Cold Air Intake System
The statement that drives me nuts is when someone says "it will void your warranty". Replacing parts do not void your warranty. Replacing a part that is directly related to the problem can potentially void the warranty but even then if Mitsubishi is required to prove the aftermarket part was the direct result.
Original Question not answered
So warranty issues aside, which aftermarket intake system is the best? Does anybody have experience with more than 1? How big of a difference do the sytems that extend all the way to the front make? How big of a difference does it make to change from a drop-in K&N to the cone system?
There are 3 ways you can upgrade your intake system without changing throttling body of intake manifold: short-ram intake, cold-air intake and stock-replacement filter. Each of them have their pros and cons. Here is to the best of my knowledge what you need to know, hoping this will help you choose.
Short RAM Intake (SRI): It's basically putting a short pipe with a cone filter instead of you stock airbox. The cone filter offer a high-flow. But the fact that the pipe is short puts your cone filter close to the engine which cause it to suck hot air. This could be harmful to your engine if you are in a very hot region this may also limitate your power potential because hot air has a lower density than cold air for the same pressure (ref.: Basic physic).
Cold Air Intake (CAI): It is, like the SRI a pipe with a cone filter. The difference is that the pipe is much longer and puts the cone filter in a location when it is expose to a flow of cold air. The major inconvenient is that the cone usually end up in a location where it is exposed to dirt and water, thus it require extra maintenance.
Stock Replacement filter (drop-in): This is basically a less restrictive filter that you put in you stock air-box. It increases the flow. But usually less restriction might mean less filtration but this is debatable.
Short RAM Intake (SRI): It's basically putting a short pipe with a cone filter instead of you stock airbox. The cone filter offer a high-flow. But the fact that the pipe is short puts your cone filter close to the engine which cause it to suck hot air. This could be harmful to your engine if you are in a very hot region this may also limitate your power potential because hot air has a lower density than cold air for the same pressure (ref.: Basic physic).
Cold Air Intake (CAI): It is, like the SRI a pipe with a cone filter. The difference is that the pipe is much longer and puts the cone filter in a location when it is expose to a flow of cold air. The major inconvenient is that the cone usually end up in a location where it is exposed to dirt and water, thus it require extra maintenance.
Stock Replacement filter (drop-in): This is basically a less restrictive filter that you put in you stock air-box. It increases the flow. But usually less restriction might mean less filtration but this is debatable.
So is this talk about 'cold air' real? Or is it a bunch of hot air? (pun intended) I was very surprised to see that my stock intake temperature was running at least 15 degrees above ambient even at highway speeds! In stop and go traffic the difference was close to 50! Has anybody else done any monitoring like that? What about the tuners? I would think that on the dyno the differences between 'cold' and 'hot' would be more obvious. (btw I know they have fans and everything)
So is this talk about 'cold air' real? Or is it a bunch of hot air? (pun intended) I was very surprised to see that my stock intake temperature was running at least 15 degrees above ambient even at highway speeds! In stop and go traffic the difference was close to 50! Has anybody else done any monitoring like that? What about the tuners? I would think that on the dyno the differences between 'cold' and 'hot' would be more obvious. (btw I know they have fans and everything)
I am not sure exactly what is reasonable as a difference between ambient and intake temperature. I would be glad to provide you with some numbers from my logs but I doubt they would be representative right now since it freezing here
I think Bryan@GST shown some graphe comparing the efficiency of the stock intercooler with other intercoolers, you could probably use that as a reference. I can't find it right now but it should be in one of his main threads.
So is this talk about 'cold air' real? Or is it a bunch of hot air? (pun intended) I was very surprised to see that my stock intake temperature was running at least 15 degrees above ambient even at highway speeds! In stop and go traffic the difference was close to 50! Has anybody else done any monitoring like that? What about the tuners? I would think that on the dyno the differences between 'cold' and 'hot' would be more obvious. (btw I know they have fans and everything)
when I was last on the dyno, my intake and ambient were only about 5degrees off from each other
It gets heat soaked after a single pull... Swapping for the EVO X Intercooler is so inexpensive and easy to do...
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zx - thanks for the air intake 101. i'm in the same situation as the OP, new X owner and would like to optimize performance a bit without major mods that jeopardize warranty. last thing i want is to argue with the service manager over whether the mods were the cause of a problem. just sets you up for a bad relationship.
i did majorly mod my last car and there is a point where as performance goes up, reliability goes down. i use my X as a DD, so I do not want to forfeit reliability.
so, Mod #1 sounds like air intake -- in my case, NY may be cool enough for the short pipe/cone intake -- I'm guessing that would improve air flow the most.
Mod #2(?): catback exhaust. I see the HKS Hi-power suggested by Sean Ivey and others on the forums (for those of us that don't want to alert the neighbors of our departure everytime we back out the driveway). Anyone care to make a case for another catback system. (And btw, if I went with the larger aftermarket tailpipes, do I need to put those protector shields above them to avoid melting off the rear bumper?
Mod #3, 4, 5???
i did majorly mod my last car and there is a point where as performance goes up, reliability goes down. i use my X as a DD, so I do not want to forfeit reliability.
so, Mod #1 sounds like air intake -- in my case, NY may be cool enough for the short pipe/cone intake -- I'm guessing that would improve air flow the most.
Mod #2(?): catback exhaust. I see the HKS Hi-power suggested by Sean Ivey and others on the forums (for those of us that don't want to alert the neighbors of our departure everytime we back out the driveway). Anyone care to make a case for another catback system. (And btw, if I went with the larger aftermarket tailpipes, do I need to put those protector shields above them to avoid melting off the rear bumper?
Mod #3, 4, 5???
zx - thanks for the air intake 101. i'm in the same situation as the OP, new X owner and would like to optimize performance a bit without major mods that jeopardize warranty. last thing i want is to argue with the service manager over whether the mods were the cause of a problem. just sets you up for a bad relationship.
i did majorly mod my last car and there is a point where as performance goes up, reliability goes down. i use my X as a DD, so I do not want to forfeit reliability.
so, Mod #1 sounds like air intake -- in my case, NY may be cool enough for the short pipe/cone intake -- I'm guessing that would improve air flow the most.
Mod #2(?): catback exhaust. I see the HKS Hi-power suggested by Sean Ivey and others on the forums (for those of us that don't want to alert the neighbors of our departure everytime we back out the driveway). Anyone care to make a case for another catback system. (And btw, if I went with the larger aftermarket tailpipes, do I need to put those protector shields above them to avoid melting off the rear bumper?
Mod #3, 4, 5???
i did majorly mod my last car and there is a point where as performance goes up, reliability goes down. i use my X as a DD, so I do not want to forfeit reliability.
so, Mod #1 sounds like air intake -- in my case, NY may be cool enough for the short pipe/cone intake -- I'm guessing that would improve air flow the most.
Mod #2(?): catback exhaust. I see the HKS Hi-power suggested by Sean Ivey and others on the forums (for those of us that don't want to alert the neighbors of our departure everytime we back out the driveway). Anyone care to make a case for another catback system. (And btw, if I went with the larger aftermarket tailpipes, do I need to put those protector shields above them to avoid melting off the rear bumper?
Mod #3, 4, 5???
Actually, first mod I would recommend you is getting a Tactrix cable. But that will must certainly void your engine and drivetrain warranty since there is no way someone can log what type of settings you ran so it's easy for Mitsubishi to blame you and find reasonable proof of it in case you blow you engine or your transmission.
For the melting, I'm not sure. Maybe someone else would know better than me.
Keep in mind that the Short RAM Intake is more an esthetic mod than a real performance mod, this is due to the fact that the hot air, will have lower density. But the sound of the BPV is really nice and I think it's worth the 40-50$ you'll have to put to purchase the filter. (RICER POWER)
when i was buying my car, i went to a couple of dealerships and one guy said if your going to and im sure you will mod your car, just buy a good one and not a cheap one. They will cover anything as long as its not related to what you changed out
NO. It's also illegal for a dealer to deny you the OE warranty because you have changed the exhaust system. This is an often asked question. But you will need to be armed with some basic information.
Under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1975, 15 USC, 2302 and Clean Air Act 42 of USA code 7541, you have rights.
This legislation basically states that:
In order for a dealer/manufacturer to deny a warranty on a claimed part, they must PROVE that the part YOU installed/had installed DIRECTLY caused the failure of the part on which you’re claiming the warranty.
What does this mean to you?
Let’s say you install a turbocharger to the engine. Could this void the transmission warranty? The axle warranty? The answer is “possibly,” as the increased stress to these components cause by the increased power output from the turbo could indeed cause your warranty to be denied.
What about a cat back exhaust system?
Since most high quality systems, at least those systems that are 50 state legal, are installed behind the catalytic converters, there should be no warranty concerns to other components, even emissions components. Most exhaust companies, including MagnaFlow, design their systems so that no modification is necessary to get the systems to fit. They will not trigger “check engine” lights unless there’s a leak in the system which almost always caused by an oversight during installation and they will not effect emissions. Remember: the engine creates the emissions, the exhaust system is the path from which they exit. A freer flowing exhaust will not do anything to inhibit emissions expulsion or to increase emissions output, all of which is controlled by engine management and the catalytic converter(s).
Any properly engineered exhaust system will not cause any failures of any other parts of the engine, suspension, chassis, transmission, electrical system, etc.
Of course, there’s a great deal to be said for the importance of having a qualified installer work on your vehicle. While MagnaFlow goes to great lengths to provide ample clearance of fuel lines, electric lines, brake lines, etc., like any part you’d install, if care is not exercised, there could be interference with equipment on the vehicle. That’s why we recommend using a MagnaFlow “Preferred” dealer to do your installation, unless you have at least some basic knowledge of working on vehicles.
In any case, the most important thing you need to know is that you need to be armed with this information. In many cases, dealers are just plain timid in doing repair work on vehicles that are even remotely different.
What to do if denied a warranty?
You MUST get the denial in writing and demand that they are very specific in why they’re denying the claim and in providing solid evidentiary proof in how the part you installed/had installed caused the failure for which they’re denying the warranty.
Next, contact the Regional Service Manager and of course, the manufacturer of your vehicle, mention the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and document every word they say and retain copies of all paperwork. The problem is usually corrected here, as manufacturers know the law, dealers are just being cautions. Of course, some dealers are better than others and we’ve all had bad experiences. Use the internet chat rooms to seek out owners of similar vehicles to share their dealer experiences…its’ a powerful tool.
In most cases, when they realize that you’ve done you’re homework, the dealer and manufacturer will realize that they’re obligated to comply with the law.
Under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1975, 15 USC, 2302 and Clean Air Act 42 of USA code 7541, you have rights.
This legislation basically states that:
In order for a dealer/manufacturer to deny a warranty on a claimed part, they must PROVE that the part YOU installed/had installed DIRECTLY caused the failure of the part on which you’re claiming the warranty.
What does this mean to you?
Let’s say you install a turbocharger to the engine. Could this void the transmission warranty? The axle warranty? The answer is “possibly,” as the increased stress to these components cause by the increased power output from the turbo could indeed cause your warranty to be denied.
What about a cat back exhaust system?
Since most high quality systems, at least those systems that are 50 state legal, are installed behind the catalytic converters, there should be no warranty concerns to other components, even emissions components. Most exhaust companies, including MagnaFlow, design their systems so that no modification is necessary to get the systems to fit. They will not trigger “check engine” lights unless there’s a leak in the system which almost always caused by an oversight during installation and they will not effect emissions. Remember: the engine creates the emissions, the exhaust system is the path from which they exit. A freer flowing exhaust will not do anything to inhibit emissions expulsion or to increase emissions output, all of which is controlled by engine management and the catalytic converter(s).
Any properly engineered exhaust system will not cause any failures of any other parts of the engine, suspension, chassis, transmission, electrical system, etc.
Of course, there’s a great deal to be said for the importance of having a qualified installer work on your vehicle. While MagnaFlow goes to great lengths to provide ample clearance of fuel lines, electric lines, brake lines, etc., like any part you’d install, if care is not exercised, there could be interference with equipment on the vehicle. That’s why we recommend using a MagnaFlow “Preferred” dealer to do your installation, unless you have at least some basic knowledge of working on vehicles.
In any case, the most important thing you need to know is that you need to be armed with this information. In many cases, dealers are just plain timid in doing repair work on vehicles that are even remotely different.
What to do if denied a warranty?
You MUST get the denial in writing and demand that they are very specific in why they’re denying the claim and in providing solid evidentiary proof in how the part you installed/had installed caused the failure for which they’re denying the warranty.
Next, contact the Regional Service Manager and of course, the manufacturer of your vehicle, mention the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and document every word they say and retain copies of all paperwork. The problem is usually corrected here, as manufacturers know the law, dealers are just being cautions. Of course, some dealers are better than others and we’ve all had bad experiences. Use the internet chat rooms to seek out owners of similar vehicles to share their dealer experiences…its’ a powerful tool.
In most cases, when they realize that you’ve done you’re homework, the dealer and manufacturer will realize that they’re obligated to comply with the law.