Which Cold Air Intake to get??

[Combine17]

I know I wont get any increase in power and it doesn't do much for the car...but for the summer id like to get a cold air intake for my 2001 Golf TDI.

I searched on ebay...but cant really find anything i like.

Looking for something decent for 100 dollars or less.

anyone know of anything good??

 

[zuks90idi]

Nothing for $100.00.

I had the AFE on my Golf. Ran it for a few months and traded it for a stock air box.

Zero improvements only more noise which I hated with a passion.

 

[turbocharged798]

It comes with a "cold air intake" from the factory. It's called a intercooler.

It come with a really good flowing intake from the factory tool. It's called the OEM airbox.

 

[Honeydew]

The cheapest way to get the benefit of a cai (increased sound volume) is to remove the intake snorkel and also use a hole saw to drill some holes in the bottom of the lower airbox. Paradoxically, this makes the intake less of a cai but I understand cai in this case to mean an exposed filter where the airbox was.

 

[Bob_Fout]

I know I wont get any increase in power and it doesn't do much for the car...but for the summer id like to get a cold air intake for my 2001 Golf TDI.

I searched on ebay...but cant really find anything i like.

Looking for something decent for 100 dollars or less.

anyone know of anything good??

The AFE one is your best bet. You might find someone selling theirs for cheap. New they are ~$250.

 

[Randomhero1172]

Id stay stock. Stock box flows more then enough air, you wont see any increase with aftermarket.

 

[40X40]

Useless mods just for the sake of modding is RICE.

Bill

 

[racerxtdi]

Don't forget it looks Cool! But not worth it performance wise. (Anecdotal)

 

[UFO]

Don't forget it looks Cool! But not worth it performance wise. (Anecdotal)

For the time being. Waiting on dyno report.....

 

[bluesmoker]

i remember one of the admins posting his dyno with an K&N and a CAI, the result was zero increase in hp

search the threads, it should be easy to find

 

[zuks90idi]

How about running a tube from one of the interior vents out and around to the front of the car pointing right at the intake point, then running the AC full blast?

Now thats a knee slapper right there..

 

[K5ING]

Just load the airbox with dry ice. Your CO2 emissions might go up a tad, however.

Seriously, your car already has a cold air intake from the factory. Don't mess with it.

 

[85_305]

Useless mods just for the sake of modding is RICE.

Bill

Whats useless to you may be beneficial to me.

Ease off of him.


DO NOT waste your money buying a cold air intake; IF you do anything, do an open element. That will you will get the sound you are looking for. You can do that for the cost of a $50 filter.

Spending 200$+ on a "cold air intake" wont do a whole lot. It might boost mpg by 1-2, and it will increase the sound of the turbo... but that can be done by merely installing an open air filter.

 

[cfm56]

dont waste your money on a CAI. Get a tune or at least new injector nozzles..

 

[KLXD]

What will an open air filter do other than make noise? What is the benefit?

 

[K5ING]

Engines are designed to work with a certain amount of intake pressure, and a certain amount of back pressure. That's why they run bad when the intake or the catalytic converter gets clogged. When you mess with either of these things, the balance is lost.

As stated earlier, the car already has a CAI. It already draws air in from outside of the engine compartment.

I've never understood why some people think they are smarter than the hundreds (thousands?) of German engineers who designed the things to begin with.

mode rant = off

 

[KLXD]

You mean the ones who designed the 01M? The oil filter location on the A3? The cup holders on the A4? The interior finish on the A4?

Rant just getting started.

 

[ruking]

You mean the ones who designed the 01M? The oil filter location on the A3? The cup holders on the A4? The interior finish on the A4?

Rant just getting started.

Yes, but this really is about the air induction portion. The engineers did a good job and the execution is also VERY good. It really covers all the bases also: snow prophalactics with no hp/torque losses, great filtering ability, with even better filtering ability as it gets more use, inexpensive air filter replacement, etc. cold air design, 2 if not three stage filtering design, etc. I have to tell you while the oem recommendation of 30,000 miles for air filter change is good, running up to 100,000 miles really has me sold.

I will grant however, the oem system design is BUTT UGLY.

 

[KLXD]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's anything deficient with the INTAKE system.

 

[dieseldorf]

but for the summer i'd like to get a cold air intake for my 2001 Golf TDI.

Combine, this is already installed on your car unless someone removed it.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=311497

Wouldn't you prefer spending your $$$ on something that has some amount of tangible payback Chip-tuning comes to mind

 

[85_305]

What will an open air filter do other than make noise? What is the benefit?

Namely noise; the it increases the turbo noise and vnt blow off. It may also help in a minute-fashion in the economy department since the car doesn't have to work as hard to suck fresh air in. And this is for the TDI I'm talking... other cars with different motors will have different benefits from a cai/oai.

Engines are designed to work with a certain amount of intake pressure, and a certain amount of back pressure. That's why they run bad when the intake or the catalytic converter gets clogged. When you mess with either of these things, the balance is lost.

As stated earlier, the car already has a CAI. It already draws air in from outside of the engine compartment.

I've never understood why some people think they are smarter than the hundreds (thousands?) of German engineers who designed the things to begin with.

mode rant = off

Namely, car manufacturers design cars so that the average consumer will like them. The average consumer does't want a noisy turbo, they dont want to hear blow-off, they dont want to hear the motor chopping away, they dont want a smokey car, they dont want to hear the exhaust, they dont care to be "slammed and stretched", etc. The average consumer wants a nice quiet ride. That is what cars are engineered around.

Hell, look at LS1 camaro's. They get 20-30hp by doing an air foil delete and aftermarket intake alone; but the noise of the motor is also noticeably increased.

You mean the ones who designed the 01M? The oil filter location on the A3? The cup holders on the A4? The interior finish on the A4?

Rant just getting started.

Yep, those would be the ones

What about only driving the car in northern canada? That should give it a nice cold air intake year round

lol. I love Canada. Gotta love winter year-round.

 

[turbocharged798]

Noise is not a indication of power.

Its been rehashed over and over, there is very little (almost none) restriction in the OEM airbox. If it makes you feel better, put a restriction gauge on it. If it reads 0, leave it alone.

Again, CAIs are a waste of money for these cars. Just like big rims and "lowering kits". All bling and no go. I would rather put my money toward something that actually improves my car, like a ECU remap, nozzles, turbo, IC piping, ect.

 

[85_305]

Nobody said noise is an indication of power. Just that the noise can be a noisy, sporty thing for some folks.

 

[peteyfalz]

Whats useless to you may be beneficial to me.

Ease off of him.


DO NOT waste your money buying a cold air intake; IF you do anything, do an open element. That will you will get the sound you are looking for. You can do that for the cost of a $50 filter.

Spending 200$+ on a "cold air intake" wont do a whole lot. It might boost mpg by 1-2, and it will increase the sound of the turbo... but that can be done by merely installing an open air filter.

what exactly is an open element? just take the top off the airbox and get a new air filter?

 

[Andyinchville1]

It may be a million to one shot but look for a wrecked R32 car and take the entire intake system from it .... THAT is the best CAI.

Barring a junkyard find, you can buy them BUT they are way beyond $100 typically.

I am thinking about relocating my battery and experimenting with a home brew CAI (Lowes has plenty of pipes / air ducting etc that may be modded to work as a home brew set up.. that would be a lot easier to do with more space under the hood hence the second reason for relocating the battery (besides the better weight distribution).

Andrew

 

[jettawreck]

10 year old thread, but the turbo is capable if supplying more air volume than the stock or typical normal tune requires thru the stock intake system. A normally aspirated engine "breathes" differently and can be restricted.

 

[Nero Morg]

Also, for your reading pleasure

"Cold-air intakes" and "high-flow air filter" FAQ

By popular demand, here's an FAQ thread for USEFUL information on cold-air intakes and high-flow air filters. Useless posts will be removed. Go nuts. Edit: know what would be cool? Maybe someone can make a nifty, tastefully funny but small and useful button picture that links to this thread...

forums.tdiclub.com

 

[garreth5]

I know there will be no tremendous power gain, but I still got an Afe intake from 4wheelonline because of the price. I like the sound, and it looks nice under the hood.