If I was to get the AEM Cold Air Intake and the Air Bypass Valve, where could I get it installed (Acura dealer)? How much did you guys pay for installation? And finally, does it void the Acura warranty?

 

You can do it yourself if you are a little handy. I wouldn't take it to the dealer. They'll charge you a fortune.

Find a local speed shop. They should be able to do it no problem.

It will not void your warranty unless they can prove that the CAI caused the problem.

 

hw long des it take to install the AEM CAI?

 

If you're a pro...then 45 minutes. Add in the bi-pass and I'm sure you'll add at least twice that with all the cutting. (Unless you're lucky enough to have a table saw)

 

i ordered mine yesterday... planning on installing it myself... i dont think i will be that hard to do... i hope not.. lets you bond with your car

 

My AEM CAI came in two pipes so that way I can put the bypass valve in between them.

 

You won't be that lucky. Both tubes have fixed mounting points that want to mate to appropriate locations in the engine bay. The guy who installed mine ended up cutting one of the tubes in the middle. If you look at the gallery, you can see that everyone who has a pic of one has it done the same way.

The actual installation is fairly simple, although you'll be amazed at how many parts come off. The hardest part is cutting the tube, and if you have a good hacksaw or pipe cutter that's just a matter of measuring it right.

 

There was no cutting involved in his install...

 

If there was no cutting then there was no air bypass valve or the intake came precut.

I just installed my AEM CAI tonight with a friend. We are both mechanically challenged though he is a bit more comfortable with tools in general then I am. The instructions at <http://wizardsworks.org/chod/acura/cai/> make it seem a bit easier then it was, but it's not too bad - you can definetly do it yourself. Some general comments:

1) Getting the bolts off that attach the resonator to the car is HARD. This took at least 20-25 minutes.
2) Have a 10mm socket wrench and an extension. Your install will go a lot easier then mine did.
3) Take out the battery. It gives you a lot more room to work.
4) Use the fat tube that AEM provides you to extend the tube coming out of the front of the engine (you need to wrap it around to the other side). You don't need to use the skinnier tube - just use the existing one.

Other then that.. follow the instructions at the URL above and it's very possible for anyone to do it themselves.

 

I put in my AEM CAI in 2 weeks ago. It came in two pieces and with a bypass valve.

It required NO cutting and took about 2 hours (i work slow unfortunately).

Install was easy enough. You should try to install it yourself. It's good to know your own car and you'll know exactly how to reach the filter when you need to clean it.

 

What are the specific gains from installing the AEM CAI and bypass valves?

 

I dunno on the specific gains...

I never had a dyno....probably never will cuz I'm cheap!

Everyone on the board says it adds horsepower and it sounds great. After I did mine, I would have to agree that it's awesome as well

 

Lucky bastard. I'm assuming AEM already precutted your pipe if they know you are getting it with the valve. If not, then maybe they sent you the 2 piece version (originally a short ram, but they offered an extension just in case you wanted to convert to CAI). If thats the case, then the pipe could be 2 inches longer than the single piece if you have the vavle installed in between, which *could be bad since my 1 piece already touches the back of the fog light assembly..

 

TL-S have a one piece intake, and require the intake to be cut to install the bi-pass valve.
Regular TL's have a 2 piece intake, and the bi-pass valve goes inbetween the 2 pipes