Hey Fellow CL Owners, Im in a big dilema, I live in Washington state(rainy city) and, I need to know if i should get AEM long arm intake with a bypass valve or the comptech icebox. I herd even though AEM has the bypass valve it is still possible to hydrolock the engine. Anybody with any experience with taking the AEM through Big puddles or heavy rain? OR do you guys think i should go with the comptech to be on the safer side? How much sound will i sacrafice if i go wit thte comptech. Is it possible for the comptech to hydrolock? anybody have problems with AEM?

 

get the icebox!

 

icebox

 

 

thanks for the advice. How much quieter is the icebox compared to the CAI? STill anybody with any experience with hydrolocking with anyone of these intakes?

 

oh yea any good deals herd ont he icebox or aem?

 

icebox hands down

 

I had the AEM for 4 years w/ the bypass up here in Seattle. Honestly, the bypass was unnecessary. Still, I'd go w/ the icebox.

 

get the icebox!

 

Go with the icebox.

 

same here. had the aem with bypass for 4 years and absolutely no problems. i don't know about the icebox, but i love how the aem has that vacuum sound when you turn off the engine.

 

Yea, I think i prob should go with the icebox since everyone here has recommended it, plus more hp and no hydrolocking. But i rather hear more of the throaty noise from the aem instead of a stock sound from the comptech. I donno what i should do. Does the k&N filter give it more aem sound?

 

I had the K&N before my Injen CAI, and I didn't notice much of a difference in noise.

B

 

 

It's not really the filter that changes the sound of the intake, for the most part.

It's the design of the piping and filter housing (if it exists) that determines the sound.

The aem intake is an open air filter design where the filter is not encased in a plastic box like the comptech. And for that reason, and only that reason is the aem considerably louder than the comptech.

 

Oh i herd if you replace the comptech filter in the ice box with a K&N it will be louder. This is what i herd on a previos thread. SO i dont know if it is true or not. I didnt mean just putting a K&N filter in my stock airbox.

 

Yea that makes total sense. What happens if you leave off the cover for the icebox, are you able to get a more throaty sound? Is the icebox loud at all?

Thanxs to all who are posting reply back. I take your advice and word in great consideration.

has anybody herd of hydrolocking due to intake, on any previous threads?

 

if you took the cover off the icebox, you're essentially negating the use of the thing by allowing in the hot air from the heat of the engine.

 

^---totally true

You would have turned your Icebox into a Hotbox

 

If you leave off the top cover of the icebox intake the sound will be significantly louder. However the piping of the icebox provides no support and will fit loosely into the housing.

 

thanxs, i appreciate the response. Is there anyway to tighten or make better support

 

i live in New york and had my Injen CAI through 3 ny winters and rainy spring and summers. I have never had a problem. If you like noise and power, get an injen or aem, if you want power, with no sound, get the icebox. I like to hear what my engine is doing, and i didnt want to spend more money on the icebox.

 

totaly, i understand everyone point of veiw. thanxs for giving me some info on how everybody intake has been treating them, and the type of conditon they put the intake through. That the kinda feed back i like to hear.

 

The AEM bypass valve is designed to work in all condition. I remember some sort of video clip a few years back that had an NSX with a custom piping that had a bypass halfway in and on the "entering" end sitting in a fish tank full of water. The NSX pulled all the way through 2nd gear with VTEC engaging and only when hitting 3rd gear did the water budge and then the bypass kicked in and didn't let any water go up... That is a lot of pull.
However, I have an AEM V1 in Portland, OR without the bypass and haven't had any probs. Just stear clear of puddles of water. BUT if you want your car to look clean and sound stock, go for the Icebox. That is what I should have done. I like the "SHHHHHHHHH" sound but am rather tired of it... Time for the whine of an SC. (In the works, 00TLP)

 

anythings possible, just gotta come up with solution. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but i'm sure theirs a way, but in doing so you'd be turning it into exactly what the aem intake already is. and you'd lose some power.

 

How far off the ground does the icebox get its air? In other words, how deep of a puddle would I have to roll through to submerge the intake pipe?

 

Depends if your car is lowered or not. Any where from 8" to 12" based on a rough estimate.

 

I don't think the icebox is perfectly airtight under the hood. If that is the case, then you would never get enough vacuum in the "downtube" to actually pull up water. That said, you'd have to be in water almost as high as your headlights to suck water into your icebox intake.


BTW, how many of you out there are using your CL's for off-roading puddle-jumping?

 

I live in Vancouver 2 hours away from Seattle, we get even shittier weather up here, I just put in my AEM CAI a few days ago, still getting tons of rain here, but checked my intake a few times, its nice and dry as long as you have that plastic cover under your bumper still. But to be on the safeside, I still have a Water Bypass. I'd get more rain up here than you so I don't think you have to worry. But I love the way it sounds! I rip it to like 5k rpm and its so throaty. I would never go back to an airbox. If you are really worried about the water, just try and make the cut to the pipe as low as possible to put in the water bypass.

 

Why is it more benefical if the cut is low on the pipe?

 

If it isn't too much trouble would someone be as kind to record the sound there cars make so that those of us who are interested can have an idea of which product to buy?

I'm leaning towards the IceBox but I want a nice throaty sound to my car. Not a sound like there are beans being shaked in a can but a nice deep growl.

 

I will try and record it in the next day or two, just after the rain and snow we just got in vancouver.


Cutting th pipe lower so that if water does get in, it'll dispurse lower, less chance of water going right into the throttle.

 

But at the same time, not too low, because then if the water bypass does get submerged then theres no use of it, then you're really f****

 

I think I posted this before, but I can explain how the AEM bypass valve actually functions if anyone is interested...and the pros/cons of it! And it DOES work.

 

Okay, since i'm bored and have nothing better to do, i'll explain how the AEM bypass valve actually works...but before I do a couple of notations about the cold-air intake + water = disaster issue.

That in itself is true, water can and does get sucked up by there and doesn't necessarily require your car to be sitting in a flood to do it. I've actually hydrolocked a motor with an AEM (long before they had a bypass valve) in a normal rain storm driving through a puddle. The fender liner does protect the air filter from water somewhat, but it is not water tight so water can get in there...especially if you are driving at a decent clip and splash a puddle. If any of you (that have cold air) have ever noticed your car slightly hesitates or "putters" when it rains, that is a bit of water (just a few drops) being sucked up and evaporated. Generally, that low volume of water will just cause a slight inconvenience and it will clear up because almost immediately. The hesitation occurs because, as we all know, water doesn't combust.

Oh, and also, my rods were so destroyed from the water that the pistons were pretty much sitting on the crank.

Now the bypass valve. If you've ever seen one up close you'll notice the foam element around it. If you take that element off, you'll see a plastic housing with a rubber flap inside. When water is sucked up by the intake, a pressure change occurs inside the tube immediately. It's similar to what happens if you are using a shop-vac and suck up water...there is a massive pressure change immediately...the bypass valve will "sense" this change which will force those flaps inside the valve to form a water tight seal, at which point the surrounding foam element becomes your intake temporarily. When the water drains out, those flaps reopen.

Also, a lot of you have seen the AEM video with the red NSX sucking up water out of a fishtank at WOT, even on VTEC. Did you also know that the car belong to John Concialdi, the owner of AEM? He risked his own car to show that it does indeed work.

I have a AEM bypass valve on both my CL and my BMW and have never had an issue sucking up any water. My intakes on both cars are generic cold air intakes because, as far as I am concerned, an intake is an intake is an intake. It's a pipe with a filter. period. And I've driven through deep enough water that the filter would get somewhat submerged (for those of you living in the southeast---remember those 1215 hurricanes we had the last few months?).

Another thought: For the bypass valve to work properly...IT HAS TO BE INSTALLED EXACTLY AS STATED! The key is that you CANNOT overtighten it at all otherwise it will not work. When they say snug, that's exactly what they mean.

Now as far as performance is concerned...the .23109234 hp that you will lose to me is more than made up for the peace of mind that water is not an issue!

 

I don’t think anybody is disputing the fact that bypass valves WORK, it’s the fact that there are two problems that they introduce.

#1
They are pretty much always open letting hot under hood air into the intake.
Do this….Pop the hood and do the smoke test.
I don’t smoke so I rolled up a small piece of paper, lit it on fire, and then blew it out to make some smoke.
Hold the smoking paper near the bypass valve and have someone “blip” the throttle from inside the car (or do it yourself under the hood if you know how)
You will notice that every time the engine is revved, the bypass valve opens and smoke (hot air) is drawn into the pipe.
The same thing happens when you're driving on a hot summer day. Letting hot air from under the hood into your engine.

#2
The Bypass valve foam surround & rubber pieces get hard & brittle over time.
They can break and be ingested up into the throttle body.
This can cause internal damage if sucked all the way into the engine or even worse.
The “even worse” is what happens if the pieces get hung up in the throttle body and cause the throttle to hang wide open.
This can cause you to lose control and have an accident.

I ran with the bypass valve on my 2001 CL-S and had it on my 2003 for about a year.
I have since taken it off and replaced it with a section of rubber hose.
It realistically will take about 9-10 inches deep of water to reach the pipe and cause a problem.
That’s a chance I’m willing to take to avoid the problems I mentioned above.

 

Oh sure I know that it lets in a little hot air....but the volume is so little compared to what's being drawn in from the filter. And when its 100 degrees outside on a hot summer day who cares? The cold-air intake is still sucking up hot air.

 

has this ever happened to anyone? Has anybody ever gotten in a accident due to a bypass valve? Have any peices ever been sucked up in people throttle bodys? Wouldnt AEM be sued if this product caused an accident? When should the bypass vavle be replaced?

 

Yes it has happened to at least two or three people here from what I remember.
I can’t remember any accidents, but I know the accelerator got stuck wide open on the highway.
You might be able to find the posts if you do some creative searches going way back.

As for suing, I guess you could but they probably have one of those “off road or track use only” clauses in the paperwork.
AEM supposedly redesigned the bypass in mid 2001 to prevent this, but I heard that they still self destruct every once and a while.

 

Some stuff I found on

http://www.superstreetonline.com/thehistoryof/36366/

http://www.recall-warnings.com/auto-content-15753.html

http://www.honda-acura.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=128494