i installed my cold air intake a while back on my MY05 it is exposed in the front bumper near the front passenger wheel. I cut off the vents so there would be more air flow. Now i am worried that i have no bypass valve and the raining season is comin up. I am wonderin if i can still drive in the rain without hittin big puddles. i have a generic cold air intake too, its called Bomz. I am wonderin if a K/N filter would do the job.

 

I would be worried if I were you, if you live in a rainy part of the country. There is a DIY on here about how to make an "umbrella" for the filter. I would also plug the hood channel drain hole that is probably directly above the intake filter (if it is like the AEM v2 or the INJEN RS intakes).

I have installed an AEM bypass on my INJEN intake. I think it pretty much kills any power gains in VTEC because the engine is sucking SO much air, that it pulls through the bypass. CAI with bypass still solved heatsoak issue, though.

Injen is also developing a water-proof microfiber bag that can fit over intakes (like Gore-Tex material) and will prevent water from directly contacting the filter. It SUPPOSEDLY will not reduce air flow.

I think K&N makes an umbrella for their intakes. Maybe it is universal to all piping the same diameter?

John

 

if you hit a puddle that reaches you intake, then it'll probably hydrolock. NOT a good thing.. my friend did it in his s2k.. But if you're worried about the intake getting wet from the rain then that's okay. The water isn't enough to go up the pipe and hydrolock the engine.

 

I hydrolocked my Prelude with a CAI. Removed it never went back to CAI. I would have done it again at least 5 more times here. I bent rod=$1500. :-(
Six inches of water plus a wake from a truck makes 13 inches of water!

 

Should I be worried, I have an AEM V2 CAI???

 

You should be careful with any CAI system, bypass valve or not. The bypass does not guarantee protection once the intake is submerged.

 

So, basically if I see a big puddle, I should turn around, but rain is not an issue unless it is causing big puddles...

Would going through a carwash be a problem?

Does Bypass Valve cause any loss of performance?

 

You need to have your intake SUBMERGED in water for it to hydrolock. Simply having rain hit the filter will not harm you, but there have been threads on here of people that have gotten water in the intake pipe from washing their cars. To fix this you should put a rubber plug into the drain hole that is under your hood along the passenger side fender and you can also make an umbrella if you wish. Good luck with it

 

Get an "Outerwears" made for your filter, they are waterproof and prevent hydrolocking!

 

I disagree 10000%!

My car hydrolocked while sitting in the driveway during a rain storm with no flooding! The rain dripped through the hole in the rain chanel. The CAI tube is at a slight angle that traps water in the tube. You suck that in and you're fried!

I plugged the hole in the rain chanel and made a milk jug hood that is duct taped to my filter. No probs so far.