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Unnecessary mods I should avoid on A/T

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Old 05-17-2012, 07:19 PM
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I disagree, my LED reverse lights put out a ton of light, way better than stock.
Old 05-17-2012, 09:48 PM
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To everyone that put on HFPC/PCD's and don't notice too much power, need to look at the diet thread. The reason you don't feel the power is because you shouldn't. Check this thread

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-performance-parts-modifications-112/m-010-putting-tl-diet-update-links-post-1-a-610974/

On topic I think LED are a waste, like the ones people put on or around the headlights. Also huge rims
Old 05-18-2012, 12:35 AM
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Originally Posted by IIDXholic
To everyone that put on HFPC/PCD's and don't notice too much power, need to look at the diet thread. The reason you don't feel the power is because you shouldn't. Check this thread

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=610974

On topic I think LED are a waste, like the ones people put on or around the headlights. Also huge rims
You can generally begin feeling gains at around 35hp in a 3500lb car in the 250hp range. How the power is delivered also makes a difference in perception. You might not feel gains but the only way to know for sure is to take it to the track.
Old 05-18-2012, 10:31 AM
  #44  
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If you calculate the power to cost ratio of a turbo and a CAI you can conclude that the budget:goal ratio is almost two fold;

CAI = $299.99 for 10hp
J&R Turbo = $10,000 for around 180hp
$26.66/hp for the CAI to ~ $55.55/hp
(J&R Turbo is $7,000 and excludes all extra necessities to make your engine actually run safely)
please view this thread:
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...php?p=13601605

The science behind the CAI is that cooler more dense air will yield better oxygen gains. This will in turn increase MPG and HP. Ever wonder why your engine runs better in cold weather? Also, for the annoying sound statement.. I don't think there is a more beatiful sound than an engine tuned in any way! More mods to ya!

The reason you don't feel any power increase is real because like I hate Cars noted, you don't actually feel an increase in power unless you add ~+35hp for this car. It is the combonation of the addons that give optimum power increases.

*You will not get hydrolock with the TL with a CAI attached.*

Just wanted to point a few things out to some of our members



Originally Posted by splew
Yeah a good CAI on its own might get you extra 10whp under ideal dyno conditions, but in the grand scheme of things, that's only around a 4% increase in power (IIRC TLs dyno at around 225whp stock). For me a 4% increase in power isn't worth the couple hundred bucks a CAI costs. Again that's just my opinion. I'm not trying to be negative towards those with CAIs or other bolt-ons.

I used to be a firm believer in CAIs, and I had one on my last car. After I stopped kidding myself, I realized it was a giant waste of money. It really had no perceptible difference over stock, except being louder and driving worse at low RPMs.

On a side note, here's a video I like that puts the claimed "gains" of CAIs to the test, mythbusters style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCi2yo4UqPI
Old 05-18-2012, 02:56 PM
  #45  
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The problem with the CAI gains argument is the TL comes factory with a semi-CAI. You're not going from sucking in purely 180 degree engine bay air to ambient air.

If a CAI has any chance of making a difference it's going to be at low speeds in stop and go traffic where airflow is at a minimum. In most conditions it's not going to make a difference. Then you have to ask yourself where these gains are coming from when many dynos are done with the hood up.

The factory will not allow the intake tract to be a restriction. That's free hp left on the table. In fact, the air filter is sized large enough that it does not become a restriction until it's pretty dirty.

I collected a ton of data in the old days with air temperature right at the filter, after the turbo, and after the intercooler. I can leave out the post intercooler temps since it doesn't apply to the TL but let's say the intercooler is the great equalizer and makes a CAI on a turbo car pointless.

What I went with after many years is an engine bay mounted filter and no CAI on the GN. If I could have gotten even 5hp from it I would have had it. The trend that I saw was fairly hot temps at the filter, usually 50+ degrees above ambient during city driving. However, when it was time to run, the engine pulled in enough fresh air that I could watch the air filter inlet temps drop to ambient in about 3 seconds. Driving down the freeway had the same effect. I can see some benefits of a CAI on a TL under certain conditions but I would never pay $300 for a piece of pipe with a $30 filter stuck on the end.

Last is filter and inlet location. There's no reason to have the filter exposed to the elements ever. For power production, all you need to worry about is that the inlet whether it's the filter or the end of a pipe is outside of the engine bay. It doens't matter if it's in the fender well, behind the grill, or whatever as long as it's not in the engine bay. The filter should be kept under the hood whenever possible and shielded from the elements. Having a filter outside of the engine bay just means it will get dirty sooner. Obviously if it's inside of the engine bay it needs to be at least partially enclosed with ducting to feed it fresh air.

You can hydrolock any car with any intake sytem. Having the inlet located lower will increase your chances of hydrolock. That's why I like to have the inlet just outside of the engine bay, the filter in the engine bay with a shroud that will allow dust and water to get past the filter making harder to hydrolock than the stock system. Doing it this way allows dust/water traps to be used. FWIW, if the car is just idling, a vertically mounted cone filter needs to be more than halfway submerged for it to begin sucking water up the inlet tube.

Last, a filter will never increase mpg on a fuel injected car. A CAI is extremely unlikely to increase mpg unless it helps prevent detonation and the ECU can advance timing which is very, very, very unlikely. More air in means more power which means less mpg.
The following 2 users liked this post by I hate cars:
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Old 05-21-2012, 07:35 PM
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Was considering a cai simply to get that swapped b18c in a civic sound from past builds, but second guessing it now.. Some seem to think its annoying and a waste of money, maybe I should hear one in person before I go ahead and waste the money..
Old 05-21-2012, 07:53 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by ep3kid914
my thoughts would be not to get an intake or exaust as in that its auto i think it would go only with manuals
Um, no. A full exhaust will produce noticeable gains, regardless of transmission.
Originally Posted by Wahz_eLmgnifico
Can I go wrong with suspension, brakes, etc mods?
No.
Originally Posted by serbj
^^^This.
The reason is simple. By owning an AT TL(-S), you/we are very close to trading in your/our cars for Evo X's, E92 M3's, or base Corvettes. The money you put in your TL-S can easily get such a trade-in done. There is no point to escalate commitment.
Not a chance in hell my TL-S + what I've put into it will get me into a E92 M3. It will barely get me into a E46 M3 without having money set aside for maintenance. Same thing with a Corvette.
Old 05-21-2012, 11:24 PM
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I have held off on getting a CAI because of what I have read on this site about the stock air-box not being a restriction. However, my curiosity has gotten the best of me and I will be installing one this week and putting it to the test on the 1/4 mile. I have made about 30 runs prior and my trap times have been pretty consistent between 92 and 95 mph. When I go to the track on Thurs, the weather will be warmer than my previous runs so hopefully my trap will increase as well with the CAI. I have an 06 5AT with rv6 v3 PCD and jpipe as my only performance mods.
Old 05-22-2012, 12:27 AM
  #49  
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You would need to make a few passes with and a few passes without. My trap speeds can be as low as 124 during the evening and as high as 129mph at night and that's on the same day. I think its great you're going to the track. Are you going to pop the hood and cool down between runs or leave it down between runs?
Old 05-22-2012, 01:01 AM
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I usually pop the hood and cool in between runs. After each performance mod I do, I run it at the track to see if there is any performance gained. Its not the most scientific since I obviously can't do before and afters on the same day but I try to eliminate as many variables as possible by running with the same weight, tire setup, staging and launch. I even bought 2 extra wheels to run up front for optimal traction. I run 255/40/17 (bbs rc w pilot sport 43lbs) up front and keep my 235/40/18 (wedssport tc 005 w pilot sport a/s 41lbs) at the rear.
Old 05-22-2012, 07:35 AM
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I'm heading to the quarter on friday.
Old 05-22-2012, 08:11 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by 3gstealth
I have held off on getting a CAI because of what I have read on this site about the stock air-box not being a restriction. However, my curiosity has gotten the best of me and I will be installing one this week and putting it to the test on the 1/4 mile. I have made about 30 runs prior and my trap times have been pretty consistent between 92 and 95 mph. When I go to the track on Thurs, the weather will be warmer than my previous runs so hopefully my trap will increase as well with the CAI. I have an 06 5AT with rv6 v3 PCD and jpipe as my only performance mods.
Keep us posted somewhere, will be interesting to see if that thing has made any noticable difference on the ole girl
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