Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com - Common misconceptions, and the truth about CAI's

The following are some common misconceptions that we get here on a regular basis when speaking with customers about purchasing a Cold Air Intake for their vehicle. I try not to speak on behalf of other companies products, so I will do my best to address a few common beliefs/concerns that we get and how they pertain to our products. I hope that some of you find them helpful.

Misconception #1: I heard or read somewhere that oiled air filters are bad for my engine and will cause MAF (Mass Air Flow) problems.

TRUTH: The fact is this, if the oil from an air filter gets onto your MAF sensor it can cause some inaccurate readings that will negatively affect drivability and how your engine runs. THAT BEING SAID, this is only an issueif you A: purchase an air filter that has not properly been oiled from the manufacturer <OR> B: You oil your filter yourself and over oil it and/or do not let the oil dry properly into the air filter.

If you do a quick internet search, there are numerous companies out there that have known issues with his happening, we are not one of those companies. We do all of our own Engineering, R&D, Testing, and manufacturing of our filters as opposed to buying them from one of the "big box" brand names, this allows us a much higher level of quality control to ensure each filter is perfect.

Cold Air Inductions Inc. has very high quality standards in place to prevent this type of occurrence from happening. In the 9 years we have been producing and selling Cold Air Intake systems, we have never to my knowledge had a customer get a filter that was improperly oiled to the point where the filter oil got onto the vehicles MAF. Many people are not aware of this, but we actually have a quality manager whose sole responsibility is to monitor our quality on all different levels from raw materials to finished product. Since we are in the process of getting ISO certified, quality control is especially important to us. So rest assured that when you buy a CAI Inc. system you will have no issues with our oiled air filter.

Misconception #2: I am going to lose the functionality of my windshield wiper reservoir or have to move it so I can fill it after installing a CAI.

Truth: The Cold Air Intake we have developed for this vehicle requires no further modifications or changes to your vehicle. You don't have to touch your washer bottle, and you still have complete access to it because the lid on our CAI is removable via 3 spring loaded quarter turn fasteners.

Misconception #3: A CAI will void my vehicles factory warranty; even my dealer told me that.

Truth: A CAI cannot and will not void your vehicles warranty. Under the Federal Law known as the "Magnuson-Moss Act" your vehicles warranty is protectedafter installing a product such as a CAI. That being said, a dealer does not have to warranty an aftermarket product (such as a CAI) or any damage caused by that product, but the vehicles warranty remains intact and unchanged.

Here is a good example of how it works: You buy a new Camaro with a warranty. You then install a set of aftermarket headers, which rub against some wires and melt them. Your dealer will not and does not have to warranty those wires that melted because it was caused by an aftermarket part, however the rest of your vehicles warranty remains the same, and any damage covered b that warranty is still fixed as long as it was not caused by the headers you installed. Hopefully that makes sense.

On a side note, many dealers will tell you that they will not do warranty work on your vehicle if you installed aftermarket parts. By law they can not do this, however very few consumers are going to take the time, money, and energy to bring this battle all the way to court and fight it, even though legally the dealer has no grounds. When something like this happens, many will just go to another dealer, one that is "mod friendly" and will not give you a hard time. Another option if you know your dealer is difficult to work with regarding mods, and you don't have other options, is to remove your mod or CAI before taking it in for warranty work.

Misconception #4: I need to get a "tune" or adjust my computers settings to use a Cold Air Intake.

Truth: A CAI from Cold Air Inductions Inc. does not require a tune, simply install it and you are done. Some CAI's require a tune to avoid a CEL (Check Engine Light) and to run properly for their design, OUR CAI DOES NOT.

I hope that clears up a few things for consumers searching for a CAI and doing the research. If you have any questions, I would be happy to help answer them to the best of my ability. Thanks and take care!

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