Hey, just purchased AEM Cold Air Intake and the bypass valve (unless i don't need it).
1.) what is the bypass valve for? (cardomain recommended i buy it with the CAI)
2.) can someone with no experience do this install?
3.) what tools/etc will i need?
4.) if i take it somewhere, what kind of shop would i need to take it to and how much would it cost?

 

should be easy to do yourself, intakes are a good starting point for anyone who doesn't have much hands on experience. Just dive in there and do it man. and yes use the bypass valve. It is basically a secondary air filter that will bypass themain air filter ifthe main filterbecomes submerged in water so that water is not sucked into the engine.I have one on my intake and I know its saved mewhile drivingthrough a little bit too high of water a couple of times.

 

also if you need an example of how it goes on the intake, look at the pic in my profile gallery

 

Ummm, unless you plan on literally driving into a lake, you won't need the bypass valve. I the filter is completely submerged under water and there is no bypass, the engine will hydrolock (get damaged). BUT, you have to completely submerge it.

If you do use the bypass valve, you will be losing the purpose of the CAI. It's called COLD air intake because it gets the colder air away from the engine. If you have the bypass, you will be sucking in the air from the engine bay, thus making the gains from cold air useless.

This should be an easy place to start modding your car. Good luck, and try searching CAI with the search function on this site.

 

the way that I was told the the bypass works is that the density of the material is higher than that of the air filter so only small amounts of air actually come through it under normal operation. when the main filter becomes submerged, the density at the air filter is higher than that of the bypass valve so the bypass valve effectively becomes thethe main filter so it doesn't suck up water.

 

Yes you correct, but that warm air still get in, basically negating the cai. You might as well get a short ram if you're going to use the bypass. Unless you go boating in your civic, don't use the bypass. You spent the money on a performance gaining part and they waste it by "saving you car" from lakes and oceans.

 

ok i guess now that I think about it that makes sense. hmm might be taking that thing off if I ever get a new intake.

 

water splashing on the filter won't make your car hydrolock, it has to be entirely submerged for a good period of time, as pointed out earlier.

 

Boo...ditch the bypass valve. First off...the only way you will hydrolock your car is if you drive through a puddle that submerges the filter. In fact, a little water in your engine will be good for it because it will cool it down. A lot of supercharger guys actually have water injection rigged up to keep their temperatures down. Second...the bypass valve will be in the engine bay and effectively negate all power gains you would have with a CAI over an SRI.

 

so basically, take off the 2nd tube on your cai and the BPV and make your cai into a sri if you're still concernced about hydrolocking your car