Changed the cold air intake (air filter) on the 4 Cylinder engine (2.4L).

[email4walker]

I checked my air filter this weekend and it was dirty. Instead of going with the stock filter I decided to swap it out for a better one. Like everyone else, I had to mod it a little, but it all worked out fine. Of course, the real question is, is it a worth while upgrade for the smaller engine? Well, it does have a smoother take off, throttle response is better (when you push the gas, it responds faster), it feels like the engine is not working as hard to move, I get better gas mileage but only time will tell how much better, and it makes the engine sound deeper around 2nd/3rd gear. I would not say the upgrade is a must, but if you like messing with your car and/or you want better gas mileage, it might be worth it.

Oh yeah, in the pics, I put a screen under the filter because the air flow is still travelling through there and when I changed the air filter there was some large debris in there (small leaves, helicopter seeds, etc....I have no idea how they got in there). Anyway, if you go with this upgrade, this is something to keep in mind.

[BEEF]

You should get an Outerwears pre filter cover, It'll keep out some of the extra stuff

[webslave]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm any, but, bear in mind that the air/fuel mixture is computer controlled along with engine timing and valve timing. I put CAI and CAT back systems on my Hemi Jeep. Liked the sound, however, tests before and after showed no true change in either acceleration or mileage. The computer takes whatever air it is getting and adjusts the mixture, engine timing and valve timing and adjusts it "on the fly" to yield optimum output of the engine and a CAI doesn't have any "blower" or "turbo" effect (physically forcing more air/fuel into the cylinders) and thusly doesn't really change throttle response or mileage. I used my OBD II computer (reads real time/on the go data) to test the Jeep both before and after. The "perceived" benefits were based on the sound...the CAI sounds great and the CAT back really amplified the perception that I was going faster, quicker and that my mpg should then benefit from the effort. Unless you alter the engine's computer algorithms to compensate for increased air flow and less exhaust pressure, the computer will only use what it needs to satisfy its programming. That's just the way the system works. Even in the "dinosaur" cars I grew up with, if I added CAI and straight through exhaust (no CAT converters in those days), we didn't see any real improvements until we changed the jets in the carburetor and added a cam to change the valve timing along with a more aggressive spring pack on the distributor to change engine timing. The CAI and CAT back are just perception changers...you'll think (even swear) that it goes faster, quicker and gets better mileage, but, it actually doesn't and with my Jeep, I found that my mileage actually went down over the long haul because I really, really liked the sound and found myself putting more "foot into it" than before just to listen to it... Real world changes? Nada, not as long as the computer controls the engine, but, ah...the sound. :dreamy:

As mentioned above, I would definitely get the pre-filter ( a fine mesh bag that is shaped like the filter with elastic around the edge) as it will help keep the main filter clean of the "big stuff" and you'll get even better sound by building a box around the filter so that it doesn't draw as much warm air off the engine (won't provide any additional "performance", but, provides a more stable air supply) and provides an "echo chamber" for the cool sound.