Cold air intakes are like a big powerhouse stuck in a small body. This small and inexpensive piece of device gives your engine fresh new air to breathe in and makes it perform better. When our experts started to list the benefits of cold air intake it literally took hours to complete the list.
We all are a little bit aware of the working process of the kit but we don’t know about all the good things it brings to the engine life. Thus it will be much easier for you to understand the benefits of CAI if we break down the working process of it elaborately.
Here in this article, we will discuss the principle benefits of using aftermarket cold air intakes like extra HP, added torque, improved acceleration and sound etc along with its functional process and relationship with the engine.
Relationship Between Cold Air Intake and Engine
Before stepping into the world of CAI and its usefulness, we should have some basic ideas about how it helps the engine. Well, the system is built mostly with the goal of producing cold air to the engine and thus it deals with temperature and airflow. So the colder the air can get, the better it is for the health of the engine.
The relationship between an engine and the cold air intake system is an intimate one, where the heart of the engine is taken care of by the system. When dirty, warm air cloggs the engine, the CAI comes forward to clear that and make it perform better with new life and vigour.
The main task of an air intake system is to protect air filters from ingesting hot air to the engine. When it is time to collect air from a high-pressure zone, usually the engine takes that from those areas that are located in front of the engine.
The air in these areas stays at a quite cool temperature, but throughout the journey it becomes heated. Being heated lessens its potency and power keeps getting lost during the cycles. But we all know from high school physics, that cold air is higher in density compared to warm air and the latter one contains less amount of oxygen.
So, the engine burns more intensely and efficiently when colder air is supplied to it and produces more power. This is the formula working behind the success of cold air intake systems. High-quality CAI kits make the engine burn hotter and save power in the process.
Now let us look at the most important improvements that cold air intake kits may bring.
Benefits of Cold Air Intake for Your Car’s Engine
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Better Horsepower
An aftermarket cold air intake replaces restrictive stock intakes with components that are capable of handling larger volumes of air. And that is the technique behind the added HP. The amount of added HP is almost 5-20 HP.
The extra horsepower that cold air intakes add, comes from the denser air that the engine receives. Because of the fresh air with the extra oxygen, the engine starts working more efficiently, thus adding the extra HP.
By bringing cold air to the internal combustion engine, CAI ensures an increased rate of oxygen combustion. Following Laymen’s terms we can understand a better combustion, after getting more air with denser oxygen, works much more competently and adds extra HP.
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Low maintenance
Use of cold air intakes bring a modest surge in both HP, torque and gas mileage making the task of engine breezier. Now the engine can provide the power the vehicle needs by using less energy and without getting hotter.
So that
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Improved Acceleration
The main formula behind CAI is carrying cold air to the engine and as cold air is denser with oxygen it results in better acceleration of the car. Just after you push the pedal, you will realize a better responsiveness of the car brought into by a strong CAI kit.
The entry of more and more cold air, instead of warm air into the engine, ensures enough air around for the combustion. When you want to drive your car at a faster speed without any difficulties, this extra air makes it happen smoothly.
Related Post: Hellcat Airbox vs Cold Air Intake – Which one to Choose?
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Increased gas mileage
By providing a superior air-fuel ratio, the cold air intake system helps to increase gas mileage. As long as the engine keeps receiving fresh cold air, your gas fuel will be saved.
When the engine faces problems because of a lack of fresh oxygen, it is bound to burn more and more energy to keep the vehicle running. Thus, supply of air dense with oxygen makes the engine perform without any difficulty and much less fuel. So make your engine ready for a bump in MPG.
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Better growl
If you want a powerful roar from your engine, then using aftermarket cold air intake might be a pretty helpful step. Along with better acceleration, you will also hear a much better sound coming from your engine, after installing this kit.
This happens mostly because of two things – first is the stock air system which is initially designed to be silent but gets removed by cold air intake kit.
And second, with more air carried down by the CAI kit, the sound in an obvious way becomes more intense.
So, if you are a fan of the growling sound of the engine while driving, then using this kit will let you enjoy the journey more. But before purchasing the CAI, make it sure that you really do like the sound.
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Longer engine life
It is almost inevitable that a kit bringing more cold air to make the task easier for the engine will also contribute in making the lifeline of that engine stronger. The temperature gets colder by the CAI kit and colder temperature increases the lifespan of the engine.
What happens when a human body receives enough nourishment and it doesn’t suffer from dehydration or malnutrition? Its overall life expectancy increases, right? The same thing happens here. Because of the right nourishment, the engine lives longer.
Details Video on Advantage of Cold Air Intake
Final words
Now that you are aware of the benefits of a cold air intake and all the advantages it brings to the engine, you won’t have any second thoughts on purchasing an aftermarket kit. We have already listed the top-rated cold air intakes for 5.3 Vortec available in the market for your help.
With proper buying ideas and research, you will find a wonderful kit for your engine that will improve both HP and MPG and lengthen the engine’s lifeline as well.
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