Upgrade Your Engine From A Standard Air Intake System To A Cold Air Intake

By Author: vikram kuamr
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With the steady increase of gas prices, and at times an unexpected surge of prices as during the summer of 2008, many people are seeking for more fuel efficient cars and hybrids. While purchasing a new car with a higher MPG is a viable option for some people, there are many others who simply find nothing wrong with the current vehicle, and would not want to spend more money upfront to save gas money. Well, there is a much cost effective and efficient solution to enhance the horsepower of your existing engine, and in many cases increase the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. The answer lies in the air intake system of your car.
The air intake system is a device that allows air to flow into the engine thereby lowering the temperature of the internal combustion. Most cars are typically equipped with a standard air intake which reduces the engine noise, but reduces the efficiency of the engine in terms of horsepower and fuel intake. Cold air intakes, on the other hand, have been developed to gush in lower temperature air directly into the vehicle's internal-combustion engine, thereby increasing horsepower and efficiency ...
... of the engine.
As such, standard air intake systems sacrifice the horsepower and efficiency of the vehicle for reduced engine noise. In an age of high gas prices, it would be only reasonable to have a fuel efficient engine than a quite one. The cold air intake is relatively much cheaper than other performance enhancing modifications on your vehicle. Flushing the engine on an annual basis, often recommended by Jiffy Lubes, might help improve fuel efficiency temporarily, but does not make a notable difference. Upgrading the standard air intake system with the cold air intake is proven to increase the efficiency, and most of all is easily installed.
The cold air intakes differentiating factor is the principle of the cold air's density. Because the cold air intake system introduces air that is much lower in temperature than standard systems, the air is much condensed (thereby having more oxygen concentration), and enhances the ratio for the oxygen to combust with the fuel. There are various means to achieve this, and differs from each marketed air intake system.
Some of the methods to design such air intakes are: to increase the diameter of the pipe which reduces air flow speed and loss of temperature from pumping, to finely smooth the interior of the system to decrease air friction, to provide a more direct route to the engine by eliminating other devices such as mufflers, and to use a less limiting air filter for more direct air flow.
The new system, however, does have some potential disadvantages. Because the cold air system uses an opening that is closer to the ground than standard ones, it is more likely to let water into the engine when the vehicle is crossing a stream or flooded roads. Also, as mentioned above, the engine noise becomes louder, although not to a point of irritation. Lastly, some car warranties deny warranty repairs that have aftermarket upgrades or modifications. However, the benefits of fuel efficiency and horsepower outweigh the disadvantages by far.

Author Bio.
Increase fuel efficiency by upgrading your standard air intake system with a cold air intake. Ask RSAPerformance for professional advice and economic automobile parts regarding your vehice.