen site that the intake tricks the MAF into thinking that it's getting normal OEM amount of air through the intake so fuel is similar to OEM but actual air influx is increase by it being a larger pipe. so you're saying that is what produces the lean situation. Injen states this helps gas savings, but it still provides increase in power...weird.
Is the amount of running lean actually something to worry about? or is it so slight that it has no effect?

Yeah, Injen is saying exactly what I was saying. It simulates OEM airflow even though the car is actually receiving more airflow. Yes, it's saving gas because the ECU isn't adding more fuel to even out the AFR. That means the car is running lean. They kind of told on themselves with that.

Don't get me wrong though...I'm sure it's not lean enough to cause any damage or anything like that...it's just something for people to think about when they are complaining about CELs. You can cheat to avoid a CEL...but at a certain cost.

I think I am still going to go with an Injen (found one for cheap, used of course). I haven't seen people having any issues from running one in terms of engine knock or damage so i think I'd be safe with one, right?
After all an Intake doesn't change TOO much about the car. But I'll make sure I install the Intake and upgrade the Header at the same time. i hear doing intake upgrade without exhaust upgrade and vice versa is a mistake that a lot of people make.

I'll let you guys know how the Injen one is, but i'm only putting it on after I find a Dezod header.

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I'm sure you'll be fine with the intake, man. Why would it be a mistake to do intake without exhaust or vice versa? I ran only a catback before I for my Takeda and now I'm running a Dezod header and TRD axle with a factory airbox. Everything is perfectly fine.

it's just what i have been told from mechanics in the past who worked on old cars.
if you upgrade exhaust and not intake, you have more room for gas to exit but you're effectively choking the engine for oxygen. this probably results in worse throttle response - you have lowered the backpressure but you aren't taking in enough air to compensate.
the reverse happens when you only upgrade intake. you can take in more air but it can't exit as quickly as it would like because you have restrictive OEM pipes. this increases backpressure in exhaust and kind of constipates the engine performance. lol idk how else to put it.
That's how they explained it to me. it is a huge problem if the car made lots of power from factory, ie it had a turbo, but since we are dealing with such small HP intervals, i am sure your car is perfectly fine running stock airbox with slightly wider exhaust.

I didnt upgrade anything in terms of intake when i put on my axleback. i figured most of my exhaust is still the same restrictive diameter so my exhaust didn't actually do anything bad or good (aside from lots of good noise :biggrin:)