Wasup guys I have a 02 tl-s with a AEM cai. I live in Los Angeles, CA and I've been wonderin since I hav a cai do I hav to worry about the rain season? when i wash my car i put a towel over the filter and i notice that when i take out the towel its soaken wet, is that some thing i need to worry about or am i just being anal! Well i have couple of options which is bypass valve or just getting a short ram intake? which is better? help me out guys. Thanks in advance!

 

A.) How is the water getting to your filter while washing your car?
B.) How are you wrapping a towel around the filter?

Are you washing the engine compartment also? Water shouldnt be getting to the filter while just washing. unless your missing something as far as gaurds go or they are put on wrong.

And a side note, i wouldnt use a bypass valve OR a short ram

 

well i dont wash my engine compartment i just wash the outside but i dont know how and why the inside gets all wet! and how come i shouldnt use a bypass valve or a short ram intake?

 

Bypass negates the use of a CAI, and short ram draws hot air from the engine compartment, which isn't good. Just wait a bit until you drive the car. I think you may be sparying a little too much water at the area the filter sits, or something is wrong with the plastic guards under the car in that area. I don't think a little water would hurt too much either, but I could be wrong.

 

Dont worry about it, the filter could get wet.. as long as its not submerged under water while the car is running you'll be fine. Its probably water getting through the small air holes, its not like the filter is completley consealed from the outside.. how would air get to it. Only concern would be that if you go through or clean your car with (which im sure no one does) dirty water, the water thats splashed on the filter dries up and hinders the filtering capability.

 

I just washed my car, and my filter is bone dry. Id say there is something wrong with the plastic gaurds