If you're a car enthusiast and always seeking fresh mods that might just get any extra power out of your vehicle, I'd be surprised indeed if you hadn't heard some slight reference to cold air intakes!
Cold air intake is an aftermarket available intake system that gives the engine, especially for new people who have modified a car, colder and denser air in the combustion chamber, increasing horsepower, torque, and overall performance.
But the most popular question remains, “How much horsepower does a cold air intake add?” Today, we're going to talk about cold air intake and how it relates to horsepower.
Let's dive in!
How Cold Air Intakes Increase Horsepower
Your engine requires a high quantity of air to produce power by combustion. Factory-installed air cleaners draw air from the engine bay that’s usually warm or hot, and it works okay, but it could be more efficient.
Adding a cold air intake unit increases the oxygen density within the system. The more oxygen, the better the engine will burn the fuel. And better burning translates into more power.
To put it in analogous terms, consider one balloon being filled with hot air, and the other with cold air. The one filled with cold air will be heavier and denser, though they may be of the same size. Likewise, with air, the cooler it gets, the denser it becomes thus helping your engine "breathe" easier.
Average Horsepower Gains from a Cold Air Intake
Horsepower gains are generally from 5-20 on average but depend on multiple factors such as engine size and engine modifications.
Engine Size
- Smaller Motors - Small motors, especially in compact cars and economy vehicles generally benefit more from cold air intakes. The increase in horsepower may also be greater due to the relatively small basic power output.
- Larger Engines - Even big engines can benefit, but the horsepower increase is usually smaller. However, the absolute horsepower gain can be significant and thus provide more noticeable performance gains.
Engine Modifications
- Other Performance Enhancements - If you have made other modifications for performance, such as a new exhaust system or re-programmed the onboard computer controlling the engine, the added horsepower from a cold air intake may not be as noticeable.
- Stock Engine - On a completely stock engine, the cold air intake is more likely to show a much bigger difference, as it is generally one of the first and least expensive performance enhancements that can be made.
Factors That Affect the Performance of a Cold Air Intake
- Material-A good quality material, such as aluminum or carbon fiber, can bear heat and pressure, hence enabling it to work properly and last longer.
- Filter - A high-flow filter allows more air to be sucked into the engine, although it catches the harmful dirt. But it's all about finding that sweet spot between airflow and filtering efficiency to best protect your engine.
- Intake Piping - Normally, intake piping geometry and length significantly affect airflow and performance. A good intake pipe design will minimize turbulence and increase airflow speed.
- Temperature and Humidity - Cold, dense air is better for burning fuel. Thus, with cold air intake, more significant power gains could be achieved in colder regions. In hot and humid areas, the effect will be minimal.
- Maintenance of Filter - Assuring at least minor performance degradation over time, regular cleaning, and replacement of an air filter are very important. A dirty filter can disrupt airflow and decrease the efficiency of the engine.
Other Benefits of Installing a Cold Air Intake
The main role that a cold air intake system achieves is increasing horsepower, although a few other benefits from having one may exist that enhance driving.
- Improved Throttle Response - All in all, the most striking difference you will perceive with this product is that the throttle response has become much quicker; more to the point, the moment you hit that pedal in your vehicle, it starts responding quicker and clearer.
- More Fuel Efficiency - Most people believe otherwise, but a good cold air intake will actually help improve fuel efficiency. It offers the engine cooler, denser air to work with, because of which burning is way better.
- Louder Engine Sound - With more air running through the engine when accelerating, it is bound to be loud.
Does a Cold Air Intake Alone Provide Significant Power Gains?
A cold air intake system on its own delivers impressive power, yet how can an engine possibly run smoothly when there are so many other bottlenecks in this system? In such situations not even tinkering with fuel injection can bring relief--providing that it does help with something.
By pairing the intake with other modifications, you can unlock the full potential of the engine. For instance, a cold air intake would give it cooler, denser air, while a revised exhaust system efficiently carries the used gases. The cumulative effect could be a better-breathing engine and more power from it.
ECU tuning is another option. This will allow the fine-tuning of engine parameters, such as fuel injection and ignition timing, in conformity with the peculiarities of a modified engine.
Now, putting all these together, a free-flow air filter, a racing exhaust system, and a retuned ECU-you can expect massive horsepower gains with unbelievably improved fuel economy.
How to Determine the Actual Horsepower Gain?
In reality, though, to tell the real horsepower gain for your vehicle, a before-and-after dyno test is the best way. Without a dyno, however, you more often than not will feel the improvement in the form of a much better throttle response, tighter acceleration, and a more exciting driving experience.
Browse through the line of cold air intakes for all vehicle types available here.
