cai inc installed...loss of mpg

[yzrider]

So I installed my Cai inc intake and I've lost about 1 mpg. I was right at 15.5 and after I reset it with the intake install I'm at 14.2. Any suggestions on why this would happen. Also no i havent been stomping on it to hear that great rumble if anything I drive it nicer bc i wanted to see if there was an mpg difference. Also it says to pull the tube away from the throttle body slightly. How close is to close I pulled it off a little bit but not to far. Is tbe any harm in it being to close

[ZED SLED]

I've seen where vendors claim more mpg but I would like for someone to explain that to me. More air requires more fuel to make more power, which is what a cai is all about. Not sure how burning more fuel is going to increase mileage. If this were the case wouldn't these be OEM to start with? I've never checked my mileage but I would expect it to be worse. If you're only losing 1mpg i think that would be normal. Never heard about moving the tube around.

[eclipsen]

You will lose MPG when the temperature decreases. That would be my guess over the CAI.
As for the tube, I think they just don't want the throttle body and tube touching. It gives it room to flex. Give it about 1/8 to 1/4 inch clearance if you can.

[brantley847]

Did you get a tune? My tuner had to adjust air/fuel ratios... I gained 2-3 mpg city with the CAI even with headers once those ratios were adjusted.

[Reloaded]

It would likely be more efficient, as its pull in more air, which ='s less gas to make the combustion necessary to power the vehicle.

Also did you reset you MPG calc as soon as you installed it? It might take some time for the computer to "learn" the new CAI. A fresh reset will also give off readings, as the number will flux between high and low depending on driving conditions... ex highway local etc...

[JDP Tech]

Comparing MPG with anything is nearly impossible to get a proper reading. Air temperatures, humidity, fuel quality, traffic, excitement with your new found power, etc. They all will effect your average MPG, these things can change in 10 minutes, so its super hard to determine effectively on the street. It does take some time for the computer to adjust to the CAI, if I was you, I'd now drive it like normal (full throttle at times) for a while to get the computer used to it in all circumstances, then I would retry the fuel economy; but remember it probably won't be a good comparison, especially as eclipsen stated, winter is coming... :(

Having a CAI doesn't mean it gets more air, the throttle body blocks any unwanted air. If it got more air, it would go lean (bad) and it would add more fuel, and your RPM would go up. A CAI grabs colder air and allows it to enter the engine in a smoother and quicker way, which means the engine doesn't have to work as hard, pulling air into it, hence more power available and better fuel economy.

Correct about the intake tube, it cannot contact the throttle body for noise and vibration, which is why it needs to be pulled out slightly. An 1/8 inch gap would probably be all thats needed. As long as the clamp gets a good full hold on the pipe, you're fine.

[cab2g]

I had that same suspicion when it started getting cold last winter. I replaced the CAI with the stock one for a few weeks and did not notice any increase in mileage. It's a combination of 2 things, cold temps make the engine run less efficiently for longer, and winter blend fuel causes a slight mileage drop as well.

[JANNETTYRACING]

Originally Posted by yzrider

So I installed my Cai inc intake and I've lost about 1 mpg. I was right at 15.5 and after I reset it with the intake install I'm at 14.2. Any suggestions on why this would happen. Also no i havent been stomping on it to hear that great rumble if anything I drive it nicer bc i wanted to see if there was an mpg difference. Also it says to pull the tube away from the throttle body slightly. How close is to close I pulled it off a little bit but not to far. Is tbe any harm in it being to close

How many tanks of fuel with the New CAI?

Ted.

[Tampa Tuning]

Originally Posted by brantley847

Did you get a tune? My tuner had to adjust air/fuel ratios... I gained 2-3 mpg city with the CAI even with headers once those ratios were adjusted.

[vegas81]

You should get you car tuned, and if you do may i suggest a 160 stat as well. You should truly get your car tunes after any mod if you wanna get the best bang for your buck.

[SilverSS3108]

mine dropped with my exhaust.... then dropped again with headers... then again with cai.... then yet again with a tune.... then I realized I was driving like I was 16 again and it started to rise back to the 20/24 mpg range as I stayed off the skinny pedal.

[Sales @ CAI Inc]

Originally Posted by SilverSS3108

mine dropped with my exhaust.... then dropped again with headers... then again with cai.... then yet again with a tune.... then I realized I was driving like I was 16 again and it started to rise back to the 20/24 mpg range as I stayed off the skinny pedal.

Thats typically the case!!

[K1SSRSS]

Did you happen to do a fuse pull when you installed the CAI, I did when I installed my Roto-Fab at C5F2 and driving back I noticed about a 2-3 mpg increase. A buddy also purchased a CAI intake at C5F3 and we did the fuse pull at the hotel, he also noticed similar results. I just like to pull fuses I do it to reset the computer any time I change anything on the car, as I feel it resets the baseline parameters. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Sales @ CAI Inc]

Also reset your mpg monitoring euip and start it over with the CAI. Otherwise it is calculating an average of every mile you have ever driven. Typically our customers see a 2 or 3 mpg increase.