How Does a Cold Air Intake System Improve Engine Performance?
A cold air intake system is a great way to give your car lots of extra power. Installing these systems is an affordable method of improving your cars performance. Most people have heard about cold air intake systems but may not be aware how they work or why they are beneficial.
Cold air intake systems can be purchased as part of a DIY kit and fitted fairly easily. Many of these are often bundled with replacement air filters for various models of car.
How Engines Work
All car engines work in the same way: they burn fuel and consume oxygen to produce power. There are computer controlled systems on board which carefully control the amount of fuel and oxygen.
If you increase the amount of oxygen in your combustion chambers then you can increase the power of your engine. You will be able to get more horsepower from your engine. The normal source of oxygen is in the air, if you can get more air inside your engine then you can increase the power.
Air which is denser will contain more oxygen in the same space, and that is the main reason why cold air intake systems work so well. They source air from colder areas, maximizing the amount of oxygen in the air.
Balancing Power and Noise
Whenever a car is built the manufacturer will carefully balance the fuel/air mix to create the most power for the least amount of noise. While most car manufacturers prefer to minimize the noise of the engine, this comes at the cost of a decrease in engine power. The balance is normally achieved by restricting the airflow.
Fitting an after market cold air intake system can make it much easier to get more power out of your engine without increasing the noise too much. This will be beneficial for anyone looking to squeeze any extra inch out of your engine.
Cold Air Intake
Cold air intake systems are designed to increase the amount of oxygen available for the combustion process. The cold air intake systems work by locating the airflow inlet a long way away from any heat source.
By keeping the air cold this will increase the density, this in turn will maximize the amount of oxygen which can be packed into your engine. If you reduce the air temperature by 10 degrees then you will be able to benefit from a 1% increase in the horsepower of your engine. The air intakes in these systems are normally located in the wheel wells or just behind the bumper. Being away from the engine and collecting exterior air, the air is much colder.
Minimizing Restrictions
Cool air systems also minimize the amount of disruptions and restriction to airflow into the engine. The tubes used to transport the air are smooth sided to prevent any turbulence. A replacement air filter is normally fitted when using these cold air systems which will prevent any restrictions and disruptions.
These cold air systems work by making the density of the air greater, increasing the power of your engine. When used with combination of replaced air filters these systems can significantly increase the amount of power that your engine has available.
