I have the AEM intake that was the dealer option and the filter is completly black at 20,000 miles. So i had the grand idea to remove the bottom half and have the intake stop at where the 2 pipes connect. So now my filter is sitting in the middle of my engine bay and im hoping it wont get black. Since its so close to the engine andthe MAF sensor is this bad? I was hoping it wasnt since short ram intakes look the same and what i ended up with.

 

Your caption says water in the intake---but your comments revolve around the filter. Why don't you clean or replace the filter? I would think that the AEM intake is designed to work as it was. If you have removed the gizmo in the middle that is designed to stop water from getting in--you may have problems.

 

I'll second OldYeller's question: Have you cleaned the filter? I think it's recommended for every 10 000 miles... Check the paperwork that came with it to make sure.

Out of curiosity, why did you change the original setup?

 

i must be a retard. The whole reason why i took the bottom 1/2 off was i found water residue in the pipe when i went to clean the filter. The filter was black and it seemed like mud came out of it when i cleaned it. I also bent the mesh on it when i slipped it back on so im considering getting a new filter but cant seem to find a replacement, or a K&N one that will fit.
Kremtok: I changed it because of Toyota being idiots. They told me that the rattle i heard in my engine bay was my "aftermarket intake didnt fit and is rubbing against my foglight assembly". To which i told the idiots it was from the dealer and it better fit. They told me to remove it so i figured this was a better solution, im just hoping it wont ruin the engine or MAF sensor

 

So the CAI that is on your car was sold to you and installed by the dealer? Did the fog lights also come installed from the dealer? If they did, there should be no fitment issues. You might want to assemble the CAI to its original configuration and take it to another dealer for a second opinion.

Whatever you end up doing, replace that filter! I'm not sure what happened to it, but it doesn't sound very good, you know what I mean? You can find several filters from ptuning.com here: click me. Good luck, and let us know how it pans out.

 

shortening the intake wont do harm but the hotter air will suck.
and that filter is perfectly fine bent and all. k&n filter cleaner does the trick. and yes they get dirty they filter the cruddy air that we breathe.