cai

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by rednoved

I stand corrected. I had a feeling I would learn a few things on this forum. Does the MAF sensor adjust because the filter is still after the MAF sensor? And it doesn't adjust on a CAI because the filter is before the MAF sensor?

I believe it's more than that, but I haven't studied any of the commercial CAIs beyond looking at pictures of them installed. It appears to me that the whole intake system is replaced up to the throttle body. And, if the sensor is "calibrated" for a specific cross section and air flow characteristic, it's going to "see" something different there. I think to really work properly without a custom tune, the sensor would have to be redesigned a bit for the new environment. (I think it's essentially a heated resistance wire that's cooled by airflow, and that's a pretty simple analogue device, if I'm right).

In the stock setup, the sensor is AFTER the filter, above and behind it on the driver's side, in my truck. All the changes done to the intake in the "Gotts" style mod are way before that location, and are limited to allowing extra air in. By the time airflow reaches the sensor, the flow pattern is the same as always (more or less), but potentially, there's more of it. In a commercial setup, everything is different all the way to the throttle body. The simple sensor can't really account for all the differences.

What I've just said is mostly based on discussions with Bill on this system.

- Jack