Cold air intake: How much water is too much water?

Question

I am putting a Cold air intake in my 1998 Camaro. Question is how much water is too much water? Today as a little experiment, i put a towel where the intake will go, drove through the nastiest puddles that were out today and found the towel got wet. I don't know where the water is getting in from but my question is how much water is too much water. Say my filter was moderately splashed and got wet. Will the water be able to make it through the filter and get to the eng

ine? I think what I may do is get a bypass valve and/or try to make the bottom of the car less prone to water entering (i.e. cover the vents that the access panel has in it) Also, if I invested in a bypass valve, will that reduce the CAI's performance? Will it for sure be able to get water out if it got in? I would appreciate anything you would have to say on any of these matters!!

Answer 1

performance goes down and you can try to protect it but remember the air intake is sucking up air and water so if there is water present it will get into the intake and yes it will make it to your engine past the filter

all you have to do is make a connection in the air pipe going to the air box so that when it does rain alot all you have to is lift the hood disconnect the pipe and drive

there will be no water that can get to the air box

Answer 2

Wow you're braver than we are. We got rid of our cold intake on our civic because we live in FL and it's just too wet down here for that. We got a carbon Kevlar intake chamber instead and the power increase was great. I think any water is just gonna lock up your engine.