The majority of combustion engines nowadays are made of moving and fixed parts, no matter if we’re talking about a rotary or a piston engine. They both use fuel and air to kickstart the combustion process and generate enough power to make your car move. This happens thanks to compression and sparks being fed into each combustion chamber where a piston moves up and down inside a cylinder.
The release of energy sends the piston down and this motion then becomes a circular one thanks to the connecting rod and crankshaft. From the crankshaft, the power is transferred to the wheels through various linkages including the differential. All of this sounds complicated yet it takes a simple replacement to improve the way it works.
Benefits of an Aftermarket Air Intake
Efficiency
Air intakes, including aftermarket ones, are able to improve the combustion process in a way that doesn’t require the PCM to correct it all the time. This means it becomes more efficient as aftermarket car intakes can provide the engine with a lot more air at a faster rate.
Performance
Being able to send more air than an OEM air intake and a lot quicker too, means that aftermarket car air intakes are better for the performance of your vehicle. While that is true, don’t expect any major difference, since only the combustion process is improved, no HP is being added nor the throttle response is sharpened.
Longevity
With a new car air intake, you can definitely expect to prolong the lifespan not only of the parts in the combustion chamber and the throttle body, but also of the engine as a whole. This is because it will be supplied with clean air effortlessly without making surrounding components strain because of poor airflow.
Economy
Since everything works so well with an aftermarket car intake, the result is a better fuel economy. Again, while you won’t see any drastic changes on the dashboard, your fuel consumption will be better and when coupled with the right type of driving, you will then definitely notice a difference.
What to Look for in an Aftermarket Air Intake
Types
A popular type of aftermarket air intake is a cold air intake. This is essentially a long tube that has an air filter at the front which can bring in cool air to the engine block since it sits further away from the engine. This gives the intake time to cool the air especially if coupled with a heat shield. Even if you don’t add a heat shield the air being sent to the engine will still be rather cool.
Ram air intakes are also able to provide the engine with cool air but this type of car air intake has the air filter at the back, away from the grille. It works the other way around as air needs to travel even more, which is also why ram air intakes come with a pre-filter mounter at the front.
Short ram car air intakes are a smaller version of ram air intakes. They may have shorter tubing, but they are much larger in diameter which helps make cool air without taking up as much space as any of the above two. But the filter is found much closer to the engine which means the air coming in isn’t as cold as the one you get from the above car intakes.
Barrier
Although these are air intakes we are talking about, they should still have a thermal barrier. This is done to protect the car air intake from thermal contamination which can hinder performance. Such a barrier can be in the form of plastic like carbon fiber or coatings made of ceramics or zirconium.
Filter Element
The filter element is as important as the tubing and thermal barrier as it determines how clean the air is going to be when it comes to the engine block. An oiled filter element is best when it comes to providing clean air but keep in mind that it can reduce performance gains since oil particles can build up and contaminate the airflow meter. If your vehicle has a MAF sensor then go with a dry filter.
Water Ingestion
Along with air, water is also being drawn into an air intake and it could also affect performance or even damage the system. This is why it’s a good idea to include a bypass valve with your intake in order to keep water away. This has a higher chance of happening if you live in an area with lots of rainfall and if you go for an intake system that will draw air from the bottom of the fender well or bumper.
Final Words
Since no vehicle is the same, no air intake is either since you won’t always want to get the biggest performance boost. Well, depending on what you want most from your car, you should make a decision on which type of air intake you want.
Automotive Marketing Strategies 
Leave a comment