STUCK! AWD! NEVA!

Heh... I suppose our AWD setup + tires aren't the greatest to begin with.... Though my little venture into the snow... the only trouble I had was "stopping" which is 100% tire... car just slides around...

 

No problem w/ a feet of snow here in Toronto.. i have a Fujita CAI...
i've only used three layers of window mesh (used for home windows)
to cover the vent....still no problem yet...

however, salt stain was spotted inside engine bay and filter area....

i know the mesh will not cover 100%, but will reduce a fair amout of
large splashes into the filter

 

it should not be too bad because the snow isnt so liquidy i woulndt worry too much, especialy since how high the filter sits. if it was lower in that well i would be more worried.

 

Yeah I used duct tape to cover the wheel vents. Also there is a round hole toward the front bumper on that side, right under the front spoiler. I covered that with duct tape too.

Seems all good, I figured snow was just going to plug the vents anyways, so might as well cover them with tape.

I might remove my cai for winter months. But it's been so cold I can't be wrenching on a car for an hour, even in the garage.

 

why's everyone so concerned about hydrolock? just don't drive into a body of water and you should be fine. you'd think the intake manufacturers would have taken drastic measures by now if this was such a huge issue. hydrolock protection would come standard on all intakes then.

 

why's everyone so concerned about hydrolock? just don't drive into a body of water and you should be fine. you'd think the intake manufacturers would have taken drastic measures by now if this was such a huge issue. hydrolock protection would come standard on all intakes then.[/b]

It's possible to get water in the intake system and not get hydrolock. Quite a few people have found their CAI filter soaking wet just driving in the rain, and they have also found water all the way up inside the MAF IIRC. You may not get hydrolock, but your air filter being soaking wet and allowing SOME water up into the intake tract is probably not a good thing..especially over time.

 

why's everyone so concerned about hydrolock? just don't drive into a body of water and you should be fine. you'd think the intake manufacturers would have taken drastic measures by now if this was such a huge issue. hydrolock protection would come standard on all intakes then.[/b]

This is my third winter and no problems thus far.

 

This is my third winter and no problems thus far.[/b]

I could be wrong, but I think the intake on the normal 6's is different than the speeds...

 

I could be wrong, but I think the intake on the normal 6's is different than the speeds...[/b]

CP-E Xcel's piping routes the same way the MAFci does - down to the area where the intake resonator used to reside. Both CAIs draw air from the same area.

 

CP-E Xcel's piping routes the same way the MAFci does - down to the area where the intake resonator used to reside. Both CAIs draw air from the same area.[/b]

I was thinking about the holes in the stock resonator. The 6i and 6s have two while the speed only has one. Wouldn't the added pressure of a turbo motor increase the velocity of the air that is pulled in?

Regardless, filters get soaked in just heavy rain with these CAI's, and having the intake right in the wheel well where there is tons of water is extremely stupid IMO.

 

I was thinking about the holes in the stock resonator. The 6i and 6s have two while the speed only has one. Wouldn't the added pressure of a turbo motor increase the velocity of the air that is pulled in?

Regardless, filters get soaked in just heavy rain with these CAI's, and having the intake right in the wheel well where there is tons of water is extremely stupid IMO.[/b]

That is the best place to get the coldest air. Also a little bit of water in the motor is not a bad thing. You can buy water injection systems that will inject water directly into the intak of the motor. Granted this is a small amount and a mist but just having a wet filter will not hurt the motor. It might not filter as well or it may destroy the filter itself but it won't hurt the motor.

 

It finally snowed a good amount where I am. I took the MS6 out to try out the AWD and remembered i have the CAI on. So I did what someone else mentioned not to long ago on the forums to use goretex to cover up the vents. Well i did not have goretex around the house but had something similar to it that i found and covered it up. Used just a couple of bolts to hold it on and it was good. I then to my car out drove down to the county field and let lose in the parking lot. This mind you doe sno tget plowed, so i had about 5 inches on the ground. I got stuck at some points in the deeper piles of snow but also mind you i was riding on the stock potenza's.lol and they are not that bad in the lower snow parts i was driving around town pretty damn good. I also crashed into a couple foot high snow banks on turns which sucked and got me scared that that would over do it and get into my CAI. I got home hours later opened my hood and dry and clean as a whistle . Even checked where the cone was and it was just alittle wet in that area like it was just raining out. But i was out for hours in that snow and getting stuck and having to rock back and forth to get out and no problem at all with the cpe CAI. Realy sucky part was i just got a car wash 4 days ago and it is covered in salt nasty as hell. :swearin:[/b]

Are you kidding me? "not that bad in the lower snow parts"

i'll assume you mean "not that bad where there isn't too much snow" or something similar....

I drove into work on wednesday with the stock potenzas, and there was about 2 inches of slush on the roads...I"ve been driving in the north east for almost 10 years now, and i will say without a doubt that it was the worst snow-driving experience of my life. You couldn't touch the gas, brake, clutch, or steering wheel at any speed over 15 miles per hour without the car doing something crazy. It would drift an inch or two to the side, then either the traction control would straighten it out, or i'd hammer the clutch and straighten myself out. Bottom line - in the snow, on stock tires, it's completely unpredictible, and there's no way anyone could have any amount of confidence driving it.

Driving back from work, I was trying to get up the slight little tiny incline in the parking lot, with 5 or so inches of snow on the ground, and it was completely impossible. I ended up recruiting 5 people to push me up the hill so i could get on with sliding my way home. I'm heading home tonight, and i'm going to buy some snow tires. It's pretty worthless to me that a car like this would be sold with summers.

I'd rather have a 7.5 or 8" all seasons than these skinny worthless summers.

I've only had the car for 6 days now, and i'm already regretting my purchase. should have gone with the FJ Cruiser TRD.

 

Are you kidding me? "not that bad in the lower snow parts"

i'll assume you mean "not that bad where there isn't too much snow" or something similar....

I drove into work on wednesday with the stock potenzas, and there was about 2 inches of slush on the roads...I"ve been driving in the north east for almost 10 years now, and i will say without a doubt that it was the worst snow-driving experience of my life. You couldn't touch the gas, brake, clutch, or steering wheel at any speed over 15 miles per hour without the car doing something crazy. It would drift an inch or two to the side, then either the traction control would straighten it out, or i'd hammer the clutch and straighten myself out. Bottom line - in the snow, on stock tires, it's completely unpredictible, and there's no way anyone could have any amount of confidence driving it.

Driving back from work, I was trying to get up the slight little tiny incline in the parking lot, with 5 or so inches of snow on the ground, and it was completely impossible. I ended up recruiting 5 people to push me up the hill so i could get on with sliding my way home. I'm heading home tonight, and i'm going to buy some snow tires. It's pretty worthless to me that a car like this would be sold with summers.

I'd rather have a 7.5 or 8" all seasons than these skinny worthless summers.

I've only had the car for 6 days now, and i'm already regretting my purchase. should have gone with the FJ Cruiser TRD.[/b]

+1 on the stock tires in snow. But don't give up on the car so easily. Had you bought it in June you'd be singing the praises of the sticky stock rubber. No manufacturer sends out cars w/ different tires for different times of year. If you live somewhere that is so snowy I would have made the dealer swap them or sell you a set of stock 6s tires w/ winter rubber for cheap. You could probably still get them to if you bitch enough.

FJ Cruiser?!?! God no - just wait till it gets warm, you will have no regrets. Good luck

 

That is the best place to get the coldest air. Also a little bit of water in the motor is not a bad thing. You can buy water injection systems that will inject water directly into the intak of the motor. Granted this is a small amount and a mist but just having a wet filter will not hurt the motor. It might not filter as well or it may destroy the filter itself but it won't hurt the motor.[/b]

Sure, it's a great place ot get cold air, but it's also a place to get a assload of water from the wheels in the rain. In my Mustang, it pulls the cold air from the fender well, but it's in front of the plastic wheel well piece, so it's not in an area that gets wet unless you go into some deep water. It doesn't pull the air right from where the tires are. On the MS6 it pulls it right from above the wheel which is retarded IMO.

As for the water, I'm not saying its going to kill the motor, but I think the air intake tract is not really meant to be pulling in moisture, and it may have some affects down the line after years of moisture up there. For instance...the prevalence of the P2006 code of the swirl valve in the intake freezing up in cold weather. I have to think having moisture getting up in there might help it "freeze". I'm not really familiar with water injection systems, but I'm skeptical that getting any water in the motor is a "good thing"...

I keep my cars for 10 years +, so I'm not just thinking short term...

 

+1 on the stock tires in snow. But don't give up on the car so easily. Had you bought it in June you'd be singing the praises of the sticky stock rubber. No manufacturer sends out cars w/ different tires for different times of year. If you live somewhere that is so snowy I would have made the dealer swap them or sell you a set of stock 6s tires w/ winter rubber for cheap. You could probably still get them to if you bitch enough.

FJ Cruiser?!?! God no - just wait till it gets warm, you will have no regrets. Good luck[/b]

Will the stock 6 wheels fit over the MS6 brakes? That'll be my first stop tomorrow morning.

 

Will the stock 6 wheels fit over the MS6 brakes? That'll be my first stop tomorrow morning.[/b]

the stock 17s will. some 6's have 16s - those won't

It's pretty worthless to me that a car like this would be sold with summers.

I'd rather have a 7.5 or 8" all seasons than these skinny worthless summers.

I've only had the car for 6 days now, and i'm already regretting my purchase. should have gone with the FJ Cruiser TRD.[/b]

It is a HIGH performance sedan, not an SUV - most performance vehicles are sold with summer only tires. Ford Mustang GT, Focus SVT, EVO, STi, etc. I get annoyed with having to change the wheels out for the winter, but the stock tires stick like CRAZY in dry (and warm wet) like glue - no all season can hold like those things do.

 

Will the stock 6 wheels fit over the MS6 brakes? That'll be my first stop tomorrow morning.[/b]

Yeah, the 17s should work.

Oh, and if you are regretting and think you should've gotten a FJ Cruiser, then...um, you were shopping in the wrong sector.

 

I had a great time with mine earlier this week, you should have seen the look on my neighbors faces when plums of snow/sleet came flying up from all four wheels spinning. Winter tires helped a lot. The only problem I had was user error. I forgot the rule about not shifting gears while in a corner.

 

Sure, it's a great place ot get cold air, but it's also a place to get a assload of water from the wheels in the rain. In my Mustang, it pulls the cold air from the fender well, but it's in front of the plastic wheel well piece, so it's not in an area that gets wet unless you go into some deep water. It doesn't pull the air right from where the tires are. On the MS6 it pulls it right from above the wheel which is retarded IMO.

As for the water, I'm not saying its going to kill the motor, but I think the air intake tract is not really meant to be pulling in moisture, and it may have some affects down the line after years of moisture up there. For instance...the prevalence of the P2006 code of the swirl valve in the intake freezing up in cold weather. I have to think having moisture getting up in there might help it "freeze". I'm not really familiar with water injection systems, but I'm skeptical that getting any water in the motor is a "good thing"...

I keep my cars for 10 years +, so I'm not just thinking short term...[/b]

My AEM CAI is in the fender with the plastic wheel well between it and the tire. The plastic has some vents in it but those are small and easy to cover with a screen or in my case a peice of thin aluminium flashing. I've driven in the pouring rain several times and I checked my filter with my hand after stopping and it was bone dry. What CAI are you talking about that pulls from the area with the tire, I agree that would be the dumbest place.

Water injection systems mist water into the intake similar to NOS or alcohal. The extra oxygen from the misted water helps increase the oxygen in the cylinder and in turn you get stronger combustion. More oxygen = MORE POWER. Waaaaaaaaaa hahahahahahahahaha. Was that to dramatic.

 

Oh, and if you are regretting and think you should've gotten a FJ Cruiser, then...um, you were shopping in the wrong sector.[/b]

lol



Yea i left that out the braking was horrible in the snow. But i dont know i drove around pretty damn good on the stock tires my friend had a jeep and i had no problem going around right behind him in the snow to go snow shoveling for extra cash. I was in a couple inches and the tires were pretty good unless your used to driving in a AWD truck or car with snow tires and you go to the MS6 then you'll prob be like wtf. I saw some STI's out the same day and they were wipping it on the roads hardcore it was awesome to watch. Where i live evo's and STI's look like people got a buy one get one free sale, but whatever fun to see them kick ass in the snow and watch the G35's eat shit. haha

 

I've driven through 5+ inches of snow doing some drifting and other stuff w/o covering my CAI and was just fine. It did get a little wet but it never was soaked. Even though putting up a guard around the vents isn't a bad idea it really isn't necessary from my experiences.

 

More oxygen = MORE POWER. Waaaaaaaaaa hahahahahahahahaha. Was that to dramatic. [/b]

Except with stock tuning and a CAI. Cold weather = 20 horsepower loss. Some others have done dynos with CAI in warm then cold weather and the ECU gets stupid and starts limiting things because it does not know what to do with all the air.

That is why (among other reasons) mine is sitting in a box in my garage and not on the car any more.