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R18 cold air intake?...

35K views 48 replies 25 participants last post by  jewwbob  
#1 ·
Hello everyone, I apologize in advance if this has been already asked here before. I have an '11 sedan, and I've been wondering lately about putting on a CAI... it's not the cheapest thing to get either, so if I invest into one, then I'd like to be sure it's worth it. (better noise? small increase in power? any gains at all?)

A few things: I'm not necessarily looking to increase the performance of my Civic significantly - I just want a bit more excitement out of the engine while keeping it reliable. Which brings to question, the ECM... will it need to be re-programmed? Since the mixture of oxygen in the engine will be different, will it throw off the mass air flow sensor and other things?

-And for when the engine breathes out... will I need to invest in a higher-flow exhaust system?

I'm willing to spend what it takes to get a high-quality CAI that works well - but I'd like to hear the overall experience from some of you guys who've installed a CAI on your R18's and how things have worked out.

Any tips/advice would be highly appreciated!
 
#2 ·
i installed an ebay cai on my r18 and took my muffler off. my butt dyno noticed quite a difference, and it seemed my gas miliage improved. you wont need to reprogram your car. youll have to disconnect your battery durring the install and you should be fine from that. no CELs on my car everything is running perfect. as for exhaust, i think you would benifit more with getting one then if you were to just put the cai on but im sure you will still notice an improvement if you dont get an exhaust.
 
#13 ·
There's a DIY sri thread for the r18's here somewhere, or you could what these guys are doing and just remove that hose. In terms of whether you should get a cause/sri I would say don't spend the money when you can get the same performance out of DIY job, unless you want the bling. Exhaust? Everyone could do with a freer flowing exhaust. The sound, the throttle response and the power increase is well worth it. Now these parts will give your car a bit more pep without a reflash or a flashpro, but you will be able to get the most from them with a tune.

With that said...please remember that the r18 is not a "performance engine" and as such doesn't respond as well to mods as say, the k20. Bolton's may only net a few horses, so don't expect a rocketship experience from your r18 with intake and exhaust.

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#18 ·
I got a ebay CAI 11 weeks ago and it sounds a lot better and I feel like the gas pedal is more responsive, everything else is stock and still good and I think it is worth the 60$ spent on it but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on one because its just a pipe taking air from one place to another.. I am going to buy a nicer filter though once this one gets old
 
#23 ·
I had a drop in k&n and recently switched to injen cai w/tbs. my butt dyno almost feels like i lost some power. No cels or any problems. I wasn't expecting much but im definitely disappointed. Im in vegas and its starting to hit 90 degrees. I had a short ram on an ek and never had heat soak issues. It almost feels like its too much of a distance for air to travel with this cai.
 
#26 ·
Holy thread revival batman!

@JamesMang: By removing the resonator and intake piping forward of the filter box, you create a Short Ram Intake effect, which pulls in warmer air from the engine bay but also has less restriction. You likely won't feel the difference in power, but your engine will breathe better and your ears will thank you. As mentioned, probably the best free mod you can do. Like I said before, a drop in filter isn't going to do much but allow your engine slightly more air through the same restrictive, turbulent intake piping.
 
#28 ·
Honestly if I were you I would just spend the extra money and get a name brand. The only reason I say this is because usually the knock off brands have issues. I'm speaking from experience, I bought a pair of headlights from eBay just for a diff look. They blew out about 2 months after install, end up putting stock ones back in, long story short headlights , plus install and uninstall was like almost 500 all together could have gotten a retro fit with that.