Should I be worried? - BMW Forum

RexKing86 · 05-07-2006, 07:09 PM

The fact that my CAI is far away from the engine is sweet on a nice day, but should I be worried when it rains?? Look at the pictures...

RexKing86 · 05-07-2006, 07:10 PM

btw, yes i realize I have some very bad pitting...

saltshaker185 · 05-07-2006, 08:43 PM

id like to know the same thing... mine is set up the same way... should i be worried??

RexKing86 · 05-07-2006, 09:12 PM

haha, I know... im always afraid of fog and rain...

saltshaker185 · 05-07-2006, 09:15 PM

yeah.. someone warned me about it sucking up puddles but i really dono if it would matter that much? i dono... ima get a underpanel if it really does matter though...

WarNox · 05-08-2006, 06:26 AM

if it does suck up water it will stuff something up! i read that somewhere on here a while ago, u can install some kind of a anti-water valve but yeah, im not very helpfull as i do not have a cai but i know it is a problem!

325isBaby · 05-08-2006, 10:55 AM

When I was living in AZ all those dumbasses with CAI on their rice-cakes would suck water big time when it did rain (saw one so bad it hydro-locked the engine AND bent the conecting rods) Basically your CIA works like a big straw in puddles and guess what water doesn't combust!

rej487 · 05-08-2006, 11:58 AM

ya, overall its not a good idea... water gets in there and bam... either get a shield for it or get the valve that warnox was refering to.

RexKing86 · 05-08-2006, 02:23 PM

Well where do I find one of these valves? I will have to fabricate something to block water if not. Im not taking the thing off though with $20 geting me 6 gallons of gas... Read my review of it in the product review section...

Gkamysz · 05-08-2006, 02:47 PM

The straw analogy doesn't make any sense. You would have to be parked in a puddle a foot deep for that to happen. That's the only way those bypass valves will work anyhow. It's more like when you are at the bottom of your coke and trying to suck out the last few drops. I don't understand what kind of damage actually occurs with a CAI and water, specifically driving in rain. I'm familiar with what water does to engines. But most guys that run their trucks though water and mud pits don't do anything special. Guys that ford through rivers will use snorkels. I've talked to guys that intentionally soak their air filters in water for the purpose of dropping intake temps for drag racing. We all know of water injection systems which intentionally inject water into the engine. Water injection is not new technology.

What's the real issue in our cars? Possible water drops on the MAF messing up A/F ratios to the point it won't run. The intake is a few inches in diameter. The only thing getting into the engine is water drops, unless the car is drowned. I wonder how well a thoroughly soaked filter breathes? If the engine can't get air it won't run either.

I don't have a CAI on my car at this point. I plan to make one this summer.

What does allowing the filter to get wet do to the filtering capabilities? Seems to me you'd suck all the dirt caught in the filter right through. Dirt in the engine, nice clean filter? I guess that's one way to wash it.

Greg

Gkamysz · 05-08-2006, 03:07 PM

http://www.c5forum.com/cgi-bin/ultim...ic/1/3792.html

I did find this in my searching. It makes sense. The only guys that had problems drove through puddles of water that were fairly deep with certain types of intakes. Our cars are not as low as Corvettes and the intakes certainly aren't below the bumper at 3" off the ground.

e36surge · 05-08-2006, 03:24 PM

I think we should understand the comment made above about water sprayed in the engine. (just in case some of the readers of this forum don't understand the techology) See the link below.

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

Coming from a Jeep offroad background I can attest to the damage water can cause to an engine when it is taken in through the air intake. I blew a cast iron block in my jeep many years ago as i attempted to cross a river... okay so I was driving fast... Therefore I will agree with the statements made above by Greg, the CAI will not pull in that much water as to cause a caastrophic failure whilst driving in rain or through a puddle. At worst you'll stall or feel hesitation because there will not be enough air reaching the engine. My younger friends with ricers have had problems with water and low CAI but no engine failures.