Another CAI/Hydrolock post...

[StimulisRK]

I looked through older posts and now I'm kinda iffy on my situation.

I just bought an 03 EP3. It has about a 1.5" drop and an AEM CAI.
The previoius owner told me he never had any problems with water and the intake, no odd noises in rain or anything (he actually didn't even know about the issue and what hydrolocking was)

I've been reading alot on hydrolocking and i'm actually really scared now to the point where I wanna find a stock airbox, or at the very least get the bypass valve if its already installed.

I live in NY - Rain, snow, slushy roads.

Should I go to the airbox or am I overreacting?

[RHCP0801]

suck it up, unless your an asshole your not gonna hydrolock. Don't drive through huge puddles and you will be fine, I have had a cai on for so many years and I also live in NY, 0 problems and its driven all year round

[bchaney]

Yea I've heard very few actual cases of hydrolocking. And when it happens it's like he ^ said, driving into a puddle deep enough to submerge your entire filter.

[04SiSpeed]

You can get your filter a little wet without anything happening. I have had my cone covered in snow, from driving in the snow lol, and nothing ever happened. Like RCHP said unless you drive like a asshole and every puddle you see you wanna plow threw like a wave runner then yea we cant promise you wont hydrolock your motor. But normal everyday use is totally acceptable, unless you submerge the cone in water with the motor running and gun the gas, which obviously would cause water to enter the intake like its a straw.

[gtolio]

If you are really worried about it:

http://www.corsportusa.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1126

I don't know how well those things work. I had one on mine for a while before I went turbo and changed the cone, but I don't think it ever got water on it in the first place.

[talonXracer]

You can get your filter a little wet without anything happening.


You can get it more than a little wet and the only results will be an ever so slight reduction in power, the filter HAS TO BE FULLY SUBMERGED in order to draw water into the engine, at idle the engine cant provide enough vacuum to draw water up into the engine, best bet is to coast thru deep puddles if there is no option.

[jimmyjames]

CAI in ohio and illinois for 8 years now without problems. Keep an eye out for deep water going under bridges in heavy rain. Once or twice I got worried and shifted in neutral and shut off engine at last second when I thought, "oh shit!" But was always fine and probably overreacting.

[WPB EP3]

over reacting..just be conscious around flooded areas

[talonXracer]

Driving in water deep enough to contact the exhaust will cause the exhaust to rapidly cool and cause reverberation waves in the exhaust causing the engine to basically choke as no exhaust is flowing out. Some people have encountered this phenomenom and incorrectly thought they hydrolocked, there will even be small water droplets in the intake, not from any actual ingestion of water, but due to the humidity in the aircharge condensing and forming small drops of water(this will cause the IAC rotor to rust if the TB heater has been disabled)