for all u guys with CAI.... - BMW Forum

VeLoCiTy318 · 09-19-2004, 10:46 PM

what do u do during the winter when it snows/rains?

M3Daemon · 09-19-2004, 11:03 PM

I am assuming you are concerned about the CAI sucking in water... it rains a lot where I live and I have never had a problem. The plastic under the break duct is enough to shield any spray from the road, so unless you drive through a lake you should be fine B)

Daemon

eskiasu · 09-19-2004, 11:50 PM

Yeah, the cover helps and I dont think anyone who drives a bimmer would actually drive into water greater than 2 or 3 feet deep either. Also, if there is any spray from the road, it would have to go throuh the filter first which it would separate and trap some water and turn into smaller droplets, then it would have to survive the heat within the tube, and by this time, it should have turn into vapor by now. Besides, the car is moving, so its like a mist if it even gets in there. Take a look at where a CAI is goin to be placed in your car or a friends of yours and youll see taht its pretty hard for water to get in there. Are you planning on getiing one yourself?

VeLoCiTy318 · 09-20-2004, 12:37 AM

my filter is right in front of the car..im scared that when it rains and im driving the rains just gonna go straight into the filter

LivinFast67 · 09-20-2004, 12:46 AM

my filters there also..... we'll find out i guess

docrobot · 09-20-2004, 01:37 AM

A little water vapor never hurt an engine.

You never heard of water injection?

http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/WaterInjection.html

Turbodefrost · 09-20-2004, 01:58 AM

well, i actually have had some problems with that. My philter reaches all the way down to the bottom of the front bumper, and ther is not shielding between it and my tire. So when it rains, my tire sprays all of it's water right into my philter. I've actually had my car die twice when it was raining and that is the only reason i could find for it. So being that i live in north west washington, where it rains all the time, i'll be putting in a shield sooner than later... But as for water spraying up from the ground, that shouldn't be a problem. I don't think enough water could spray up to harm anything.

M3Daemon · 09-20-2004, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VeLoCiTy318@Sep 20 2004, 01:17 AM
my filter is right in front of the car..im scared that when it rains and im driving the rains just gonna go straight into the filter

my filter sits at the exact same spot... don't worry, you'll be fine

Daemon

Casey3561 · 09-20-2004, 08:28 AM

We got mucho rain last weekend, and my 318 didn't mind at all. The front looks the same as yours, so I'm presuming it's the same.

Autotechnica · 09-20-2004, 09:42 AM

Just remember that K&N filters are soaked in oil. Water doesn't mix or dissolve oil so it won't wash away.

The plastic bumper or underpanel shouldn't be your main concern. Lots of water can get through the brake ducts, fog lights, etc. Even eaiser if you have the M3 bumper. If you're anal about water getting into your engine, switch back to the airbox design in the winter, or position the filter right behind your headlight and use a heat shield. That's what I'm doing. I run a duct from my custom made foglight inlet ducts and run it up to my filter for track. in the winter, I simply close up that duct. Water will still get by the headlight, but not as much as if you had it positioned behind the bumper. You would also need to clean the filter every year.

I have a K&N filter I use for winter and another I use for summer.

Bry

Furious · 09-20-2004, 10:12 AM

didnt i already reply to this thread? in toronto we can get quite a bit of snow so , i usually would put the stock air box in or make a short ram intake..

Mark31186 · 09-20-2004, 11:25 AM

Ahhhhh its good to have confortii with the heat shield

Furious · 09-20-2004, 12:01 PM

here is mine, as you can see fully exposed, i have had absolutely no problems with it

BMWGuy325i · 11-22-2004, 09:16 AM

I got water in my intake. When I try to start it, it stalls on crank up. Im just gotta wait for it to evaporate, any other ideas???

I heard reseting the ECU will make it start back up and the water would evaporate.

YoungExec728 · 11-22-2004, 10:31 AM

I also have a Dinan style CAI that sits in the lower front bumper. I cut a hole in the brake duct to provide more air into the CAI, when it rains i just tape up the hole and then take it out when it is done raining. I've never had any problems when it rains, then again i'm from so. cal so I really don't have a big rain problem.

I've heard of people using a special "filter sock" that the CAI can suck in air from if the K&N gets soaked.