Honda Car Forum

I want change my air filter on my 2006 Honda Accord. Can i put in a cold air intake system?

Yes, this is such a commond practice that I'm wondering why you are asking it. Not very prophetic.You opinion of BMWs is now very suspect.

Don't expect any real performance improvements from a cold air intake. They are just eye candy. They may possibly flow air a little better, but no gains are from cold air. Here’s why.First, you need to think of your engine as an air pump. If your 2.4 liter engine had the perfect cylinder heads, perfect camshafts, largest possible valves, perfect intake manifold, at 6500 RPM, it can only flow about 275 CFM of air. If you have the V6 maximum air flow is 345 CFM at 6500 RPM. I doubt you have these perfect engine components, so the engine flows considerably less, as much as 25% less. It's not as though you are feeding a big block V8 with a big Holley carburetor. So how much airflow do you really need?Next, you need to examine the throttle body and the tube that connects it to the air filter housing. I will use my car as an example. The engine is a common multi port fuel injected, 3.1 liter V6. On this engine, if you measure the diameter of the throttle plate, it is 2.035 inches (52 millimeters). If you measure the diameter if the stock pipe that connects the throttle body to the air filter housing, it is 3 inches, (76 millimeters). Since the stock pipe connecting the throttle body to the air filter is already 50% larger than the throttle plate, adding an even larger pipe will not flow any more air than can already pass through the throttle bore. No real improvements here unless you also add a larger throttle body and enlarge the throttle opening in the intake manifold.If you examine the air filter housing you will see that it draws its air from an opening in the radiator core support, drawing air from in front of the engine compartment. This air is already relatively cool.On a cold air intake, even if it has some kind of intercooler, it will NOT cool the air any cooler than the ambient outside air temperature. Also consider that the air passes quickly between the air filter and the throttle body, too quickly to absorb any significant amount of heat. With a V8 engine, you gain about 1 horsepower for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit drop in temperature. Therefore, even if you could drop the incoming air 50 degrees, you gain a measly 5 horsepower. These gains are proportionately less on smaller 4 or 6 cylinder engines. So they are hardly worth the expense.Another thing to consider is that your engine is equipped with an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve. This device dumps hot exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold, into the intake manifold. This exhaust gas is over 1000 degrees F. A cold air intake can't make a difference over this extremely hot gas. Your engine is tuned to operate with this so it is not a problem.The air filter used in the cold air intake is the only component that may give you any real improvement. But with fuel injected engine, avoid the ones that use the washable oiled gauze elements. If even the slightest amount of oil from the filter gets on your Mass Airflow Sensor, it will foul the sensor. This sensor is located in the tube between the throttle body and the air filter housing. If fouled, it will send erratic signals to the engine management computer. This will mess up your fuel / air mixture to the point that you could have even less power than you had before you added this component. If you already have one of these types of oiled air filter elements, you should clean the Mass Airflow Sensor with the correct cleaner every few months. Use Mass Airflow Sensor cleaner, and not carburetor cleaner, or you will destroy the sensor. Instead of the cold air intake, I would just simply add a low restriction air filter element.For a little bit more than a cold air system, you can purchase a dry nitrous oxide system. For about $350 - $500, you can install a dry nitrous oxide kit that will add 50 - 75 horsepower to your Accord. This will give you performance gains you will actually notice. For a little over $500, you could install a wet nitrous system that could give you 75 - 200 additional horsepower, but with this, you risk breaking parts.Checkout the Summit Racing Website.The bang for the buckCold Air IntakeCost = $200 Average. Horsepower gained = 10 HP, and I'm being generous. About $20 per horsepower gainedNitrous OxideCost = $500 Average. Horsepower gained = 75 HP Average. About $6.65 per horsepower gained































www.summitracing.com

yah, sure you can. you just got to find the right cold air kit. try looking through import mod. magazines or search the net.

Yes, AEM makes a nice kit that should add some HP and is 50 state legal.

Save your money! Your better off with a free flow air filter like a K&N. Your cars intake air is comming from outside the engine compartment in the stock configuration, when you install a "cold air intake" the air intake is under the hood where the engine is and it's hot under there. The major benefit of these things is the filter, it's a free flow K&N washable element. I have not seen any dynamometer readings, but I doubt a "cold air intake" adds any horsepower or gas mileage, they just make more noise.

"mad jack" is right about his statements. However, the NOS is illegal, where as the Intake can be 50state legal. Cold Air has no real point..cuz the accord already draws air from the front of the car (it already takes in cold air as soon as it hits the chasis). So when u do install an aftermarket intake, make sure you get the cold air. The cold air pipe will be long, and will draw air from the front of your car. The short ram intakes will be closer to your engine and draw warmer air. There are ups and downs for both systems. Yes avoid the washable oiled filters as well. He's also right about barely noticing any gains if your only mod is the Intake. Maybe a couple HP's. Jack is being real generous on how much gain he is estimating.To complete the system you need to get the headers and the exhaust that match up well with the accord. If you have a v6....get the AEM V2 Cold Air Intake. The Greddy Evo 2 Exhaust pairs up real nice with it as well. I installed both the intake and exhaust on the same day, and I noticed imediate power, and better gas mileage. Dont waste your money if the Intake is going to be your only mod. If you're going to continue to fix up the car, then get the AEM V2. Oh one last thing. If you live in an area where it floods. think twice. The V2 intake dips down very low to the ground and picks up air from the lower hole on the driver side bumper. If you're going to lower your car, and get a body kit..i will guarantee some water splashing onto your filter during rainy days. Not a big problem..but u will blow your engine if you drown your filter in a flood street.