Thinking about getting a cold air intake… which one is actually worth it?

I’m considering a cold air intake, but I’m not sure which one would be the best. Looking for some advice, especially if anyone has tried one that worked well. Here’s a link for reference:

I’ll be the first to say, those aren’t real cold air intakes.

Reese said:
I’ll be the first to say, those aren’t real cold air intakes.

This is why I always ask this forum before buying anything :thinking:

Camilo said:

Reese said:
I’ll be the first to say, those aren’t real cold air intakes.

This is why I always ask this forum before buying anything :thinking:

You were right to ask. Even if it flows more air, if it pulls from the engine bay, it’s anything but cold air.

If you’re looking for a true cold air intake, you could check out options from 27Won for the current Si and Type R platforms. They’re designed to pull in cold air while sealing off the engine bay, plus they have better flow rates for filters and piping.

I’m not sure if something like that is available for older Civics, but those cars have a lot of aftermarket support.

You also need to think about whether it’s worth the money. If you’re after more performance and don’t have much money, maybe it’s better to save and get a new car later.

If you’re not super attached to your car, you could think about getting a newer one. Sure, newer cars have more tech that can break, but they also have better safety features.

If this car is more of a project for you than a daily driver, go for it and enjoy it. Same if you’re planning to keep it until it falls apart.

Spending $300 to make your car run worse. :ok_hand:

Lawson said:
Spending $300 to make your car run worse. :ok_hand:

But the “whisshhhhhhhh” sound from the turbo (if OP has a turbocharged car)!!

Valentine said:

Lawson said:
Spending $300 to make your car run worse. :ok_hand:

But the “whisshhhhhhhh” sound from the turbo (if OP has a turbocharged car)!!

It was worth it in my opinion. I ran a Mishimoto CAI as an SRI for the sound.

Valentine said:

Lawson said:
Spending $300 to make your car run worse. :ok_hand:

But the “whisshhhhhhhh” sound from the turbo (if OP has a turbocharged car)!!

It’s NA :pensive:

CT Engineering Ice Box is a great alternative. It offers the benefits of a cold air intake but keeps the OEM look.

You’ll lose power and money. It won’t improve performance, just adds some intake noise. Not worth it, to be honest.

Get an intake with a heat shield and tucked into the fender.

All great answers so far. These are short ram intakes. They don’t do much except make noise. They pull in hot air, which doesn’t help power.

Your OEM intake is already a cold air intake. Spending money on a 1.7L engine won’t give you much gain unless you also do exhaust and tuning.

Lyle said:
Your OEM intake is already a cold air intake. Spending money on a 1.7L engine won’t give you much gain unless you also do exhaust and tuning.

It already has a full exhaust, but no tune yet.

Here’s how you do a CAI on a D17:
https://www.reddit.com/r/7thgencivic/s/toKRp18vft

Punch out the fog light and go from there. Insane intake sound and some extra power due to the longer runner. Intake temps dropped by 20 degrees.

No point for your model Civic unless you’re doing it for looks.

The stock airbox is more efficient. Do you have an access port? If not, don’t waste your money.

Frey said:
The stock airbox is more efficient. Do you have an access port? If not, don’t waste your money.

What’s an access port?

I’m curious, what made you think this is a cold air intake? It doesn’t seem to be advertised that way and it clearly pulls air from inside the engine compartment.

Jase said:
I’m curious, what made you think this is a cold air intake? It doesn’t seem to be advertised that way and it clearly pulls air from inside the engine compartment.

I looked up cold air intake.